Dodgers, Braves meet on ESPN

[Lumi]

Dodgers, Braves meet on ESPN
August 1, 2009

Los Angeles Dodgers (64-40) At Atlanta Braves (53-51)
Date: Sunday August 2nd
Time: 8:05 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Line: Atlanta -127 / Dodgers +115
Total: 8 Under -115 / Over -105
Dodgers Road Record: 30-23
Braves Home Record: 28-24
Dodgers Last 10: 4-6
Braves Last 10: 5-5
Pitchers:
Chad Billingsley (LAD) 10-6/ 3.96 ERA / 131 K?s / 1.31 WHIP
Jair Jurrjens (ATL) 9-7 / 2.69 ERA / 93 K?s / 1.20 WHIP

The L.A. Dodgers with the best record in baseball roll in to Atlanta to face the Braves for the ESPN Sunday Night Game of The Week.

The Braves were shut down by Jason Schmidt in a 5-0 loss to the Dodgers on Friday night in the series opener. Atlanta rallied on Saturday afternoon to win the second game of the series behind outstanding pitching as 5 Braves pitchers held the Dodger bats to just 6 hits.

The Braves have lost five of their past eight games to take away some of the momentum from their recent surge in the standings. They have hit 30 points higher in July (.291) than their season average (.265), but they didn't exactly send that streaking lineup to the plate Friday night. The Braves were going without Martin Prado, Yunel Escobar, Ryan Church and Adam LaRoche who will arrive on Saturday after being re-acquired by the Braves on Friday. LaRoche spent his first three big-league seasons with the Braves from 2004-06 and established career highs of 32 home runs and 90 RBI in his final season with the club. LaRoche is known to be a second half player.

Atlanta is a major league-best 10-2 at home since June 28.

Brian McCann has been instrumental to the home surge, batting .368 (14 for 38) with two home runs and 12 RBIs in 10 games at Turner Field this month. McCann is hitting .301-12-52 year-to-date.

The Braves have been shut out 11 times and rank near the bottom of the majors with 91 homers.

Atlanta has lost three of its past four games following Friday's 5-0 setback to the Dodgers and trails Colorado and San Francisco by four games for the lead in the NL Wild Card race.

The Braves are 6-1 in their past seven home games against the Dodgers. They swept them at home last season.

Pitching is the least of the Braves' worries. They have a 3.74 staff ERA, which ranks 3rd overall in MLB. The Braves have given up only 70 Hr (#1 in MLB) in 2009 and opponents batting average against is .325

After returning from this season's suspension on July 3, Manny Ramirez quickly re-established his presence in the middle of the Dodgers' lineup, batting .347 with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 16 games. He has suddenly cooled since. The 12-time All-Star is 5 for 30 (.167) with no RBIs in his last seven games. On the season he is .327-11-37

Andre Either was moved from fourth to second in the lineup on Friday night and responded by going 2-for-5 with a double and a three-run homer and driving in four runs. Ethier will receive more protection by having Manny Ramirez hitting behind him. Either on the year is hitting .267-21-66

Matt Kemp, who drove in three runs Thursday and has batted .315 this season, is 9 for 26 (.364) with four RBIs during a six-game hitting streak. Kemp is hitting .315-13-59 year to date.

Rafael Furcal had two hits and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, during which he's hit .373

Andre Ethier leads the club with 21 homers and 66 RBIs, and is on pace to slug 33 home runs with 104 RBIs.

The Dodgers finished July 15-10.??..The Braves Finished July 16-11

Chad Billingsley is winless since June 14, and in his past six starts is 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA. Billingsley may be tired: His 2,131 pitches thrown so far in '09 are third-most in baseball, behind only Justin Verlander and Adam Wainwright. Billingsley has struggled in June and July and has seen his ERA jump from mid-two to almost four. In his last start against the Cardinals, Billingsley was cruising with a one-hitter. Then he imploded with a pair of walks and couldn't get out of the sixth inning, charged with six earned runs and six walks (two intentional). It was the second time in three starts that he's allowed six runs He has one win since June 14 and is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA lifetime against the Braves with a 5.93

Jair Jurrjens continues to cruise having won his last three starts. He is 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA over his last four outings. Jair Jurrjens was denied his bid to win a fourth consecutive start on Tuesday night, when he allowed the Marlins two runs over six innings and was dealt a no-decision. The 23-year-old right-hander was burdened by a lack of run support in June. But while going 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA in his six July starts, he proved why he's quickly establishing himself as one of the game's top young pitchers. He went 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers last year.

