Philadelphia Looks to Move Up in NL East Race
The Philadelphia Phillies try to make it two straight wins when they open a four-game weekend series against the host Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night. Philadelphia took two out of three against the Seattle Mariners in its last series and is among a cluster of teams chasing the first-place New York Mets in the NL East. Los Angeles lost two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road but is still atop the NL West standings. This should be a good series between a pair of playoff-caliber teams, so check out our in-depth preview before you make any bet online on the contest.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports, and MLB odds for Phillies vs Dodgers. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Hoskins Getting Hot to Lead Phillies Charge
The Philadelphia Phillies are getting some great hitting from first baseman Rhys Hoskins of late, as he homered for the third straight game on Wednesday, belting a grand slam to lead the team to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Hoskins had gotten off to a slow start to the season but credits a pair of rain-out days recently for allowing him to get some work in and improve his swing.
“It’s not often you get a couple of days to either rest and kind of regain some energy, or work,” Hoskins said after Wednesday’s win. “It’s hard to take more swings than normal during the year because you’ve got to go play.”
Whatever it was, Philadelphia will take it, as Hoskins is hitting .333 with three home runs, seven RBIs and three runs scored over the last five games. On the season, Hoskins is batting just .222 with five home runs and 16 RBIs.
Outfielder Bryce Harper leads Philadelphia with 19 RBIs. He was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in Wednesday’s series finale. Harper is batting .269 with 10 doubles, one triple, six home runs, and 24 runs scored (third in the National League).
Right-hander Zack Wheeler will get the first start of the series for the Phillies. Wheeler is 1-3 with a 4.10 ERA in five starts this season, striking out 25 in 26⅓ innings of work. He’s been on a roll over his last two starts, going a total of 13⅔ innings and allowing no runs on seven hits while striking out 14.
Dodgers Hope Return Home Brings Wins
The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off a rare series loss, dropping two of three to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Coming back to Dodger Stadium will bring a wave of confidence for the team, which is 10-2 at home this season.
Left-hander Tyler Anderson will be on the mound for Los Angeles in Thursday’s contest. The 32-year-old is 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA in three starts and five total appearances this season. Anderson has earned wins in each of his last two starts, including going five innings against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday and allowing two runs on four hits while striking out seven and walking one.
Outfielder Mookie Betts sat out Wednesday’s contest after an 0-for-5 performance in Tuesday’s game. Betts is expected to be ready to go for Thursday, bringing a .250 batting average, three doubles, five home runs, 13 RBIs and 26 runs scored.
First baseman Freddie Freeman has been feeling at home with Los Angeles in his first season with the club, hitting a team-high .315. Freeman also has 10 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 13 RBIs, and 19 runs scored.
Phillies vs Dodgers Head-to-Head
The Los Angeles Dodgers have dominated the series between these two teams over the last two seasons they’ve played, winning nine of 13 matchups. Los Angeles was 4-2 against the Philadelphia Phillies in 2021, winning two of three both on the road and at home.
The Phillies have not won a series at Dodger Stadium since the 2014 campaign, going 5-15 since then. The MLB lines expect that trend to continue, with the home team getting the edge in the odds for Thursday’s opener.
Phillies vs Dodgers Game Information
- Game: Phillies (14-17) vs Dodgers (20-9)
- Location: Dodger Stadium
- Day/Time: Thursday, May 12th, 10:10 p.m. ET
- Phillies vs Dodgers Live stream: MLB.tv
Phillies vs Dodgers Betting Lines
Phillies vs Dodgers Prediction
The Philadelphia Phillies have been playing better of late, crawling up the NL East standings a bit. But the Los Angeles Dodgers are dominant at home and looking to bounce back from a disappointing series.
When doing your MLB betting, take Los Angeles to pick up the home win.
