The Los Angeles Dodgers will host the Washington Nationals on Monday night. The Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-4 on Sunday, their eighth win in a row, to move to 64-30 on the year. Looking at the Nationals, they now find themselves at 32-65 on the season after their 4-3 victory versus the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.
"Four-game sweep!" - Dodgers
Los Angeles has been one of the best home teams, sporting a 30-17 record at Dodger Stadium this year. They also lead the National League West heading into Monday's game by 11.5 games. Meanwhile, the Nationals are awful on the road and against winning clubs. Their 14-37 mark against winning teams is one of the worst in the MLB.
The Dodgers will tab Tony Gonsolin for Monday's game, and he is 11-1 with a 2.02 ERA through 17 starts. He has been excellent this season. He'll be pitching against a very weak-hitting Nationals lineup. Last start was shaky for the righty, as Gonsolin tossed five frames, surrendering seven hits and five earned runs while fanning six.
In his previous two, the right-hander's performances have dipped, allowing seven total earned runs in his past 12 innings. Gonsolin has, however, been great at Dodger Stadium, sporting a miniscule 1.12 ERA at home on the year. Look for the home side, who has won nine straight Gonsolin starts, to take control of the game from the first inning on.
Paolo Espino, who is 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA as a starter, will be on the bump Monday for Washington. He's made most of his appearances as a reliever, but this will be his eighth start. In his last outing, he fared okay, as he tossed 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out five.
"Put a #CurlyW in the books! #NATITUDE" - Nationals
The Dodgers rank near or at the top in most hitting stats, so they should be able to wear Espino out in this one.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Match Details
Fixture: Washington Nationals @ Los Angeles Dodgers
Date & Time: Monday, July 25, 10:10 p.m. EDT
Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Betting Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Best Picks
All-Star Turner has been solid lately, carrying a 1.125 OPS over the last month. Espino isn't overpowering. An experienced hitter like Turner should be able to put together some quality at-bats off of him. Espino has a pretty high flyball rate, so look for the Dodgers' speedster to have another good day at the plate Monday night.
Pick: Trea Turner Over 1.5 Total Bases (-115)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals Betting Prediction
The Dodgers haven't lost in almost two weeks, and they're also 14-3 when Gonsolin starts. Espino is still searching for his first win of the year, and it won't be easy for him against this Dodger lineup. Back the Dodgers to have a resounding win on Monday.
Prediction: Dodgers First 5 Innings -1.5 (+110)