San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Preview and Predictions 08-26-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 26th August 2018 by Gracenote
Padres vs. Dodgers Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/26/2018
The Los Angeles Dodgers attempt to erase the memory of a sweep in the first series of their homestand by completing one of their own on Sunday, when they host the San Diego Padres. Los Angeles began its string of contests at Dodger Stadium with three losses to St. Louis but routed San Diego in the opener of their set before posting a 5-4 victory in 12 innings on Saturday.
Following a 19-minute delay due to a power failure, Justin Turner capped his second straight 2-for-5 performance - and 11th multi-hit effort in 17 contests - with a one-out RBI double to win it for the Dodgers, who sit 2 1/2 games out of both first place in the National League West and the second NL wild-card spot. Manny Machado and Max Muncy both went deep on Saturday to reach the 30-homer plateau, with the former doing so for the fourth consecutive year and the latter for the first time in his career. The Padres scored in three straight frames to force extra innings before suffering their fourth consecutive defeat after beginning their six-game road trip with a victory at Colorado. Franmil Reyes began San Diego's comeback with a solo homer in the seventh inning and Austin Hedges belted a one-out solo shot in the ninth as the club banged out 11 hits after registering only four in the series opener.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Robbie Erlin (3-3, 3.46 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-1, 2.27)
After losing a pair of spot starts earlier this season, Erlin is 2-0 with a 3.43 ERA in four outings since becoming a regular member of the rotation. The 27-year-old Californian made three of those four turns on the road, including a victory at Colorado on Tuesday in which he allowed three runs and five hits over five innings. Erlin is 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA in five career appearances (three starts) against Los Angeles - with one of the losses coming in a start on April 16, when he was tagged for six runs in three frames.
Ryu tossed six scoreless innings in a no-decision against San Francisco on Aug. 15 after being sidelined for three-plus months with a strained groin but worked only four frames versus St. Louis on Tuesday, when he yielded three runs and four hits. The 31-year-old South Korean had been pitching well prior to the injury, going 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in six turns. Ryu is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight career starts versus the Padres, including a triumph at San Diego opposite Erlin in April in which he gave up two runs and three hits with a season-high nine strikeouts over six innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (back) threw a simulated game on Saturday and is expected to be activated from the disabled list on Tuesday.
2. San Diego SS Freddy Galvis is riding a five-game hitting streak and enters Sunday with three straight two-hit performances.
3. Los Angeles LHP Alex Wood originally was scheduled to start the series finale but instead will face Texas on Wednesday - the day Ryu was slated to pitch.
PREDICTION: Dodgers 4, Padres 3
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New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles Preview and Predictions 08-26-2018 in MLB
MLB Previews 26th August 2018 by Gracenote
Yankees vs. Orioles Preview and Predictions
by Gracenote on 08/26/2018
All the New York Yankees needed to start chipping away at their deficit in the American League East was a run of games against losing clubs. The Yankees will try to polish off a four-game sweep of one such team when they visit the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.
New York (82-47) swept a doubleheader from the major league-worst Orioles on Saturday by a combined 15-4 to pull within seven games of division rival Boston atop the AL East. "We're in a tough stretch right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "We're beat up and guys are just grinding away. To get a couple of wins today, it's huge for us. Hopefully, we can finish off a great series tomorrow." Baltimore (37-93) dropped 56 games under .500 with Saturday's losses and is in the midst of a seven-game losing streak that saw it surrender an average of seven runs. The Orioles will try to stop the bleeding with right-hander Dylan Bundy while the Yankees hope a couple of extra days off will help righty Luis Severino get back on track.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN
PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees RH Luis Severino (16-6, 3.28 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (7-12, 5.31)
Severino appears to slowly be making his way out of a prolonged slump and is coming off a win after holding Toronto to two runs and six hits in five innings on Aug. 18. The Dominican Republic native was carrying a 1.98 ERA through July 1 but is 3-4 with a 7.02 ERA and a .341 opponent's batting average over his last eight outings. Severino is seeing Baltimore for the first time this season and went 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in four starts against the division rivals in 2017.
Bundy has struggled mightily in his last three outings, allowing a total of 22 runs - 21 earned - and 29 hits in 14 1/3 innings against Boston, the New York Metsdoubleheaderand Toronto. The Oklahoma native was ripped for six home runs in that span and leads the majors with 33 homers allowed. Bundy served up one homer against the Yankees on July 11 and suffered the loss while allowing five runs on five hits and four walks in four innings.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Yankees clinched their 26th consecutive winning season Saturday.
2. Baltimore INF Jonathan Villar went 0-for-9 with a pair of strikeouts during the doubleheader after a three-hit game in Friday's series opener.
3. New York C Gary Sanchez (groin) played in a minor-league game Saturday.
PREDICTION: Yankees 12, Orioles 6
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