The Battle of Los Angeles two-game set kicks off tonight between the powerhouse LA Dodgers (83-55), still sitting comfortably in 1st place, and the struggling LA Angels (57-80). This will mark the third time these two teams have squared off during the 2024 season, and the Angels hope to secure their third straight win after a victory against Seattle on Sunday. Tonight also marks Shohei Ohtani’s return to Anaheim, so expectations are high for him to make this a statement game at his old stomping grounds at Angel Stadium.
With Mike Trout still out of the lineup, it looks like the Angels are in for a long night. The Dodgers outperform them in just about every statistical category, from runs to pitching. The Dodgers are tied for 3rd in the league in runs, with 138 home runs, 501 RBIs, 201 doubles, and 402 walks this season. On the other hand, the Angels are tied for 27th in the league, averaging 3.91 runs per game, while ranking 15th in strikeouts with 1,166 on the season.
Starting on the mound for the Angels tonight is Reid Detmers, making his 13th start of the season with a 3-6 record. Walker Buehler will start for the Dodgers, fighting to improve his 1-4 record in his 12th start of the season. Considering the numbers, with the Dodgers having won 7 of their last 10 games and the Angels only managing 3 wins out of their last 10, I expect the Dodgers to end the night with a comfortable win over the Angels.
