Saturday’s game features righty Walker Buehler (6-0, 2.28) on the mound for the Dodgers against Arizona righty Matt Peacock (2-4, 5.26). Buehler hasn’t lost a game since September 21, 2019, a span of 29 starts, including the post-season.
Next Man Up for Dodgers Offense
Even with Max Muncy, Cody Bellinger, and Corey Seager on the injured list, the Dodgers are 8-2 in the last 10 games. Albert Pujols is batting .269 with five homers and 13 RBI in 24 games since joining the team. Souza made his Dodgers debut on Wednesday, going 1-for-3, and he went 1-for-3 again Friday with a go-ahead eighth-inning home run.
Meanwhile, Justin Turner has 12 homers with a .275 average, and Chris Taylor has 35 RBI. Closer Kenley Jansen picked up his 17th save on Friday and has a 1.57 ERA to lead the bullpen. Victor Gonzalez (1.99), Blake Treinen (2.93), and Jimmy Nelson (1.99) have all been brilliant out of the bullpen as well.
Buehler has gone at least six innings in all 13 starts this season, and he has 11 quality starts. Last time out, he beat Texas on Sunday with six shutout innings as he allowed five hits and struck out five. Buehler has won three straight starts and hasn’t allowed a run in his last two outings.
Buehler beat Arizona on May 17, allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings. He walked four in that win and struck out seven.
Arizona in a Historically Bad Stretch
It is tough to find a positive note on Arizona these days as the Diamondbacks have lost 15 in a row overall and an MLB record 23 straight away from home. Arizona is 2-28 in their last 30 games and 6-20 against NL West opponents. They were swept by the Dodgers over four games in May and were 2-8 against Los Angeles last season.
Ketel Marte is a bright spot with a .344 average, and he was 1-for-4 on Friday night. Catcher Carson Kelly is the only other regular batting over .260, while Eduardo Escobar leads the team with 15 home runs and 44 RBI.
Last time out, Peacock lost in San Francisco on Monday as he allowed three runs on 10 hits over five innings. He struck out three, walked three, and gave up a home run. He has lost three straight starts dating back to a win against St. Louis on May 30.
Peacock took a no-decision in Los Angeles on May 19, allowing just one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings. In that outing, he didn’t issue a walk and struck out four.
The Dodgers are -215 on the money line and -1.5 (-125) on the run line. The Diamondbacks are +180 money line and +1.5 (+108) on the run line. The game total is nine runs, with the over at -118 and the under at -104.
Betting Analysis
The Diamondbacks are flat-out horrible, and the bet is to keep going against them until they win one. The way Buehler has been pitching, this is a brutal matchup for Arizona. While the over is enticing given the way Peacock has struggled in June, Arizona may not help the game get to 10 runs at all, so focus on the Dodgers here.
FREE PICK: Dodgers -1.5 (-125)