Sport: MLBPick Selection: LA DODGERS
..I'm laying the price with the LA DODGERS. Due largely to the fact that the teams in their division have struggled, both the Marlins and the Dodgers are right in the thick of their respective division races. The Marlins enter the day tied with the Mets and trailing the Phillies by 1 1/2 games. On the other coast, thanks to a win last night, the Dodgers are tied with the Diamondbacks for first in the West. While Florida currently has the slight better record, I firmly believe that the Dodgers have a significantly better chance of winning the West than the Marlins do of winning the East. Having caught up with Arizona should be a motivator here, as will the chance to finally climb back to the .500 mark for the first time since May.
The Dodgers have been getting exceptional pitching recently and I expect them to enjoy a significant advantage on the mound again this evening. Chan Ho Park has been making the most of his latest crack at the starting rotation. Indeed, the veteran Korean right-hander has made four starts and has gone 1-0 with an extremely impressive 1.29 ERA and 26 K's in 21 innings, allowing one earned run or less in ALL four starts. In his most recent home outing, Park was dominant, tossing six innings of shutout ball against the Angels. He allowed just four hits and didn't walk a batter, striking out seven along the way. The Dodgers won that game by a score of 6-0. That victory came against Saunders, the American League leader in wins. Conversely, tonight Park will be opposed by a pitcher who hasn't started a game this season.
Josh Johnson gets the call for the Marlins and he'll be making his first start since having Tommy John surgery last August. Note that pitchers who have attempted to return from Tommy John surgery in less than a year haven't fared very well historically. You may recall seeing Johnson last year, as he made four starts, prior to going on the DL for good in July. In those four starts, Johnson was 0-3 with an awful 7.47 ERA. While he'd obviously love to make a triumphant return, even Johnson acknowledged: "There's still some stuff I'm trying to iron out delivery-wise..." Even when he's been healthy, Johnson has had trouble with the Dodgers. In two starts against them, he has a 9.00 ERA. Note that the Marlins bullpen hasn't been particularly good on the road either. In fact, the Florida relievers entered Wednesday's action with a 4.05 ERA and 1.489 ERA on the road. The Dodgers bullpen, on the other hand, entered yesterday with an excellent 2.54 ERA and 1.122 WHIP at home. The Dodgers are 11-5 the last 16 series meetings, including 4-0 the last four. Behind another quality effort from Park, look for the inspired Dodgers to continue that recent dominance tonight and move back to 500. *1st Half GOY
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