The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves wrap up their series on Sunday afternoon in Major League Baseball action. The game is scheduled for a 1:35 pm EST start time and it will be televised nationally on TBS. Currently the odds have the Braves favored marginally.
The Braves won the opening game of this series, only to see the Dodgers storm back on Saturday and even the series at a game apiece. Now the rubber match will provide a winner of the three-game series. The Dodgers will look to Chad Billingsley to pitch today in this matchup, having won his last five matchups. During that time he has posted a 1.56 ERA. Hanley Ramirez is batting .330 with 27 RBIs in 23 games since joining Los Angeles. In his four games playing when Billingsley is on the mound for the Dodgers, Ramirez is 7 for 17 with eight RBIs. Not bad. On Saturday, Ramirez hit a couple of home runs and now is hitting a.447 on the Dodgers' 10-game road trip as well. He is absolutely clubbing the ball right now. Mike Minor for Atlanta has kind of been up and down so far this season, but he's going to get the start for Atlanta today in hopes to claim the series. It's been kind of odd for Minor as he has a 2.39 ERA in six starts since the All-Star break, but he's only got a record of 1-3 since that break. Don Mattingly won't be around for this game today, he's not allowed to be. Officially he's serving a two-game suspension for excessive arguing with umpires. This is a huge game for both teams. Atlanta trails Washington by four games in the National League East. The LA Dodgers are behind the rival San Fransisco Giants by just a half game and will open a series with them at the beginning of the week. But for now, the Dodgers have some business to take care of with the Braves.
Free Pick: We like the Dodgers as underdogs here today. They are looking to this game as a major piece in the puzzle that can help them catch the Giants in the NL West. One could argue that because they play the Giants next week, this game is meaningless, but every win at this point in the season is magnified. I think the Dodgers come out strong today.
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