MLB Playoffs 2017: Odds, TV Schedule, Predictions for Saturday's NLDS
The first games of the National League Division Series on Friday gave us two different types of baseball games.
The Chicago Cubs downed the Washington Nationals 3-0 behind lights-out pitching from Kyle Hendricks and some timely hitting in the late innings.
Justin Turner and the Los Angeles Dodgers tagged the Arizona Diamondbacks for four runs in the first inning and continued to pile on to that advantage in a 9-5 win at Dodger Stadium.
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Both the Cubs and Dodgers have a good chance to extend their leads to two games ahead of the off day on Sunday, but there are a few trends that could point in favor of the Nationals and Diamondbacks as well.
TV Schedule
Chicago Cubs at Washington Nationals (5:38 p.m. ET, TBS)
Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers (9:08 p.m. ET, TBS)
Cubs at Nationals
Odds (via OddsShark): Cubs +103 (bet $100 to win $103), Nationals -113 (bet $113 to win $100)
The Cubs couldn't have asked for a better start to their title defense as they defeated the Nationals 3-0 on the road in Friday's Game 1.
Kyle Hendricks was solid throughout his outing on the mound as he gave up two hits and struck out six in seven innings.
The heart of the Cubs order came through in the sixth and eighth innings to provide the necessary advantage to secure an early lead in the series. Anthony Rizzo drove in a pair, while Kris Bryant earned the other Cubs RBI of the game.
Joe Maddon's team will turn to Jon Lester for Game 2 to try to slam the door shut on the Nationals before a pitch is thrown at Wrigley Field. Both of the left-hander's starts against Washington in the regular season resulted in no-decisions. Lester has a 9-7 postseason record in his career, and he was 3-1 for the Cubs last season in October.
Lester's opponent on the mound will be Gio Gonzalez, who hasn't earned a decision in four career postseason starts. Gonzalez hasn't been terrible in his time with the Nationals in the postseason, as he's conceded just eight earned runs in 18 ⅓ innings. That's hopefully a good sign for the Nationals as they try to level the series at one game apiece.
The Nationals got a good outing from Stephen Strasburg in Game 1, but the offense was non-existent as it only got two hits off the Cubs pitching and only put two runners in scoring position.
If the Nationals are able to find a way to get to Lester early, they may stand a chance in Game 2, but history suggests it might be a tough task pulling out a win against the experienced Lester.
Prediction: Cubs 6-4
Diamondbacks at Dodgers
Odds (via OddsShark): Diamondbacks +126, Dodgers -137
The Dodgers didn't cruise to a Game 1 victory like the Cubs did on Friday night, but they were able to comfortably seal the win in the closing stages of the contest.
Clayton Kershaw conceded four solo home runs to a Diamondbacks lineup that hit four triples in the NL Wild Card Game win over the Colorado Rockies. The lefty ace gave the Dodgers 6 ⅓ innings of solid work on the mound as he gave up one hit that wasn't a solo dinger.
Rich Hill, who went 1-1 in the postseason for the Dodgers last year, gets the call for Game 2. In 14 home starts at Dodger Stadium in 2017, Hill went 7-5 with a 2.77 ERA. The southpaw also finished the regular season strong, as he went 3-2 in September while conceding six earned runs.
The good news for the Diamondbacks is that unlike the Nationals, they produced some offense in a Game 1 defeat on Friday. However, they will need to string more hits together against Hill than they did against Kershaw.
Robbie Ray will make his first career postseason start for the Diamondbacks in Game 2. Ray had an impeccable close to the regular season with a 6-0 mark in August and September in seven starts.
One of the biggest keys for Ray will be containing Justin Turner, who erupted for five RBI in Game 1. Turner has a .208 average in 24 at-bats over the last five seasons against Ray. It's a small sample size, and the postseason can change any trend, but it's a positive sign at least for the Diamondbacks to have an attempt to recover in Game 2.
Of the current Diamondbacks, J.D. Martinez, Jake Lamb and A.J. Pollock have all hit home runs off Hill, while Paul Goldschmidt holds a .300 average in his last 10 at-bats against the Dodgers Game 2 starter.
Prediction: Dodgers 5-3
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.
All statistics obtained from MLB.com.
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