Betting Trends:
Dodgers are 1-5 in their last 6 games played in Atlanta
Braves are 11-3 in their last 14 home games
The OVER is 5-0 in Chad Billingsley?s last 5 road starts
The UNDER is 7-1 in the last 8 games played between the two teams
The UNDER is 4-1 in Jair Jurrjens last 5 starts

 

[Lumi]

Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Braves

Sunday Night Baseball: Dodgers at Braves

Sunday Night Baseball: Los Angeles Dodgers at Atlanta Braves

A hot August night in Atlanta sets the scene for the ESPN Sunday night showdown between the Braves and the Dodgers at Turner Field.

Dodger All-Star Chad Billingsley (10-6 3.96 ERA) matches serve with Jair Jurrjens (9-7 2.69 ERA) in a battle of promising right-handers.

Second-half track

Coasting along with the biggest lead at the All-Star break, the Dodgers headed into Atlanta at 7-7 post-break, including 1-3 away from Chavez Ravine.

Meanwhile, the Braves? 9-5 mark since the break, including 6-2 at home, has put them back in the in the National East chase, trailing the second place Florida Marlins by two games.

Leading the surge has been outfielder Garret Anderson. Heading into the series opener on Friday, Anderson was riding an MLB-best .465 batting average in 12 games since the All-Star break, including four home runs and eight RBIs.

Black-and-blue

Be sure to check out the status of outfielder Ryan Church, shortstop Yunel Escobar and second baseman Martin Prado. All three players were on the pine nursing injuries prior to the start of this series.

Church was scratched in favor of Matt Diaz. Diaz has been good against the Marlins historically, and Church is still experiencing some soreness in his hyper extended right elbow. He was not available to pinch-hit.

Escobar (sore right wrist) left Thursday?s game in Florida.

Prado took a Matt Diaz line drive off his left ankle during batting practice Thursday. He was not available off the bench because of swelling.

"He makes the lineup go,? said manager Bobby Cox on Prado, who has sparked the Braves' offense since becoming the starting second baseman and batting second in the order.

Missing pieces

Both teams made moves to bolster their roster before the non-waiver trade deadline.

L.A. acquired former All-Star closer George Sherrill from Baltimore on Thursday. Sherrill is most welcome considering the Dodgers bullpen had pitched a staggering 354 innings this season prior to the start of this series. The key is that Sherrill has pitched just 41 1-3 innings, far fewer than any of the relievers who have been in the Dodgers? bullpen continuously since opening day.

However, the move didn?t please shortstop Rafael Furcal. He was hoping the Dodgers would add a main arm to the starting staff.

"Right now, this team is special, very special. It reminds me of some of those really good teams I played for in Atlanta,? Dodgers shortstop Rafael Furcal told reporters.

Meanwhile the Braves sent Casey Kotchman to the Red Sox for Andy LaRoche in a swap of first basemen.

LaRoche, who previously played for the Braves from 2004-06, has hit at least 20 homers each of the past four seasons, while Kotchman hit a total of eight in the 130 games he played for the Braves.

The arms have it

Jurrjens allowed two runs on seven hits, walked one and had five strikeouts Tuesday night against the Marlins in Florida. He settled for a no decision. Jurrjens, who could easily be 13-3 on the season with a little better run support, is 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA his last three home starts

Billingsley had a one-hitter through five innings before coming apart in a 10-6 loss at St. Louis on Tuesday. The game was delayed for nearly an hour and a half because of a threat of heavy rain that never came.

Billingsley was tagged for four hits, six runs and six walks in 5 2-3 innings. The All-Star has struggled of late on the road where he is 2-3 with a 6.37 ERA his last five road starts.

Courageous call

While the Dodgers have won six games in a row away from home on Sundays, they had dropped six of their previous seven games at Turner Field prior to the start of this series.

It?s hard to overlook a pitcher who has been perfect in his MLB career against tonight?s opponent (Jurrjens, 2-0 1.38 ERA) versus another that is winless lifetime (Billingsley, 0-2 7.86 ERA) against Atlanta. Be brave and back Atlanta.

 

[Lumi]

Preview: Dodgers (64-40) at Braves (53-51)

Preview: Dodgers (64-40) at Braves (53-51)

Preview: Dodgers (64-40) at Braves (53-51)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 02, 2009 8:05 PM EDT

With Jair Jurrjens taking the mound, the Atlanta Braves have a good chance to win their lone home series in a 17-day span.

That will require a second straight victory over the best team in the majors as the Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers decide their three-game set Sunday night at Turner Field.

These games are Atlanta's only home contests between July 24 and Aug. 9, a stretch that came just as the Braves have won 11 of 14 at home. Jurrjens (9-7, 2.69 ERA) has won all three of his starts at Turner Field in that span, allowing one earned run and six hits in 20 2-3 innings.


