Arizona Diamondbacks vs La Dodgers Dodgers Picks and Predictions August 31st 2024

At 8:10 PM ET, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks will face off in an NL West matchup. This one is being played at Chase Field in Phoenix and has the Dodgers as the favorites on the money line, with their odds sitting at -129 compared to the Diamondbacks at +109. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.

Los Angeles is currently on a three-game winning streak and is 81-54 overall, while the Diamondbacks have lost two straight and are 76-59. Merrill Kelly will start for the Diamondbacks, and he is facing off against Gavin Stone for the Dodgers.

Gavin Stone gets the start for the Dodgers today as he faces off against the Diamondbacks on the road. He has made 24 starts this season and has a record of 11-5 with a 3.33 ERA. Stone’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.21, and opponents are batting .239 off the right-hander this year. In his 24 appearances, Stone has one complete game shutout and 10 quality starts. Stone most recently faced the Rays, where he went seven innings, giving up one earned run and coming away with a no decision. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

Shohei Ohtani has been on a tear of late for the Dodgers, going 13/38 in his last nine games with four homers and eight RBIs. Ohtani’s 43 homers this season is 2nd in the league and leads the Dodgers. Overall, he is batting .294, which is the 3rd best mark on the team. Teoscar Hernandez is also swinging a hot bat right now, as he is on a four-game hitting streak and has 28 homers this season, which is 2nd on the team.

As a team, the Dodgers are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top power-hitting teams, as they are 3rd in homers and have the 3rd best isolated power mark in the league.

Through seven starts, Merrill Kelly is 4-0 with a 3.98 ERA for the Diamondbacks. He has made three quality starts this season and is coming off a rough outing against the Rays, where he gave up six earned runs in five innings of work. In his last outing, Kelly was able to pick up the win, going six innings and giving up four earned runs. Opponents are batting .224 off Kelly this season, and his ERA at home is 2.33 compared to 6.60 on the road. So far, he has walked 2.88 batters per nine innings compared to 7.08 strikeouts.

Arizona comes into the game as the league’s top-scoring offense, averaging 5.4 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.5 runs per contest. The Diamondbacks have been one of the league’s best home run hitting teams this season and are also near the top of the league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Ketel Marte has been a force at the plate for the Diamondbacks this season, as he is hitting .298 and leads the team with 30 home runs. Eugenio Suarez is also near the top of the league in home runs, but he has a batting average of just .238. Over his last eight games, Corbin Carroll is hitting .312 with four homers, while Josh Bell is on a four-game hitting streak and has gone 12/29 in his last eight games.

Dodgers Seek to Build on Thrilling Win as They Face Diamondbacks in Crucial Series

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks are locked in a pivotal four-game series, and after a wild opener, the Dodgers are looking to keep their momentum going. Following a nail-biting 10-9 victory on Friday night, the Dodgers secured their third straight win and ninth in their last 11 games, maintaining a five-game lead over both the Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres in the ultra-competitive National League West.

Dodgers’ Offensive Power Display

Friday’s game was nothing short of explosive, with 19 runs scored, five home runs hit, and 13 pitchers taking the mound. The Dodgers flexed their offensive muscles, with Will Smith, Freddie Freeman, and Shohei Ohtani all going deep. Smith’s three-run homer in the sixth inning extended the Dodgers’ lead to 9-5, while Ohtani added a solo shot—his 43rd of the season—pushing the lead to five runs. Ohtani also stole a base, bringing his total to 43, as he continues his incredible pursuit of becoming the first 50-50 player in MLB history.

Despite the Dodgers’ offensive fireworks, the game wasn’t a cakewalk. The Diamondbacks nearly pulled off a comeback, scoring four runs in the ninth inning to keep everyone on edge.

Freeman, who returned after missing three games due to a fractured right middle finger, drove in three runs and commented on the electric atmosphere that set the tone for the series.

Diamondbacks’ Resilience Despite Recent Struggles

The Diamondbacks, who knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs last season on their way to the World Series, have been one of baseball’s hottest teams, winning 18 of their 26 games in August. However, Friday’s loss was their third in the last four games. Despite the setback, Arizona manager Torey Lovullo found positives in his team’s late rally, which featured a two-run single by Jake McCarthy and a two-run homer by Eugenio Suarez.

Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll, who homered on Friday, has been in red-hot form, hitting four home runs over his last four games.

Saturday’s Pitching Matchup

Saturday’s game will feature a clash of right-handers, with the Dodgers sending Gavin Stone (11-5, 3.33 ERA) to the mound against Arizona’s Merrill Kelly (4-0, 3.98 ERA). Stone, 25, is having a breakout season and has pitched at least seven innings in his last two outings. He was dominant against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, allowing just one run over seven innings in a 3-1 win, and struck out a career-best 10 while shutting out the Seattle Mariners over seven innings in his previous start.

However, Stone has struggled against the Diamondbacks this season, going 0-1 with an 8.00 ERA in two starts.

On the other side, the 35-year-old Kelly has historically had a tough time against the Dodgers, posting a 0-11 record with a 5.49 ERA in 16 career starts. Kelly, who missed nearly four months due to a shoulder injury, has a 6.75 ERA in three starts since returning but managed to secure a win against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday despite allowing four runs over six innings.

Several Dodgers hitters have had success against Kelly, including Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Will Smith, and Chris Taylor, all of whom have homered off him in the past.

Match Outlook

As the Dodgers aim to extend their winning streak and strengthen their lead in the NL West, they’ll rely on Stone to deliver another strong performance and keep the Diamondbacks’ potent offense in check. Meanwhile, Arizona will be eager to bounce back and close the gap in the division race, with Kelly looking to finally overcome his struggles against Los Angeles. With both teams fighting for crucial wins, Saturday’s game promises to be another intense and closely contested battle.

As the Diamondbacks host the Dodgers today, we are leaning towards the Diamondbacks picking up the win at home. We also like the over in this one, as this is projected to be the 5th highest-scoring game of the day. Merrill Kelly is our 3rd ranked starter of the day in terms of innings pitched, but he doesn’t figure to have big strikeout numbers. On the other side, Gavin Stone is 8th among today’s starters in projected strikeouts.