La Dodgers Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions August 9th 2024

Jack Flaherty will start for the Dodgers on Friday, as they look to snap a two-game losing streak. The Pirates, who are 3rd in the NL Central, have a record of 56-58 and they are on a four-game losing streak. Mitch Keller will start for the Pirates.

Los Angeles is the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -188 compared to the Pirates at +158. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and SNLA will be televising this one. First pitch from Dodger Stadium is set for 10:10 PM ET.

Pittsburgh vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Mitch Keller will be looking to build off his last outing, where he finished with a no-decision. Against the Diamondbacks on August 3rd, the right-hander went four innings and didn’t give up a run. In that outing, he gave up just one hit and two walks. Keller has made 22 starts this season and has a record of 10-5. His ERA for the season is 3.20, along with a WHIP of 1.19. Keller has one complete game shutout this year and has turned in 12 quality starts. Overall, he has a record of 5-3 on the road and an ERA of 4.08 compared to 5-2 at home with a 2.83 ERA.

Heading into today’s game, the Pirates offense is averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 17th in the league. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game. As a team, the Pirates are batting just .234, which is 19th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

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Bryan Reynolds and Bryan De La Cruz are the Pirates’ top home run hitters this season, with 19 and 18 homers, respectively. Reynolds is also leading the team in RBIs (68) and comes into the game with a batting average of .287. Reynolds has also been hot of late, going 6/19 in his last five games.

Jack Flaherty gets the start for the Dodgers today and comes into the game with a record of 8-5 and an ERA of 2.80. So far this season, he has made 19 starts, and opponents are batting .205 off the right-hander. Flaherty’s WHIP for the season is .96, and he has pitched 112 2/3 innings. In his last outing, Flaherty didn’t give up a run, getting the win after going six innings of work. He finished with seven strikeouts in that outing. Looking back further, he has allowed just one earned run in three of his last four starts.

Los Angeles comes into the game as one of the league’s top offensive teams, averaging 4.9 runs per game, which is 6th in the league. They have been equally as good at home and on the road this season. The Dodgers have been one of the league’s top home run-hitting teams this season and also have a good team on-base percentage of .332.

Shohei Ohtani has been one of the league’s top power hitters this season, as his 34 home runs are 2nd in the league and the best mark on the Dodgers. He is also 6th in the league with 81 RBIs. Teoscar Hernandez has also been a big power threat, as he is 2nd on the team with 25 homers and has gone deep three times in his last six games while batting .400 in that stretch.

Today’s Pirates and Dodgers matchup is projected to be a low-scoring game, but with the line sitting at 8 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for a winner, we like the Dodgers to come out on top. Los Angeles starter Jack Flaherty has the highest strikeout projection in the league today.

Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty Set for Homecoming Start Against Pirates

Jack Flaherty’s re-visitation of Los Angeles became a reality when he was traded to the LA Dodgers at the deadline last month. On Friday night, that homecoming will feel considerably more tangible as the right-hander takes the hill at Dodger Stadium without precedent for a Dodgers uniform, facing the meeting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Flaherty, 28, was brought into the world in nearby Burbank and attended Harvard-Westlake Secondary School, making this start particularly special. His Dodgers debut last Saturday in Oakland was a reverberating achievement, as he pitched six scoreless innings with seven strikeouts, leading the team to a 10-0 triumph. The success brought Flaherty’s season record to 8-5 with a 2.80 ERA, consolidating his experience with the Detroit Tigers and the Dodgers.

“Any time you get a chance to help the team win, that’s kind of all that matters. That’s the important part of it,” Flaherty said after his debut. “I’ll take the time tonight and kind of soak it all in. I’m just excited to be here and have a chance to help this team.”

Flaherty has a strong track record against the Pirates, boasting a 9-1 record with a 2.52 ERA in 16 career appearances (15 starts) against them. His experience and familiarity with the Pirates lineup will be crucial as the Dodgers look to rebound after a frustrating series against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Dodgers Looking to Rebound After Tough Series

The Dodgers are coming off a challenging series against the Phillies, where they dropped two of three games. The frustration peaked on Wednesday when an obstruction call against infielder Miguel Rojas led to a five-run inning for Philadelphia, who rallied for a 9-4 victory. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was ejected while arguing the call, a decision that left him irked.

“That play changed the complexion of the game,” Roberts said. “He got it wrong. That’s just a fact. Again, umpiring is hard. They do a great job. Tonight that play affected the game.”

The loss reduced the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West to 2 1/2 games as the San Diego Padres pulled off a ninth-inning rally to defeat the Pirates on Thursday. With the NL playoff race heating up, the Dodgers, who trail the Phillies by three games in the overall standings, will look to Flaherty to help them get back on track.

Pirates Struggling to Close Games

The Pirates arrive in Los Angeles on a four-game series of failures, having dropped six of their last seven games. Pittsburgh’s warm up area has been a significant concern, particularly during their new 1-5 homestand. Closer David Bednar blew save open doors on both Wednesday and Thursday, adding to the team’s misfortunes. Additionally, late-inning reliever Colin Holderman was placed on the harmed list with a right wrist sprain, leaving the warm up area much more shorthanded.

Thursday’s 7-6 mishap to the Padres was particularly painful, as the Pirates rallied to take the lead with three runs in the sixth inning and two additional in the seventh, thanks to a home run by Joey Bart. In any case, the warm up area couldn’t hang tight, and Pittsburgh’s battles continued.

“We’re doing a good job of continuing to battle back,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “We had the tying run on base (in the ninth inning) again. The fact that we’ve had leads in four of the games on the homestand in the seventh inning or later, yeah, it’s very frustrating. Not to beat a dead horse, but we have to figure out how to execute to finish teams out.”

Mitch Keller Takes the Hill for Pittsburgh

The Pirates will send right-hander Mitch Keller to the hill on Friday, trusting he can give a stabilizing power. Keller, who has a 10-5 record with a 3.20 ERA this season, has had blended results against the Dodgers in his career. In four starts against Los Angeles, Keller is 2-2 with a 5.79 ERA, yet he kept a 10-strikeout performance against them in April of last year.

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Homecoming and High Stakes

For Flaherty, Friday’s start is something other than another game; it’s a homecoming before loved ones, a chance to pitch for the team he grew up watching. For the Dodgers, it’s an amazing chance to cement their situation in the NL West and shake off the frustrations of their new series against the Phillies. Meanwhile, the Pirates will be desperate to snap their terrible streak and discover some stability as they proceed with their road trip.

As the two teams grapple with their own challenges, Friday night’s matchup at Dodger Stadium vows to be a convincing challenge with significant implications for the two clubs as they navigate the final stretch of the season.