Atlanta's latest home loss was a 5-0 defeat in Friday's series opener, but the Braves (53-51) bounced back with a 4-3 victory Saturday afternoon.

With an offense that has been inconsistent for much of the year, Atlanta has relied on strong pitching - its 3.74 ERA is among the lowest in the majors - to stay within striking distance in the NL East and wild-card races. Derek Lowe turned in a quality start Saturday to win his first game against his former team.

Jurrjens has been perhaps the Braves' best pitcher this season, with his ERA leading the team's starters and ranking among the top six in the NL.

The right-hander has been especially hot lately, going 3-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his last four starts overall. He failed to win his fourth straight outing Tuesday against Florida, but still allowed just two runs in six innings of Atlanta's 4-3 loss.

Jurrjens beat the Dodgers twice last year, allowing two runs and eight hits in 13 innings. He'll again face Los Angeles' Chad Billingsley after beating him in Atlanta's 9-3 victory July 8, 2008.

The Dodgers (64-40) aren't feeling much heat with a comfortable lead in the NL West, but Billingsley (10-6, 3.96) is under some pressure after his recent struggles. The right-hander won nine of his first 12 decisions and had a 2.72 ERA on June 14, but since then he's 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in eight starts.

He allowed one hit through five shutout innings Tuesday against St. Louis, but gave up six runs and couldn't get out of the sixth in a 10-0 loss, walking a season-high six. Still, Dodgers manager Joe Torre said he had "good stuff" and seemed optimistic about Billingsley's progress.

"It got to the point, in a close game, it just looked to me like he was trying to make every pitch perfect," Torre told the Dodgers' official Web site. "That was about as good and loose and free I've seen him in a while."

Besides his loss to Jurrjens, Billingsley also lost to the Braves in his first start against them April 19, 2008. In the two outings, the right-hander walked nine and allowed nine earned runs in 10 1-3 innings.

The newest Brave, Adam LaRoche, has homered twice off Billingsley in four at_bats. LaRoche, traded from Boston to Atlanta on Friday after being shipped from Pittsburgh to the Red Sox nine days earlier, went 2 for 3 with a walk Saturday to begin his second stint with the Braves.

"This turned out great," LaRoche said. "I'm not going to lie and say Boston wasn't fun. I did not see this coming at all. But if I was going to go anywhere from Boston, this is where I would want to be."

The Dodgers' hottest hitter has been Andre Ethier, who is 4 for 9 with two home runs and five RBIs in the series. He's 2 for 3 with three walks in his career against Jurrjens.

These teams will meet four times at Dodger Stadium starting Thursday.

 

[Lumi]

MLB Matchup

MLB Matchup

MLB Matchup


Dodgers vs Braves

Game Time: 8:05 p.m. ET

Stadium: Turner Field Surface: Grass






Los Angeles D
Date at Opp SC Time
/Sur Home
Open Home
Close Total
Open Total
Close Starter Dec O/U
7/22/09 Cin 6-2 N/g -200 -210 8.0-130 8.0-120 Billingsley W P
7/24/09 Flo 3-6 N/g -155 -155 7.5+110 7.0-115 Kershaw,cl L O
7/25/09 Flo 4-3 N/g -175 -170 9.0-120 9.0-105 Kuroda,hi W U
7/26/09 Flo 6-8 D/g -148 -120 9.0-110 9.0-125 Schmidt,ja L O
7/27/09 At Stl 1-6 N/g -155 -160 7.5-120 7.5-120 Wolf,ra L U
7/28/09 At Stl 0-10 N/g -130 -115 7.5-130 7.5-120 Billingsley L O
7/29/09 At Stl 2-3 N/g -110 -110 8.0-110 8.0-115 Kershaw,cl L U
7/30/09 At Stl 5-3 N/g -120 +102 9.0+100 9.0-105 Kuroda,hi W U
7/31/09 At Atl 5-0 N/g -155 -170 9.0+100 9.0-125 Schmidt,ja W U
8/01/09 At Atl 3-4 D/g -140 -125 8.5-120 8.5-110 Wolf,ra L U
Atlanta
Date at Opp SC Time
/Sur Home
Open Home
Close Total
Open Total
Close Starter Dec O/U
7/22/09 Sf 4-2 N/g +100 -110 7.5-105 7.0-110 Jurrjens,ja W U
7/23/09 Sf 1-5 D/g -165 -175 9.0+100 8.5-110 Kawakami,ke L U
7/24/09 At Mlw 9-4 N/g +115 +115 8.5+100 8.5-105 Vazquez,ja W O
7/25/09 At Mlw 0-4 N/g -134 -130 7.5-130 8.0-110 Hanson,to L U
7/26/09 At Mlw 10-2 D/g -105 +100 8.5-125 8.5-125 Lowe,de W O
7/28/09 At Flo 3-4 N/g +105 +105 8.0-125 8.0-110 Jurrjens,ja L U
7/29/09 At Flo 3-6 N/g -145 -153 8.0-110 8.0-105 Kawakami,ke L O
7/30/09 At Flo 6-3 N/g +135 +142 8.0-110 8.0-115 Vazquez,ja W O
7/31/09 La 0-5 N/g -155 -170 9.0+100 9.0-125 Hanson,to L U
8/01/09 La 4-3 D/g -140 -125 8.5-120 8.5-110 Lowe,de W U



