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The Dodgers are the favorites heading into Sunday’s interleague matchup vs. the Guardians, with the money line odds sitting at -158 compared to the Guardians at +134. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is set for 4:10 PM ET, and SNLA will be televising this one.
Cleveland will be starting Tanner Bibee, and they come into the game with a record of 81-61, which has them in 1st place in the AL Central. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.
Cleveland vs. Los Angeles Key Information
- Teams: Guardians at Dodgers
- Where: Dodger Stadium Los Angeles
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds LAD -158 | CLE +134 O/U 8.5
The Guardians Can Win If…
Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today as he faces the Dodgers on the road. Bibee has made 27 starts this year and has a record of 11-6 with a 3.56 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, opponents are batting .225 this year, and Bibee has a WHIP of 1.12. In his 27 starts, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 9.79 strikeouts per nine innings. In his most recent outing, Bibee picked up the win, going six innings and giving up just one earned run. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight starts.
For the season, the Guardians are averaging 4.5 runs per game, which is 13th in the league. At home, they have been even better, averaging 4.9 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .238, but they do have the 12th most home runs in the league. One thing to watch is their team BABIP of .27, which is the worst in the MLB.
Andrés Giménez and Lane Thomas both come into the game on nice hitting streaks, with Giménez hitting .320 over his last six games, and Thomas is also batting .400 during this stretch. Both players have two homers during this stretch. Over his last five games, Brayan Rocchio is 6/14 with two homers.
- The Guardians are 6-4 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Guardians are 3-2 vs. the run line.
- Cleveland has an over/under record of 2-6-2 in their last ten games.
- The Guardians have an average of 3.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Guardians are 4-6
- Looking back across the Guardians last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
- Cleveland has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Guardians have averaged 2.8 runs per game on offense
The Dodgers Can Win If…
Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Dodgers today and comes in with a record of 11-6 and an ERA of 3.01. So far this year, he has made 24 starts and 13 of them have been quality starts. Flaherty’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.04. In his last outing, he picked up the win, going 5 2/3 innings and giving up just one earned run on seven hits. Looking back over his last four starts, Flaherty has given up three earned runs twice and has allowed at least one homer in three of those outings.
As a team, the Dodgers are 3rd in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been especially good at home, where they are also averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams and are batting a collective .254, which is the 5th best mark in the league. In terms of on-base percentage, they are 3rd in the MLB.
Shohei Ohtani has been the Dodgers’ top power threat this season, as his 45 home runs are 2nd in the league and the top mark on the team. He is also 4th in the league with 100 RBIs. Mookie Betts comes into the game on a 7-game hitting streak and has gone 9/20 with two homers over his last six games. During this stretch, he has driven in eight runs.
- The Dodgers are 7-3 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Dodgers are 3-2 vs. the run line.
- Los Angeles has an over/under record of 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
- The Dodgers have an average of 5.2 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Dodgers are 6-4
- Looking back across the Dodgers last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
- Los Angeles has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Dodgers have averaged 5.4 runs per game on offense
Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians brings a unique twist—a battle between two Southern California natives, both on the mound, fighting for a series win. Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty and Guardians righty Tanner Bibee, both hailing from the sunny SoCal region, will square off in a pivotal game for both teams as the season heats up.
Jack Flaherty: Holding Down the Fort for the Dodgers
Jack Flaherty (11-6, 3.01 ERA) has become a crucial part of the Dodgers’ injury-plagued pitching rotation. Since joining the team just over a month ago, Flaherty has stepped up in a big way, posting a solid 4-1 record with a 3.18 ERA across six starts. Now back in his hometown of Los Angeles, the 27-year-old has been everything the Dodgers needed and more.
This won’t be Flaherty’s first time facing the Guardians, though. He’s had success against them in the past, holding a 1-2 record but a strong 2.38 ERA across 34 innings. His experience will be key as the Dodgers (85-57) look to extend their five-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is counting on Flaherty to deliver another clutch performance to secure the series win and maintain their division lead.
Tanner Bibee: The Guardians’ Unexpected Ace
On the other side of the mound, Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (11-6, 3.56 ERA) will take the ball for Cleveland, stepping in for the injured Alex Cobb. Bibee wasn’t originally scheduled to pitch in this game, but Cobb’s blister issue moved Bibee up in the rotation.
The 24-year-old Orange County native has been solid all season, but he’s especially lethal on the road, where he’s gone 7-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 14 starts. Fresh off a brilliant six-inning, one-run outing against Kansas City, Bibee is ready to take on the Dodgers for the first time in two years. With Cleveland (81-61) battling to stay atop the AL Central, this game couldn’t be more important.
The Guardians currently hold a 3.5-game lead over the Kansas City Royals in the division, and Bibee will need to be at his best to keep that cushion intact.
Dodgers Bounce Back After Big Game 2 Win
The Dodgers came out swinging on Saturday, bouncing back from Friday’s 3-1 loss with a 7-2 win, powered by a six-run explosion in the first inning. Rookie sensation Andy Pages kicked things off with a two-run homer, while Tommy Edman’s two-run double helped extend the early lead.
While the Dodgers’ offense cooled off after the first inning, scoring only one more run in the rest of the game, they’ll need to find a way to keep the momentum rolling in Sunday’s game.
“We haven’t been great offensively lately, and even I’ve been in a bit of a slump,” Edman said after Saturday’s game. “But getting that big hit early made a huge difference.”
Despite some recent inconsistency, the Dodgers have proven they can put up runs in bunches. In their previous series against Arizona, they averaged 8.0 runs per game. They’ll need a more consistent offensive output to support Flaherty on the mound and seal the series victory.
Guardians Search for Timely Hits
Cleveland’s struggles with timely hitting continued in Saturday’s game. Despite a strong performance from the bullpen, the Guardians couldn’t capitalize on their chances. Lane Thomas’ two-run homer in the eighth inning was one of the few offensive highlights for Cleveland.
Manager Stephen Vogt emphasized the team’s need to step up in clutch moments: “Lane’s homer was huge, and we kept getting guys on base. We were right there, but we just couldn’t get the big hit.”
If the Guardians want to leave Los Angeles with a series win, they’ll need more consistent offensive production and to take advantage of every opportunity, especially against a tough pitcher like Flaherty.
Key Storylines to Watch
- Jack Flaherty’s Command: Flaherty has been the Dodgers’ go-to guy down the stretch. Can he continue his dominance and lead L.A. to a series win?
- Tanner Bibee’s Road Magic: Bibee has been nearly untouchable on the road this season. Will his SoCal roots give him an edge against the Dodgers?
- Dodgers’ Offense: While they showed flashes of power on Saturday, the Dodgers need more consistency at the plate to avoid leaving runs on the table.
- Guardians’ Timely Hitting: Cleveland has been in the habit of getting guys on base but struggling to bring them home. Can they find the timely hits to back up Bibee?
A Pivotal SoCal Showdown
Sunday’s game between the Dodgers and Guardians has all the makings of a classic SoCal showdown. With Jack Flaherty and Tanner Bibee on the mound, both teams will be relying on their local stars to guide them to victory. For the Dodgers, it’s about finding offensive consistency, while the Guardians are focused on capitalizing on scoring opportunities. With playoff positioning on the line for both clubs, this is a must-watch game as the regular season winds down.
The Lean
Our lean for this one is to take the Dodgers to win straight-up over the Guardians. We also have this as the 2nd highest-scoring game of the day and are leaning towards taking the over. Los Angeles starter Jack Flaherty has the 5th best strikeout projection among today’s starters, and he also has the 3rd best innings pitched projection.
