The Los Angeles Dodgers (9-3) and Milwaukee Brewers (6-6) will close out a three-game National League series on Thursday afternoon inside Miller Park, with the first pitch scheduled for 1:10 ET
Los Angeles Dodgers at Milwaukee Brewers
Los Angeles has dropped its first two games of its road series with the Milwaukee Brewers, including a 3-2 decision in extra innings last night. “It’s kind of a familiar sight,” commented Dodgers pitcher Chris Capuano. “They have a lot of walk-off wins. They’re tough here.” Offensively, the team has managed to score just six combined runs in this series, as it will look to Juan Rivera to supply a big hit. He is 7-for-16 with a home run in his career against today’s opposing starter. Los Angeles is 46-48 in day games the last two-plus years.
Dodgers starting pitcher Aaron Harang (0-1, 5.91 ERA) will be making his third start of the season, coming off a no-decision effort in a 9-8 home win over the San Diego Padres, giving up four runs and four hits over 6.1 innings. The right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA in one road start this year. In 22 games (21 starts) against the Brewers, Harang has tallied an even 5-5 mark and 4.38 ERA. He made one start against Milwaukee last year as a member of the Padres, tossing eight scoreless innings on May 19.
Milwaukee escaped with a victory last night and will look for outfielder Ryan Braun to get something going at the plate, as he is 0-for-7 in the series. The Brewers have tallied back-to-back walk-off wins for the first time since May 27-28, 2010, which has to be discouraging to the Dodgers. Another player that has yet to get going at the plate is offseason acquisition Aramis Ramirez, who is hitting just .140 on the season. Milwaukee is 2-4 in day games and the “over” is 4-2 in those contests.
Brewers starting pitcher Randy Wolf (0-1, 10.61 ERA) is coming off a miserable no-decision effort in a 10-8 road loss to the Atlanta Braves, allowing eight runs on nine hits in just 4.1 innings of work. The left-hander will be facing the Dodgers for the 13th time in his career, coming in with an even 4-4 record and 3.29 ERA, including an even 1-1 mark and 1.35 ERA in two starts a year ago. Over the course of his career, Wolf has registered a losing 20-22 mark in 59 career April starts.
Bettors will likely back the Brewers due to their 8-3 record in Wolf’s last 11 starts as a home favorite, while the Dodgers are 1-5 in the last six meetings in this series.
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