Head-To-Head

Head-To-Head
Date Opp SC Time
/Sur Home
Open Home
Close Total
Open Total
Close Winner Dec O/U
4/18/08 La 6-1 N/g +120 +120 9.5-110 9.5-110 Ohman,wi W U
4/19/08 La 4-1 D/g +110 +100 9.0-130 9.0-130 James,ch W U
4/20/08 La 6-1 D/g +110 -110 9.5+100 9.5+105 Jurrjens,ja W U
7/07/08 Atl 3-0 N/g -130 -135 7.5-125 7.5-115 Kuroda,hi W U
7/08/08 Atl 3-9 N/g -140 -135 7.5-110 7.0-115 Jurrjens,ja L O
7/09/08 Atl 2-1 N/g -120 -107 7.5-110 7.0-115 Lowe,de W U
7/31/09 La 0-5 N/g -155 -170 9.0+100 9.0-125 Schmidt,ja L U
8/01/09 La 4-3 D/g -140 -125 8.5-120 8.5-110 Lowe,de W U



W/L Record Comparison

Los Angeles D
Home Units Away Units Total Units
2009 34-17 +854 30-23 +858 64-40 +1712
Last 10 2-2 -75 2-4 -140 4-6 -215
Atlanta
Home Units Away Units Total Units
2009 28-24 -478 25-27 -196 53-51 -674
Last 10 2-2 -145 3-3 -15 5-5 -160
RECORDS
Day Night Grass Turf Fav Dog
Los Angeles 17-11 47-29 62-39 2-1 45-23 19-16
Atlanta 15-17 38-34 46-46 7-5 35-31 16-17



Over/Under Comparison
(Based on taking the Over)

Los Angeles D
Home Units Away Units Total Units
2009 22-25 -540 27-24 -45 49-49 -585
Last 10 2-1 +95 1-5 -475 3-6 -380
Atlanta
Home Units Away Units Total Units
2009 20-29 -1175 24-27 -635 44-56 -1810
Last 10 0-4 -455 4-2 +180 4-6 -275



Away Pitcher

LOS ANGELES DODGERS -- BILLINGSLEY,CHAD (R)

GS W L IP H R ER BB SO ERA Day Ngt Grs Trf
W L W L W L W L
Away 11 3 2 72.1 52 34 31 35 56 3.86 1 1 2 1 3 2 0 0
Home 11 7 4 66.1 67 31 30 27 75 4.07 3 1 4 3 7 4 0 0
Total 22 10 6 138.2 119 65 61 62 131 3.96 4 2 6 4 10 6 0 0
2009 BULLPEN FOR BILLINGSLEY,CHAD
GMS IP R ER ERA H BB SO HR W L SV BS
22 66.0 25 25 3.41 55 29 55 6 4 2 8 3
Last Five Starts
Date Opp SC Dec IP R ER H BB SO HR H/Open H/Close Tot Op Tot Cl
7/05/09 at SD 7-6 8.0 3 3 4 0 5 2 +152 +148 7.5-120 7.5+105
7/10/09 at MLW 12-8 5.0 5 5 5 4 4 1 +125 +120 8.5+100 8.5-125
7/17/09 HOU 1-8 L 1.2 6 6 9 0 0 1 -155 -165 7.5-110 7.5-115
7/22/09 CIN 6-2 W 6.0 2 2 7 1 7 0 -200 -210 8.0-130 8.0-120
7/28/09 at STL 0-10 L 5.2 6 6 4 6 5 0 -130 -115 7.5-130 7.5-120
VS. Opponent ( Last 5 Starts - Since 1997)
Date Opp SC Dec IP R ER H BB SO HR H/Open H/Close Tot Op Tot Cl
4/19/08 at ATL 1-4 L 5.0 4 4 6 5 9 0 +110 +100 9.0-130 9.0-130
7/08/08 ATL 3-9 L 5.1 6 5 6 4 8 1 -140 -135 7.5-110 7.0-115

