La Dodgers Dodgers vs Pittsburgh Pirates Picks and Predictions August 10th 2024

First pitch for Saturday’s Pirates vs. Dodgers matchup is set for 9:10 PM ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, and the forecast calls for clear skies and temperatures in the low 90s. SN PT will be televising this one, and the Dodgers are the favorite on the money line (-105).

The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Pirates will be looking to end a five-game losing streak. They are 4th in the NL Central, while the Dodgers are 1st in the NL West with a record of 67-49. River Ryan is starting for the Dodgers, and the Pirates are going with Paul Skene.

Pittsburgh vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Paul Skenes gets the start for the Pirates today as he faces the Dodgers on the road. He has made 14 starts this year and has a record of 6-1 with an ERA of 1.99. Skenes has made 11 quality starts this year and is averaging 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, he finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had gone three straight outings without giving up a home run. Skenes has been much better on the road, coming in with a record of 3-0 and a 1.0 ERA.

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Over the past seven games, Oneil Cruz has been swinging a hot bat for the Pirates, going 12/28 with a home run and five RBIs. Bryan Reynolds has also been playing well of late, batting .357 with four homers in this stretch. For the season, Reynolds is hitting .286, and his 68 RBIs lead the team.

As a team, the Pirates are averaging 4.2 runs per game, which is 18th in the league. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.4 runs per game. Overall, they are near the bottom of the league in terms of team OPS, slugging percentage, and home runs.

River Ryan will be making his third start of the season for the Dodgers, and he has yet to take a loss. In his first outing, he picked up a win against the Astros, going 5 2/3 innings and striking out 8. In his last start, he went 4 2/3 innings and gave up 2 earned runs against the Athletics.

Shohei Ohtani has been a great addition to the Dodgers lineup this season, as he is batting .302 with a team-leading 35 home runs and 83 RBIs. Ohtani’s 83 RBIs are 6th in the league. Teoscar Hernandez is also a big power threat for the Dodgers, as he has 25 homers this season and is batting .269. Hernandez has been even better of late, hitting 4 homers in his last 10 games while batting .325.

As a team, the Dodgers are 3rd in home runs and are 5th in runs scored at 4.9 per game. They have been one of the league’s top home run hitting teams and have also been very patient at the plate, as they are 2nd in walks. Overall, they have the 3rd best OPS in the league.

For an over/under pick, our lean is on the over, and as for how we would play the money line in this Pirates vs. Dodgers matchup, we would be leaning toward the Pirates to come out on top. Looking at today’s starters, we have Paul Skenes as our 18th ranked starting pitcher in terms of strikeouts compared to River Ryan, who is 20th.

Pirates’ Paul Skenes Ready for Hometown Showdown Against Dodgers

Pittsburgh Pirates tenderfoot phenom Paul Skenes will have a special open door on Saturday as he takes the hill against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game near his old neighborhood of Orange County, California. Skenes, who has in no time secured himself as perhaps of the most thrilling youthful pitcher in baseball, will be hoping to proceed with his great presentation season before what is generally anticipated to be a large group of loved ones.

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Skenes’ Solid Tenderfoot Season

Skenes has been a revelation for the Pirates this season, posting a 6-1 record with a stellar 1.99 ERA through his initial 14 profession starts. The 21-year-old right-hander has shown striking balance and consistency, allowing two runs or less in 12 of those excursions. His order has been typically sharp, however he has walked three players in every one of his beyond two starts, remembering his latest excursion for Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he surrendered two runs more than 5 1/3 innings.

“It’s whenever we’ve first really seen him dissipate the ball a tad,” Pirates supervisor Derek Shelton noted, pondering Skenes’ new exhibitions.

Skenes’ last appearance against the Dodgers came on June 5, when he allowed three sudden spikes in demand for six hits more than five innings. Regardless of surrendering homers to Shohei Ohtani and Andy Pages, Skenes actually figured out how to get the success, denoting the third triumph of his vocation. With 107 strikeouts in 86 innings, the National League All-Star starter keeps on being a critical piece of the Pirates’ turn.

Dodgers Counter with Rookie River Ryan

The Dodgers will counter with their own rookie, River Ryan, who will be making just his fourth career start. Ryan (1-0, 1.72 ERA) has shown promise in his limited appearances, but he is still finding his footing at the major league level. In his last outing, Ryan allowed two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics, recording four strikeouts. However, like Skenes, Ryan has also struggled with control, walking three batters in each of his first three starts.

Saturday’s game will mark Ryan’s first career appearance against the Pirates, and he will be looking to build on his early success as the Dodgers continue their push in a highly competitive National League West.

Dodgers’ Offense Heating Up

The Dodgers come into the game having dominated four of their last six, remembering a 9-5 triumph over the Pirates for Friday night. Los Angeles displayed its power in that game, with homers from Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and Enrique Hernandez. Ohtani’s 448-foot blast was his 35th homer of the time, keeping him on the National League list of competitors.

In spite of their new achievement, the Dodgers are feeling the strain from their division rivals. Both the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are areas of strength for making, with the Padres only 2 1/2 games back and the Diamondbacks following by 3 1/2 games. The Dodgers’ once-agreeable lead in the division has contracted considerably since late July.

“We’re very aware of it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the division race. “I’d be lying if I said nobody is watching the scoreboard and appreciating how good the rest of the teams in our division are playing. It just puts the onus on us to play good baseball.”

Freddie Freeman, who recently returned to the lineup after missing eight games to be with his 3-year-old son during a health scare, has been productive since rejoining the team. “I didn’t know how I would be doing after a 10-day layoff from live pitching, but I’ve actually been feeling all right at the plate,” Freeman said. “It’s just nice to hit the ball hard.”

Outlook

Saturday’s matchup will be a fascinating battle of rookie pitchers, with Skenes looking to continue his dominance in what will be a special homecoming of sorts, and Ryan aiming to make his mark against a Pirates team that took two of three from the Dodgers in Pittsburgh earlier this season. With both teams jockeying for position in their respective playoff races, the stakes are high as the series continues at Dodger Stadium.