Seattle Mariners at L.A. Dodgers
Time: 10:10 PM ET
Line: SEA -1.5
M/L: SEA -115; LAD +105
Total runs: 7.5
Betting odds c/o Bovada
David Huff will make his first start in two seasons as he debuts for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game of a home series against the Seattle Mariners. Early MLB oddsmakers set the line 1.5 run in favor of the visiting Mariners with the moneyline offering -115 odds on Seattle. The over/under is set at 7.5 runs by MLB odds listed at Bovada.
Huff posted a 1.32 ERA in spring, but began the 2015 season with the Triple-A OKC affiliate. The Dodgers put Hyun Jin Ryu on the DL, which resulted in Huff being called up. He admitted, “Not breaking with the team bummed me out a little. I thought I did everything I could. I knew there was talk about needing a starter (for Tuesday)…”
Last year as a reliever in San Francisco, Huff recorded a 3.36 ERA in 46 appearances but he went 0-3 as a starter with a 10.64 ERA between 2009 and 2011. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly felt that he would be a good pick to mitigate the brilliance of Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager, both lefties who are 1 of 2 against him. Cano and Seager have combined to hit just 9 of 56 between them in five games, though Austin Jackson is 3 of 6 against Huff.
Huff likely will not pitch deep into this game, and the Dodgers are going to need a good bit of production from its pen to prevail in this game. The bullpen is pretty fresh since four relievers combined for three scoreless innings on Monday as the Dodgers won 6-5 in the 10th inning to improve to 4-3 on the season.
Hisashi Iwakuma will get the start for the Mariners, and he hasn’t allowed a run in his three career road interleague starts. He’s gone 2-0 with 19 Ks in 22 innings while recording a 1.29 ERA in his three matchups against NL clubs last season. Iwakuma allowed five runs and nine hits in six innings for the Mariners in Wednesday night’s home loss to Anaheim.
Seattle and Los Angeles are tied for third in the MLB with 11 homers on the season. Nelson Cruz is 1 of 6 against Huff but hit two of the Mariners’ four home runs on Monday. He’s also 6 of 13 in his last three games with seven RBIs, leading baseball with 11 interleague homers since the beginning of 2014. Nelson Cruz is batting .250 on the season with four home runs and seven RBIs. Austin Jackson is 7 of 26 on the year but has struck out a team-worst six times.
The Mariners are without Rollins for 80 games since he tested positive for PEDs, while Wilhelmsen, Taylor and Olmos are all on the 15-day DL, as well. The Dodgers may be without Juan Uribe (hamstring), and in addition to that, the Dodgers have four pitchers on the 15-day DL.
Yasiel Puig homered in his second straight game of the Dodgers, but Adrian Gonzalez hasn’t driven in a run in his past four games. He’s still 15 of 27 (.556) with five homers and seven RBIs on the young season.
