Giants still working to pin down playoff spot
Earlier in the week, Matt Moore threw 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball and fanned 11 Rockies. If he can come remotely close to such figures today, San Francisco will surely be back in the playoffs.
The lefty takes the hill at 3:05 p.m. ET, with the Giants aiming to sweep the Dodgers and secure the second wild-card spot in the National League. Online sports book Bovada.lv prefers the hosts, while Los Angeles enters AT&T Park as a +120 underdog. The over/under run total sits at 7.5.
Consecutive victories have allowed Bruce Bochy’s bunch to maintain its one-game edge over St. Louis for the NL’s final postseason bid. A triumph in several hours would wipe out a potential tiebreaker scenario at Busch Stadium tomorrow. Of course, much of that is contingent on Moore delivering another banner performance. He’s actually struggled mightily vs. the Dodgers in 2016, absorbing 10-5 and 9-3 losses.
Dave Roberts answers with Kenta Maeda, he of the 16-10 record and 1.09 WHIP across 31 appearances. The righty last surrendered more than three runs in a single outing on July 17, so San Francisco’s in for a battle here. Maeda’s even 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in three meetings with the Giants this year.
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While Los Angeles ostensibly has little motivation to go full bore in the regular-season finale, there’s legitimately no reason not to let Maeda run wild. Bochy’s bats definitely won’t receive a ton of opportunities with men in scoring position, but that’s usually the case when the Boys in Blue arrive in town. Expect a one-run affair either way.
SUNDAY MLB FREE PICK: DODGERS +1.5