Los Angeles Dodgers (42-53) AT San Francisco Giants (55-41)
July 19, 2011 at 10:15 PM EST
Opening Line:  SF -150, LAD +130
Current Line:  SF -140, LAD +120
Opening Total: 6.5
Current Total:   6.5

SP:  LAD- Rubby De La Rosa; SF- Madison Bumgarner

For once this season, the Giants are finally providing their excellent pitching staff with some run support.  It has paid off.  The Giants have won 8 of their last 10 and 4 of their last 5 since the All-Star break, and they opened this three game set with a 5-0 win last night.  Ryan Vogelsong pitched 6.2 innings, giving up only 7 hits and striking out 5, while walking only one.  His season ERA is now down to 2.02.  His ERA was already the best in the National League but he was short on innings (to qualify for the leaderboard).

“Doesn’t matter,” Vogelsong said. “It’s important for me to prove (Bochy) right. They can say whatever they want to say. It doesn’t bother me one bit but he stuck his neck out for me to pick me so I want to show people he made a good decision.”

Pablo Sandoval went 3 of 4 from the plate, one of which was a home run.  Nate Schierholtz and Cody Ross each picked up a pair of hits and Ross led the Giants in RBIs with two.  Despite the improved offense, Sandoval is still the only Giant that is hitting over .300 from the plate this season.

Juan Uribe had 2 singles but the Dodgers failed to connect with runners in scoring position and hit into a couple double plays at crucial times.

The Giants have scored 5 or more runs in 3 of their last 5 games and in the first 10 games so far in July, they have scored 5+ runs twice.    Their win on Monday was the fifth in a row over the Dodgers and teh second time in 10 meetings this season that they have shut out the Dodgers.  A sixth win would be the highest streak since 1969.

Madison Bumgarner will take the mound for the Giants.  Bumgarner has been very effective this season, with a 3.74 ERA, but he hasn’t received a lot of run support and has lost 9 of his 13 decisions.  In his last 4 outings, he has given up only 1 run in three of them.  Thursday night against the Padres, he threw six innings but left the game with the Giants down 1-0, before they cmae back to take the game 6-2 in 12 innings.

The Dodgers will send their rookie Rubby De La Rosa to the mound.  De La Rosa is 3-4 with a 3.74 ERA this season.  His fastball has touched 98 mph as a starter, and 102 mph when pitching in relief, so he has some pretty serious heat to say the least.  He also has a great slider and an above average change up.  His PECOTA projection for this season was for a 5.11 ERA over 58 IP, but he has already thrown 45.2 innings and beat that projection handily.

San Diego’s Orlando Hudson was improved with the Dodgers rookie:

“That kid’s got a bright future ahead of him.  He’s good. He had good stuff. He’s got a great fastball, good command of his changeup and he’s got a good slider.

Some betting trends:

The total has gone UNDER in 7 of the Dodgers’ last 8 games and it has gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 on the road.  The Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road and they are 0-5 SU in their last 5 against the San Francisco Giants.  The Dodgers are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games on the road against the Giants.

The total has gone OVER In  4 of the Giants’ last 5 games and they are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games.  The total has also gone UNDER in 4 of their last 5 at home.  The Giants are 5-1 SU in their last 6 at home, while they are 5-0 SU in their last 5 against the LA Dodgers.  The Giants are 5-1 SU in their last 6 home games against the Dodgers.

The total is set low for this one, and appropriately so.  Both pitchers are above average and have ERAs in the high 3.00s.  The Giants are reasonably favored, and at the odds, this one doesn’t offer much of bargain, given the fact that De La Rosa could reasonably enable the underdog Dodgers to win.