Bullpen ( Last 5 Games )
Date Opp IP R ER ERA H BB SO HR W L SV BS
7/28/09 at STL 2.1 4 4 15.43 4 3 4 1 0 0 0 0
7/29/09 at STL 6.2 3 3 4.05 7 2 5 0 0 0 0 0
7/30/09 at STL 4.0 1 1 2.25 2 3 2 1 1 0 1 1
7/31/09 at ATL 3.0 0 0 0.00 2 1 5 0 0 0 0 0
8/01/09 at ATL 2.0 0 0 0.00 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0



Home Pitcher

ATLANTA BRAVES -- JURRJENS,JAIR (R)

GS W L IP H R ER BB SO ERA Day Ngt Grs Trf
W L W L W L W L
Away 11 4 3 66.0 61 24 21 20 42 2.86 1 0 3 3 3 2 1 1
Home 11 5 4 68.0 52 22 19 28 51 2.51 1 0 4 4 5 4 0 0
Total 22 9 7 134.0 113 46 40 48 93 2.69 2 0 7 7 8 6 1 1
2009 BULLPEN FOR JURRJENS,JAIR
GMS IP R ER ERA H BB SO HR W L SV BS
22 60.0 23 17 2.55 53 27 54 3 2 4 5 1
Last Five Starts
Date Opp SC Dec IP R ER H BB SO HR H/Open H/Close Tot Op Tot Cl
7/06/09 at CHC 2-4 L 6.0 4 4 7 3 1 1 -120 -113 8.5-110 8.5+100
7/11/09 at COL 4-3 W 6.0 2 2 5 3 3 1 -135 -118 9.5+100 9.5-120
7/17/09 NYM 11-0 W 6.0 0 0 2 2 1 0 -175 -210 8.5-120 8.5-120
7/22/09 SF 4-2 W 7.2 1 1 3 1 9 0 +100 -110 7.5-105 7.0-110
7/28/09 at FLO 3-4 6.0 2 2 7 1 5 0 +105 +105 8.0-125 8.0-110
VS. Opponent ( Last 5 Starts - Since 1997)
Date Opp SC Dec IP R ER H BB SO HR H/Open H/Close Tot Op Tot Cl
4/20/08 LA 6-1 W 7.0 1 1 3 3 8 1 +110 -110 9.5+100 9.5+105
7/08/08 at LA 9-3 W 6.0 1 1 5 3 6 0 -140 -135 7.5-110 7.0-115

Bullpen ( Last 5 Games )
Date Opp IP R ER ERA H BB SO HR W L SV BS
7/28/09 at FLO 2.1 2 2 7.71 3 1 4 1 0 0 0 0
7/29/09 at FLO 3.1 0 0 0.00 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0
7/30/09 at FLO 2.2 0 0 0.00 4 1 5 0 1 0 1 1
7/31/09 LA 3.0 1 1 3.00 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0
8/01/09 LA 3.0 0 0 0.00 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0

 

[Lumi]

Trends - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

Trends - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

Trends - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

W/L Trends

LA Dodgers

Dodgers are 20-7 in their last 27 games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
Dodgers are 23-9 in their last 32 during game 3 of a series.
Dodgers are 5-2 in their last 7 Sunday games.
Dodgers are 36-16 in their last 52 games following a loss.
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 games as an underdog.
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 vs. a team with a winning record.
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 games on grass.
Dodgers are 2-5 in their last 7 overall.
Dodgers are 1-5 in their last 6 games as an underdog of +110 to +150.
Dodgers are 0-5 in their last 5 games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Dodgers are 0-4 in their last 4 road games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Dodgers are 4-1 in Billingsleys last 5 starts during game 3 of a series.
Dodgers are 9-3 in Billingsleys last 12 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.
Dodgers are 9-3 in Billingsleys last 12 starts as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
Dodgers are 5-2 in Billingsleys last 7 Sunday starts.
Dodgers are 5-2 in Billingsleys last 7 starts with 4 days of rest.
Dodgers are 1-4 in Billingsleys last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.


