San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 08-24-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 23rd August 2018 by Gracenote
Padres vs. Dodgers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/23/2018
The return of closer Kenley Jansen has failed to provide a stabilizing effect on the skidding Los Angeles Dodgers, who attempt to get back on track against the National League's worst team. The Dodgers had a day off to regroup from a sweep by visiting St. Louis and look to bounce back in Friday's opener of a three-game home set versus the San Diego Padres.
Jansen was victimized in each of his last two appearances after coming off the disabled due to an irregular heartbeat, giving up a pair of solo homers in the ninth in Monday's defeat before serving up a two-run blast in Wednesday's loss to St. Louis. "Very frustrating. Got to figure out how to get back out of this mess," said Jansen after Los Angeles fell to 3-9 over its last 12 games. While the Dodgers are 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card and 4 1/2 behind first-place Arizona in the NL West, the Padres are 30 games below .500 and nestled in last place in the division. San Diego was one out from a series win at Colorado on Thursday before Ian Desmond delivered a walk-off, two-run homer to send the Padres to their eighth loss in 10 games.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, SportsNet LA
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Clayton Richard (7-10, 5.11 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (5-4, 3.73)
Since winning his first four starts in June, Richard has gone 10 consecutive outings without a victory, including no-decisions in his last four appearances. He failed to pitch past five innings for the fifth time in six starts last out time, giving up five runs and nine hits to Arizona. Matt Kemp is 15-for-38 with three homers off Richard, who pitched six innings of four-run ball in a loss to the Dodgers on May 25.
Hill pitched at least six innings for the fifth time in six starts since the All-Star break at Seattle on Saturday, but did not factor in the decision after allowing four runs and four hits. He permitted a combined six earned runs in his previous five turns, compiling a 3-0 record in that span. Hill's last loss came in San Diego on July 10, when he gave up four runs and eight hits in a season high-tying seven innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles, which hasn't had a losing record at home since 2005, is 32-33 at Dodger Stadium.
2. Padres 3B Christian Villanueva (fractured finger) went on the 10-day disabled list
3. Dodgers OF Joc Pederson homered Wednesday but is mired in a 2-for-26 slump.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Padres 3
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Texas Rangers vs. San Francisco Giants Preview and Predictions 08-24-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 23rd August 2018 by Gracenote
Rangers vs. Giants Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/23/2018
The San Francisco Giants are drifting out of the postseason race in the National League while the Texas Rangers are sitting in last place - both far from the two pennant winners that met in the 2010 World Series. The teams will renew acquaintances this weekend, when the Giants host the Rangers in the opener of a three-game interleague series on Friday.
San Francisco, which beat Texas in five games in that 2010 World Series, sits nine games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West and eight out of the second NL wild card spot after a seven-game road trip that saw it drop five games against teams with losing records. The Giants did manage to salvage the finale of a four-game set at the New York Mets on Thursday to avoid a series loss, leaning on Madison Bumgarner's arm and bat to earn the 3-1 victory. The Rangers were shut out in back-to-back contests at the Oakland Athletics this week to begin the six-game road trip but avoided a sweep with a 4-2 triumph on Wednesday and will play their next five games against NL opponents, with the Los Angeles Dodgers set to visit for a two-game series on Tuesday and Wednesday. Texas will send right-hander Drew Hutchison to the mound on Friday while San Francisco is expected to bring rookie righty Dereck Rodriguez off the disabled list to face his Hall of Fame father's former team.
TV: 10:15 p.m. ET, FS Southwest (Texas), NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Drew Hutchison (2-2, 5.71 ERA) vs. Giants RH Dereck Rodriguez (6-1, 2.25)
Hutchison earned his first win for Texas against the Los Angeles Angels last Friday, when he struck out six and surrendered two runs on five hits and a walk over five innings. The 28-year-old, who made 11 relief appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this season, last worked as a full-time starter in the majors for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015. Hutchison did not yield a home run against the Angels after serving up a total of three blasts in his first two starts.
Rodriguez is hoping to return from a strained hamstring just as strong as he was before the injury, when he ripped off a string of nine straight starts allowing two or fewer earned runs. The 26-year-old, who is the son of Hall of Fame catcher and Rangers legend Ivan Rodriguez, last worked against Pittsburgh on Aug. 12 and allowed one run on two hits and a walk across seven innings to pick up the win. Rodriguez is seeing the Rangers for the first time in his career and yielded a total of one run in 13 1/3 innings against two other AL West squads - Oakland and Houston.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre (hamstring) served as the DH in each of the last three games.
2. San Francisco 3B Evan Longoria homered in two of the last three games and hit safely in six straight.
3. Texas RHP Jose Leclerc yielded a total of three hits and no runs over 11 scoreless innings across his last 11 appearances.
PREDICTION: Giants 5, Rangers 1
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