The Dodgers were dominant in the first half against most teams, but are just 2-3 vs the Giants this year. They were swept on the road by the Giants in June, but returned the favor at home in April. The 7-3 Giants took 3 of 4 from the Brewers before the break and finally appear to be on the rebound. Giants’ left-hander Carlos Rodon has already faced the Dodgers twice this year. He held them to just 2 hits and 0 runs over 6 innings last time out. SF wasted a strong start from him in their sole loss against the Brewers, however Rodon is 4-1 in his last 7 starts with an ERA of just 1.57 in that stretch. He has masses of strikeouts this year, including 26 in his last three games. Rodon was initially left off the All Star roster and may have a bit of an axe to grind today.

The Dodgers were 9-1 before the break, and 2nd in OPS over their last 2 weeks. They are a very good home team, although not as tough on left handed pitching. Mitch White (1-2, 4.20) is the newbie starter in the lineup and has made just 8 starts for the Dodgers this year. While not pitching for length, he has been mostly effective to date. His last start was also his worst, allowing 6 runs over 5 innings. He does have that potent Dodgers bullpen to back him up.

The Giants’ bats have finally woken up, at least for power, with 64 RBIs and a .784 OPS. While it is tough to play against the Dodgers, Rodon is the proven entity today, and the Giants were getting excellent results from the pen before the break. given their new found offense, I expect them to at least keep this game close. Take the Giants on the Run line at + 1 1.5