Atlanta

Braves are 6-1 in their last 7 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Braves are 5-1 in their last 6 home games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Braves are 5-1 in their last 6 during game 3 of a series.
Braves are 5-1 in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Braves are 11-3 in their last 14 home games.
Braves are 7-2 in their last 9 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Braves are 9-3 in their last 12 games as a home favorite.
Braves are 6-2 in their last 8 games as a favorite of -110 to -150.
Braves are 8-3 in their last 11 games as a favorite.
Braves are 7-3 in their last 10 games vs. a starter with a WHIP greater than 1.30.
Braves are 5-12 in their last 17 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Braves are 0-4 in their last 4 games following a win.
Braves are 5-0 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts vs. National League West.
Braves are 6-2 in Jurrjens' last 8 starts during game 3 of a series.
Braves are 1-4 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Braves are 0-5 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts following a team loss in their previous game.


OU Trends

LA Dodgers
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 games vs. a right-handed starter.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 overall.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 road games vs. a right-handed starter.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 on grass.
Under is 4-0 in Dodgers last 4 road games.
Under is 5-1 in Dodgers last 6 games following a loss.
Over is 11-4 in Dodgers last 15 Sunday games.
Over is 4-0-1 in Billingsleys last 5 starts overall.
Over is 4-0-1 in Billingsleys last 5 starts as a road underdog.
Over is 4-0-1 in Billingsleys last 5 starts on grass.
Over is 5-0 in Billingsleys last 5 road starts.
Over is 5-0 in Billingsleys last 5 starts following a team loss in their previous game.
Over is 6-1-1 in Billingsleys last 8 road starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 5-1-1 in Billingsleys last 7 starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Over is 5-1 in Billingsleys last 6 Sunday starts.
Over is 4-1 in Billingsleys last 5 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Over is 4-1-1 in Billingsleys last 6 starts as an underdog.
Over is 4-1-1 in Billingsleys last 6 starts as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
Over is 4-1-1 in Billingsleys last 6 starts as an underdog of +110 to +150.
Over is 7-3-2 in Billingsleys last 12 road starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.


Atlanta

Under is 5-0 in Braves last 5 games following a win.
Under is 4-0 in Braves last 4 vs. National League West.
Under is 4-0 in Braves last 4 games as a home favorite.
Under is 4-0 in Braves last 4 home games.
Under is 5-0 in Braves last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 6-1-1 in Braves last 8 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
Under is 5-1-1 in Braves last 7 games as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Over is 11-3-1 in Braves last 15 Sunday games.
Under is 7-2 in Braves last 9 during game 3 of a series.
Under is 20-7-5 in Braves last 32 home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Under is 14-6-1 in Braves last 21 home games with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Under is 19-9-2 in Braves last 30 games as a favorite.
Over is 4-0 in Jurrjens' last 4 Sunday starts.
Under is 4-0 in Jurrjens' last 4 starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 4-1 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts overall.
Under is 4-1 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts with 4 days of rest.
Under is 4-1 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts as a home favorite of -110 to -150.
Under is 4-1 in Jurrjens' last 5 starts on grass.
Under is 11-4 in Jurrjens' last 15 starts with the total set at 7.0-8.5.
Under is 5-2-1 in Jurrjens' last 8 starts as a home favorite.
Under is 5-2 in Jurrjens' last 7 home starts vs. a team with a winning record.
Under is 7-3 in Jurrjens' last 10 starts as a favorite of -110 to -150.
Under is 7-3-1 in Jurrjens' last 11 starts following a team loss in their previous game.


Head to Head

Under is 5-0 in the last 5 meetings in Atlanta.
Under is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings.
Dodgers are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings.
Dodgers are 1-5 in the last 6 meetings in Atlanta.


Umpire Trends - Scott Barry

Road team is 6-1 in Barrys last 7 games behind home plate.
Under is 7-2 in Barrys last 9 Sunday games behind home plate.
Under is 25-9-1 in Barrys last 35 games behind home plate.

 

[Lumi]

