Los Angeles Dodgers vs Texas Rangers MLB Betting Preview— 8/29/18
Wednesday evening interleague MLB action and we will see the Los Angeles Dodgers grapple with the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park In Arlington, Texas. This is game two of a two-game series and has a start time of 8:05 PM ET. The Dodgers took both games against the Rangers at home this year. Los Angeles took game one by a score of 8-4 and now lead the season series 3-0.
Lines: Los Angeles 158… Texas +148… O/U 10.5
Pitching Matchup
Getting the nod for the Dodgers will be Alex Wood and he has gone 7-5 with a 3.60 ERA in 24 starts on the year, including 4-3 with a 3.60 ERA in 11 starts on the road. In his career, he has gone 22-21 with a 3/44 ERA in 86 games (67 starts) on the road and 9-6 with a 2.46 ERA 24 starts during the month of August, plus 3-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 20 games (15 starts) in interleague play. Wood has gone 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA on one start against the Rangers. That start was back in 2014.
The Rangers will trot out Mike Minor and he has gone 10-6 with a 4.40 ERA in 23 starts on the year, including 5-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 12 starts here at home. In his career, he has gone 5-3 with a 3.53 ERA in 15 games (13 starts) here at Globe Life Park and 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA in 38 games (27 starts) during the month of August, plus 4-10 with a 3.65 ERA in 26 games (17 starts) in interleague play. Minor is 1-2 with a 2.56 ERA in seven games (six starts) against the Dodgers in his career.
Game Analysis
The Dodgers had a really nice Tuesday evening as they beat up on the Texas Rangers, while the Arizona Diamondbacks were losing in San Francisco. That helped the LA move to within just one game of both the Rockies and Diamondbacks, who are both atop the National League West. they topped the Rangers by a score of 8-4 and it was their 4th win in a row overall. The Dodgers have outscored their foes 31-12 over that stretch. They may be getting their act together, but they have been taking on weak teams and there is still plenty of baseball left to be played this year. Manny Machado had a big game against the Rangers as he had four hits and drove in four runs. Brian Dozier had two hits and two RBIs, while Enrique Hernandez had three hits and an RBI. Walker Buehler got the start and lasted just four innings, allowing two ERs on four hits and two walks in the process. Caleb Ferguson picked up the win and is now 5-2 with a 3.51 ERA on the year. The Dodgers have gone 36-28 on the road and have averaged 5.25 rpg and have allowed 3.88 rpg in those games.
It has been a really rough season for the Rangers again as they are 17 games under .500 and in last place in the American League West. They have gone just 2-5 in their last seven games and their offense has been an issue for them as they have averaged just 2.71 rpg over those last seven games. This is a team that is not used to struggling on offense and they are 9th in the league in scoring for the year at 4.74 rpg. The pitching has been their huge issue so far, especially here at home where they have a 5.68 ERA on the year. That is the worst home ERA in the league. Last year, their home ERA was 4.69. If the pitching and offense can get on the same page, then this could be a dangerous team. Mike Minor has had a decent year for the Rangers and he has gone 4-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his last four starts. He gives the Rangers a chance of pulling the upset in this one. Texas has gone 29-39 here at home and they have averaged 5.50 rpg and have allowed 6.04 rpg in those games.
Trends
The Dodgers are 17-7 in Woods last 24 starts vs. a team with a losing record… the Dodgers are 10-2 in their last 12 interleague games vs. a team with a losing record… Los Angeles is 1-7 in their last 8 during game 2 of a series.
The Rangers are 22-9 in their last 31 interleague games vs. a team with a winning record… The Rangers are 5-2 in Minors last 7 starts following a Quality Start in his last appearance… Texas has gone 0-7 in their last 7 games vs. a left-handed starter.
