Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Pick & Prediction SEPTEMBER 8th 2024

Preview and Prediction

On Sunday, two youngsters from Southern California will go head to head as the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Cleveland Guardians in the final game of their three-game series.

Jack Flaherty, a right-handed pitcher, has quickly become the most reliable member of the Dodgers' injury-plagued pitching staff since joining the team just a month ago. In his six starts for his hometown club, Flaherty has recorded a 4-1 record with a 3.18 ERA.

Tanner Bibee, also a right-handed pitcher, hails from Orange County and was initially expected to miss the weekend series in Los Angeles. However, due to an injury to teammate Alex Cobb, Bibee was moved up a game and delivered a strong performance against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, allowing just one run over six innings in a 7-1 win.

After the Dodgers scored six runs in the first inning on Saturday, including a two-run home run from Andy Pages and a two-run double from Tommy Edman, they were able to even the series at one game apiece. The Guardians had won the series opener 3-1 on Friday.

With a record of 85-57, the Dodgers currently hold a five-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West, while the Guardians (81-61) are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Royals in the American League Central.

Flaherty will be making his seventh career start against the Guardians on Sunday. In his previous six starts, he has recorded a 1-2 record with a 2.38 ERA in 34 innings pitched. Three of those starts came earlier this season when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers, where he went 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA against the Guardians.

Looking ahead to Sunday's game, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt commented on facing his former teammate Flaherty, saying, "We get to see our old friend Flaherty one more time. But yeah, playing on the road's tough, and nights like (Saturday), they're going to happen. You flush it and you move on to the next day."

Despite averaging 8.0 runs per game in their recent four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Dodgers have struggled to consistently produce offense. Even in their 7-2 victory on Saturday, they only managed to score one run after their six-run first inning. However, they did receive positive news on the injury front with Teoscar Hernandez's MRI coming back clean and his expected return to the lineup in their upcoming series against the Chicago Cubs.

Meanwhile, the Guardians' star player Shohei Ohtani continues to close in on a historic 50-50 season, currently sitting at 45 home runs and 46 RBIs. The record for most home runs in a 40-40 season is 46, set by Alfonso Soriano in 2006.

Bibee, who grew up closer to Anaheim where the Los Angeles Angels play, has not faced the Dodgers in two seasons. In his past five starts, he has given up one earned run in three of them, all of which were on the road. Bibee has a 7-3 record with a 2.71 ERA in 14 road starts, compared to a 4-3 record with a 4.54 ERA in 13 home starts.

Despite their loss on Saturday, Vogt was pleased with the way his team finished the game, with a strong 7 1/3 innings from the bullpen and a two-run home run from Lane Thomas. Vogt commented, "Lane had that big homer, and we kept getting things going and that's what makes me so proud of his team... We were right there to chip away, we just didn't come away with a big hit."

PREDICTION

Cleveland Indians

4

5

Los Angeles Dodgers

Cleveland Indians vs. Los Angeles Dodgers Recap SEP 8TH 2024