Scott Barry - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

Scott Barry - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

Scott Barry - LA Dodgers at Atlanta

Scott Barry Umpire G W/L Avg Pit Str. B Str.% SO BB K/BB HR O/U
Scott Barry 30 15-15 9.03 286 175 112 61.0 11.8 7.3 1.62 1.74 11-17
Last 10 GamesDate Home - Road Home Starter Road Starter Line Result O/U
07/29/09 CIN 1 - SD 7 A. Harang M. Latos -147/8.5 Road U
07/26/09 MIL 2 - ATL 10 B. Looper D. Lowe -102/8.5 Road O
07/22/09 OAK 16 - MIN 1 T. Cahill G. Perkins -107/8.5 Home O
07/12/09 MIL 4 - LA 7 Y. Gallardo C. Kershaw -123/8.5 Road O
07/08/09 MIN 3 - NYY 4 A. Swarzak A. Burnett 138/9.5 Road U
07/04/09 COL 7 - ARI 11 A. Cook Y. Petit -208/9.5 Road O
06/29/09 CLE 3 - CHW 6 C. Pavano G. Floyd -106/9.5 Road U
06/26/09 PIT 5 - KC 3 V. Vasquez G. Meche 125/8.5 Home U
06/18/09 BOS 1 - FLA 2 J. Lester R. Nolasco -196/9 Road U
06/11/09 WAS 3 - CIN 2 J. Lannan M. Owings -123/9 Home U
vs. DodgersDate Home - Road Home Starter Road Starter Line Result O/U
07/12/09 MIL 4 - LA 7 Y. Gallardo C. Kershaw -123/8.5 Road O
05/27/09 COL 6 - LA 8 U. Jimenez C. Kershaw -140/9.5 Road O
08/28/08 WAS 11 - LA 2 J. Lannan C. Kershaw 150/8 Home O
08/23/07 PHI 2 - LA 5 F. Castro C. Billingsley 119/11 Road U
vs. Chad Billingsley(R)Date Home - Road Home Starter Road Starter Line Result O/U
08/23/07 PHI 2 - LA 5 F. Castro C. Billingsley 119/11 Road U
vs. BravesDate Home - Road Home Starter Road Starter Line Result O/U
07/26/09 MIL 2 - ATL 10 B. Looper D. Lowe -102/8.5 Road O
03/18/09 NYM 4 - ATL 7 102/9.5 Road O
vs. Jair Jurrjens(R)Date Home - Road Home Starter Road Starter Line Result O/U
No Previous Data

 

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Los Angeles Dodgers (64-40) at Atlanta Braves (53-51), 8:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers (64-40) at Atlanta Braves (53-51), 8:05 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers (64-40) at Atlanta Braves (53-51), 8:05 p.m.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Los Angeles - Chad Billingsley (10-6, 3.96) Atlanta - Jair Jurrjens (9-7, 2.69)

The Los Angeles Dodgers would love to earn a series win on the road against the Atlanta Braves. The team would be even more thrilled, however, if Chad Billingsley can regain his early-season form.

The struggling Billingsley takes the ball tonight for the National League West-leading Dodgers, who wrap up a week-long road trip with the rubber match of a three-game set with the Braves.

Billingsley had a 9-3 record and an excellent 2.72 earned run average as of June 14, numbers that helped the young hurler garner his first career All-Star nod. His performance has gone south since, as he's dropped three of four decisions and registered a subpar 6.46 ERA over his past eight starts. In four of those outings, the right-hander has surrendered five or more runs.

The 25-year-old appeared to be back on track in Tuesday's appearance at St. Louis, where he yielded only one hit and no runs through the first five innings. In the sixth, however, Billingsley was rocked for six runs and issued four of his season-high six walks and was handed the loss in a 10-0 Dodgers setback.

"That's about as good, loose and free as I've seen him for a while," an encouraged Dodgers manager Joe Torre said of Billingsley afterward. "The final (totals) didn't look good, but I was pleased with the way he went after it in that game."

Billingsley, who is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in four career matchups (2 starts) against the Braves, will likely need to be on top of his game this evening, with the formidable Jair Jurrjens slated to take the mound for the home team.

Jurrjens currently ranks sixth among NL pitchers with a 2.69 ERA and enters tonight's tilt with three wins and a no-decision over his last four starts. During that strong stretch, the right-hander has permitted just five runs and 17 hits in a combined 25 2/3 innings.

The Curacao native failed to notch a victory his most recent time out, but held Florida to two runs and struck out five over six innings this past Tuesday in Miami, a game in which the Marlins rallied for two runs in the ninth to pull out a 4-3 win. Six days earlier, Jurrjens fanned a season-best nine San Francisco Giants and fired 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 4-2 decision at Turner Field.

Jurrjens opposed the Dodgers twice last season and won both encounters, while giving up only a pair of runs over a span of 14 innings. In addition, he's emerged triumphant in each of his last three trips to the Turner Field mound.

Los Angeles recorded a 5-0 win in Friday's series opener, but the Braves evened the set with a hard-fought 4-3 victory on Saturday.

Atlanta trailed 3-2 after 5 1/2 innings but scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to move in front. Diory Hernandez tied the contest with a two-out RBI single and scored the go-ahead run on a base hit off the bat of pinch-hitter Greg Norton.

The rally made a winner of ex-Dodger Derek Lowe (11-7), who held his old club to three runs on five hits in a six-inning stint. The veteran pitcher won 54 games in four seasons with Los Angeles before joining the Braves as a free agent in January.

Four Atlanta relievers combined to protect the one-run edge the rest of the way, with Rafael Soriano throwing a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 16th save.

