Xzavion Curry is back on the bump for the Guardians on Wednesday night, Curry had a solid start his last time out going six strong while only giving up one run against the Tigers.
Since coming over to the Guardians, Kole Calhoun is batting over 300 at .306 with two home runs and nine RBIs. Calhoun has also shown a good glove when playing first base with no errors over the past two weeks.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona before the game discussed his future after the season with the club and hinted that is unsure if he will be back in the dugout for the Guardians, but did not make a formal announcement at this time.
Last week, the Cleveland Guardians had a mixed performance with a 2-4 record. They split a two-game series on the road against the Cincinnati Reds and faced a setback by losing three out of four games at home against the Detroit Tigers. In the four-game series against the Tigers, Cleveland struggled to score, managing just ten runs in total. As a result, they fell six games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central division.
Throughout the entire season, the Guardians have faced challenges in their hitting performance. Over the past two weeks, their slash line stands at .235/.289/.343. In terms of hitting, they’ve hit 22 doubles, three triples, and five home runs out of 396 at-bats. On the pitching side, the team maintains a season-long ERA of 3.76, which ranks them third in the majors. In recent weeks, their pitching staff has performed with a 3.15 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP, and opponents have a .248 batting average against them.
Taking the mound on Wednesday will be right-hander Xzavion Curry. He holds a respectable record of 3 wins and 1 loss this season, accompanied by a solid 3.24 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. In his six starts and 25 relief appearances totaling 75 innings pitched, Curry has managed a 52/21 K/BB ratio. This August marks his fourth consecutive start, and his performance in the previous three has been consistent. Across 16 innings, he allowed eight earned runs on 15 hits and four walks, resulting in a 4.50 ERA and a 3.46 FIP. Despite his efforts, he has not secured a decision in these outings. Notably, in his most recent start last Friday, Curry delivered an impressive performance, pitching six innings and conceding only one run while striking out six batters. This strong showing contributed to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers.
In the month of August, the Los Angeles Dodgers demonstrated their dominance by securing victories in 17 out of 19 games. This impressive run has propelled their overall season record to 76-47. Leading the NL West division by a significant margin, the Dodgers are aiming to close in on the NL-leading Atlanta Braves, who held a record of 80-44 as of Tuesday.
In recent weeks, the Dodgers’ offensive performance has been moderate, with a slash line of .255/.319/.404. During this period, they managed to hit 17 doubles and 13 home runs in 376 at-bats. On the other hand, their pitching staff has been exceptional, boasting an impressive 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, and a mere .171 batting average against their opponents.
Taking the mound on Wednesday in Cleveland will be Clayton Kershaw, the 35-year-old left-handed pitcher. Kershaw has accumulated an impressive record of 11 wins and 4 losses, maintaining a remarkable 2.48 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a solid 111/26 K/BB ratio over 18 starts, spanning 105.1 innings pitched in the 2023 season. After spending the entirety of July on the Injured List, Kershaw made a successful return on August 10. In that game, he pitched five innings, conceding just one run against the Colorado Rockies, though it resulted in a no-decision. Another notable performance occurred the following Wednesday, where Kershaw once again pitched five innings, allowing only one run and securing a victory in a 7-1 home win against the Milwaukee Brewers.
I won’t be positioning myself against the formidable Dodgers, who are on fire right now. Therefore, I’m inclined to go with Los Angeles at -1.5 on the run line, as the moneyline odds don’t appear attractive unless you’re considering using the Dodgers in a parlay. Aside from Enrique Hernandez, who boasts a 1-for-1 record with an RBI against Xzavion Curry, the current Dodgers lineup hasn’t faced the Guardians’ right-handed pitcher before.
Lately, the Dodgers have struggled at the plate against right-handed pitchers, with a lackluster .690 OPS and 84 wRC+ in the last ten days over 180 plate appearances. However, I’m not confident that Curry can outperform Clayton Kershaw on the mound.
Shifting focus, the Guardians have had difficulties when facing left-handed pitchers, evidenced by their .209/.259/.276 slash line in the last ten days spanning 143 plate appearances, resulting in a 47 wRC+. Their track record against Kershaw includes 8 hits in 40 at-bats, one home run, and three RBI. It’s worth noting that Kershaw’s last appearance at Progressive Field was in 2017 when he secured a victory after pitching seven innings and conceding only two runs.
Kershaw’s recent form has been impressive, allowing just six earned runs across his last seven starts (43 innings) since June 2, accompanied by 27 hits and 10 walks.
Our Pick: Take Dodgers and the Run Line -1.5
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