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Carrie Stroup here and I have your Game 1 line for the Dodgers vs. Padres series beginning April 4, 2012. You can find all the latest Major League Baseball lines here at Sportsbook.com. Get up to $250 in FREE CASH for each friend you refer and up to $250 on your first deposit (based on deposit amount).
Sportsbook.com Line & Total: Los Angeles -155 & 6 under -120
The newly purchased Dodgers begin their quest for an NL West title Thursday afternoon against the team expected to finish last in the division, the San Diego Padres.
The Dodgers had arguably the best hitter and pitcher in the National League in 2011. Outfielder Matt Kemp broke out on the offensive end with a 39-home run, 40-stolen base season, while pitcher Clayton Kershaw took home the Cy Young Award with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts. Padres starting pitcher Edinson Volquez has incredible stuff (8.7 K/9 in his career) and should benefit from his move away from Cincinnati to the more spacious Petco Park. But the move won’t magically fix his control problems. Volquez walked 5.4 batters per nine innings and despite some changes in the offseason, the San Diego bats, which were the worst in the NL West last year (3.66 runs per game) won’t be able to give him adequate support.
The core of the Dodgers lineup still looks the same this season, led by Kemp and his .324 BA and 126 RBI. His dream of a 50-50 season could begin in this game against a pitcher like Volquez, who can walk batters and give up the long ball. The returning player with the second-most home runs, James Loney (12), consistently hits for a high average (.288 career BA) and should be patient in this game. That pair and Juan Rivera all have the potential to give Kershaw more than enough run support, especially considering how the southpaw has pitched against the Padres in his career. In 13 career starts, he’s 7-3 with a 2.32 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He was a perfect 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in three outings versus the Padres in 2011.
Volquez once appeared to be a promising prospect, when the Reds acquired him for Josh Hamilton. He’s had his stretches of brilliance and could definitely use this change of scenery, but he will never break through until he fixes his control problems. The Padres received some nice young bats alongside Volquez in the deal, 1B Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal, but only Alonso will be in the majors to start the season and will need time to develop. San Diego’s offensive hopes rests on newly-acquired OF Carlos Quentin, but he doesn’t come back from knee surgery until later this month or early May. OF Cameron Maybin is the team’s most valuable hitter right now, able to score 82 runs and steal 40 bases last season.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