The Braves also got a lift from the newly-acquired Adam LaRoche in Saturday's win. The first baseman, traded by Boston to Atlanta on Friday in exchange for fellow first-sacker Casey Kotchman, went 2-for-3 with a run scored on the afternoon. He had spent the first three seasons of his career with the Braves from 2004-06.

Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier belted a two-run homer in the loss, the fifth in the past seven contests for Los Angeles. The team is 2-4 thus far on its present seven-game road trip.

Randy Wolf (5-6) took the loss for the Dodgers after being touched for four runs on nine hits over six full frames.

The Braves have won seven of their past 10 meetings with Los Angeles, as well as five of the last six games played between the teams at Turner Field.

 

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NL Matchup -- Los Angeles at Atlanta

NL Matchup -- Los Angeles at Atlanta

NL Matchup -- Los Angeles at Atlanta

Los Angeles Dodgers (64-40) at Atlanta Braves (53-51)
Game One Los Angeles 5, Atlanta 0
Game Two Atlanta 4, Los Angeles 3
Game Three Sunday, August 2nd, 8 p.m.
Records
2009 Head-to-Head Record Tied 1-1 (0-0 at LA; 1-1 at Atl)
2008 Head-to-Head Record Atlanta 4-2 (1-2 at LA; 3-0 at Atl)
2007 Head-to-Head Record Atlanta 4-3 (2-2 at LA; 2-1 at Atl)
2006 Head-to-Head Record Tied 3-3 (Atl 2-1 at LA; 1-2 at Home)
Home Record Los Angeles 34-17; Atlanta 28-24
Away Record Los Angeles 30-23; Atlanta 25-27
Current Streak Los Angeles (L1); Atlanta (W1)
Record vs. Eastern Division Los Angeles 14-9
Record vs. Western Division Atlanta 11-12
2009 Meetings
7/31 - Los Angeles, 5-0 (at Atl - WP: Ja.Schmidt; LP: Hanson)
8/01 - Atlanta, 4-3 (at Atl - WP: D.Lowe; LP: Ra.Wolf)
2008 Meetings
4/18 - Atlanta, 6-1 (at Atl - WP: Ohman; LP: D.Lowe)
4/19 - Atlanta, 4-1 (at Atl - WP: Ch.James; LP: Billingsley)
4/20 - Atlanta, 6-1 (at Atl - WP: Jurrjens; LP: Kuroda)
7/07 - Los Angeles, 3-0 (at LA - WP: Kuroda; LP: Campillo)
7/08 - Atlanta, 9-3 (at LA - WP: Jurrjens; LP: Billingsley)
7/09 - Los Angeles, 2-1 (at LA - WP: D.Lowe; LP: T.Hudson)
2007 Meetings
5/04 - Atlanta, 4-0 (at Atl - WP: Smoltz; LP: Tomko)
5/05 - Los Angeles, 6-3 (at Atl - WP: D.Lowe; LP: T.Hudson)
5/06 - Atlanta, 6-4 (at Atl - WP: Paronto; LP: Tsao)
7/02 - Los Angeles, 8-2 (at LA - WP: Beimel; LP: Smoltz)
7/03 - Los Angeles, 7-6 (at LA - WP: Seanez; LP: Ledezma)
7/04 - Atlanta, 5-2 (at LA - WP: James; LP: M.Hendrickson)
7/05 - Atlanta, 8-6 (at LA - WP: Moylan; LP: Stults)
2006 Meetings
4/03 - Atlanta, 11-10 (at LA - WP: Villarreal; LP: D.Lowe)
4/04 - Los Angeles, 5-4 (at LA - WP: Penny; LP: Smoltz)
4/05 - Atlanta, 9-8 (at LA - WP: Villarreal; LP: Osoria)
5/29 - Los Angeles, 12-5 (at Atl - WP: Beimel; LP: Thomson)
5/30 - Los Angeles, 8-3 (at Atl - WP: Baez; LP: Remlinger)
5/31 - Atlanta, 9-3 (at Atl - WP: T.Hudson; LP: Tomko)
Los Angeles last five games Atlanta last five games
7/28 - L at St. Louis, 0-10 7/28 - L at Florida, 3-4
7/29 - L at St. Louis, 2-3 (15) 7/29 - L at Florida, 3-6
7/30 - W at St. Louis, 5-3 (10) 7/30 - W at Florida, 6-3 (10)
7/31 - W at Atlanta, 5-0 7/31 - L vs. Los Angeles, 0-5
8/01 - L at Atlanta, 3-4 8/01 - W vs. Los Angeles, 4-3