Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction, Pick: Can the Orioles Even the Series Tonight?
The Baltimore Orioles host the Los Angeles Dodgers for their three-game series tonight. Can the Orioles even the series tonight? Ben Rajavuori shares his prediction and pick for the Orioles vs. Dodgers game.
Ben Rajavuori - July 18, 2023, 3:52 PM EDT
5 minBaltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction, Pick: Can the Orioles Even the Series Tonight?
The Baltimore Orioles host the Los Angeles Dodgers for game two of their series tonight from Camden Yards in Baltimore, with the Dodgers coming off a comeback win in the first game of the series yesterday. The Orioles had a commanding 4-1 lead early, but a grand slam from Chris Taylor in the sixth inning gave the Dodgers a 6-4 lead, which would be the final score. Tonight, the Orioles have higher hopes of a win behind Tyler Wells.
Orioles vs. Dodgers Date, Time, Where to Watch
- Date: July 18, 2023
- Time: 7:05 pm ET
- Where to Watch: MLB.TV, TBS
Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Prediction
In yesterday's game, the Dodgers had the starting pitching advantage with Sheehan out against Grayson Rodriguez. Rodriguez has the highest ERA in the Orioles' rotation with a 7.33 ERA. Tonight, the Dodgers send out their "worst" starter in the rotation, Michael Grove. Grove is in his second season in the MLB, and he has really been struggling, as he has a 6.89 ERA, the highest in the starting rotation and one of the highest ERAs among qualified pitchers in the MLB right now.
Astonishingly, the Dodgers are 7-4 in games Grove starts, but when you look closer, it's easy to see why. Of those seven wins, six were against teams below .500, with the lone win coming against the Houston Astros. Also, 6 of those wins were at home. Grove has a 4.83 ERA at home, which isn't that bad, but his ERA jumps to 11.15 on the road. The Dodgers are 1-3 when Grove starts on the road. Tonight's game is on the road against a team well above .500, so I expect Grove to struggle again.
The Dodgers, in general, have been a lot worse on the road. They are 29-16 at home, which is where they play like the Dodgers we know, but they are just 25-23 on the road, barely above .500. On the other side, the Orioles are having their best season in a long time and are 29-19 at home. The Orioles are only one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East, meaning if they win tonight and the Rays lose, they are in first.
The Orioles know this is a big game, and luckily they have their best pitcher in the rotation on the mound tonight, Tyler Wells. Wells has a 3.18 ERA on the season and just a .93 WHIP. Wells has gone EIGHT-STRAIGHT starts with two or fewer earned runs. They have not been easy outings, either, with a road start at the Yankees, a road start against the Rays, a road start against the San Francisco Giants, and starts at home against the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays. Wells is feeling it right now, and he has a good chance to give his team first place in the division tonight with another strong start.
The Orioles unfortunately lost yesterday, but it took a grand slam and perfect outings from the Dodgers bullpen to pull off the comeback, and that was against the Orioles' highest-ERA starter. Now it's the Orioles' turn to face the highest-ERA starter for the Dodgers, and they should take full advantage. The Dodgers have not been very good on the road this season, and the Orioles will even the series tonight as short favorites.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Pick
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