By SBRForum.com
With the recent moves they’ve made the LA Dodgers have declared themselves all-in on their hunt for a spot in this year’s MLB playoffs. And two of their recent additions played significant roles as LA completed a series sweep of the Chicago Cubs Sunday.
A Timely Rebound
Fresh off getting swept themselves three games by Arizona last week the Dodgers turned the same trick on the Cubs over the weekend at Chavez Ravine. LA took Friday’s series opener 6-1 on the strength of a third-straight quality start from Chad Billingsley. The Dodgers then won 3-1 Saturday, getting another quality outing from Clayton Kershaw.
LA then got some return on its recent investments Sunday in the form of a quality start from newly acquired Joe Blanton and game-winning base hit from Hanley Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers a 7-6 victory Sunday and the sweep.
So LA begins this week at 59-50 and just a half-game back of first-place San Francisco in the NL West. The Dodgers are also three games back of Pittsburgh in the battle for the second NL Wild-Card spot.
Dodger Tidbits
Ramirez is only hitting .231 so far for the Dodgers, but he does have 11 RBI in 11 games and a pair of game-winning hits.
Blanton, making his debut for LA Sunday after coming over in a trade with Philly Friday, gave up two runs on five hits in six innings and left the game with a 4-2 lead. But the bullpen coughed that up, and even after the Dodgers regained the lead closer Kenley Jansen gave up a game-tying homer to the Cubs
Anthony Rizzo leading off the top of the ninth. It was the first run he’d allowed since July 14, a span covering nine appearances and 9 1/3 innings.
This Week in Dodgers Doings
LA now hosts the 38-68 Colorado Rockies for a three-game series beginning Monday night.
The Dodgers will throw Chris Capuano (10-7, 3.33) Monday, Aaron Harang (7-6, 3.76) Tuesday and Billingsley (7-9, 3.74) Wednesday, while Colorado will go with Drew Pomeranz (1-6, 5.13), Alex White (2-6, 6.16) and Jeff Francis (3-4, 6.02).
The Rockies just got swept three games at home by the Giants, doing the Dodgers no favors, to complete a dismal 1-8 homestand.
Free MLB Picks
The LA Dodgers should be the obvious choice to add to your MLB picks in each game of this series; they’re the better team, they’ve got more to play for and they have the advantage in all three pitching matchups. The trick will be to get down quickly, before the prices get too high.
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