The Los Angeles Dodgers (68-50) travel to Angel Stadium Wednesday looking to bounce back from recent struggles, as they've dropped six of their last 11 games and watched their NL West lead shrink to just one game over San Diego.
Shohei Ohtani makes his first career start against his former Angels teammates, bringing a stellar 2.37 ERA across eight starts this season to face a Los Angeles Angels (56-62) club that swept them at Dodger Stadium in May and took Monday's series opener 7-4.
With the Angels six games back of a wild card spot and desperate for wins, this crosstown rivalry matchup carries playoff implications for both teams as Kyle Hendricks tries to contain a Dodgers offense that ranks first in baseball with 5.2 runs per game.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Angels vs Dodgers matchup, our predictive model gives the Dodgers a 75% chance of defeating the Angels.
Los Angeles Angels: 25% win probability
- Porous pitching allows 5.0 runs per game (595 runs against in 120 games)
- Below .500 record at .483 winning percentage shows inconsistency
- Fourth place in competitive AL West, 9 games behind division leader Seattle
Los Angeles Dodgers: 75% win probability
- Elite run production averaging 5.2 runs per game (621 runs in 120 games)
- Strong .567 winning percentage puts them atop the NL West
- Recent offensive surge with 3 wins in last 5 games despite tough stretch
At Sporting Post, our custom prediction model blends insights from leading MLB analysts to give you a clear edge.
Instead of sorting through endless opinions, we streamline expert picks, advanced team metrics, and market trends into one place. Our AI tracks top sources and assigns a confidence score to each prediction. These are averaged into a win probability that reflects the expert consensus. It gives you a data-backed view of what the sharpest minds in MLB expect.
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Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers preview
The Freeway Series takes on added intrigue Wednesday night as Shohei Ohtani makes his first start against his former team, bringing his 2.37 ERA and pinpoint control to the mound at Angel Stadium where he called home for six seasons.
The Angels stunned the Dodgers 7-4 in Monday's opener behind Jose Soriano's six scoreless frames and a pair of solo shots from Zach Neto, continuing their recent success against their crosstown rivals after sweeping them at Dodger Stadium back in May.
Los Angeles finds itself in unfamiliar territory, dropping six of their last 11 games while the surging Padres breathe down their necks just one game back in the NL West race.
Kyle Hendricks gets the ball for the Angels despite his troubling history against these Dodgers hitters, who have tagged him for a .338 average with nine extra-base hits in career matchups, including Ohtani's 3-for-5 mark with a double and homer.
The Angels desperately need every win they can get sitting six games out of the final wild card spot, but they'll have to solve an Ohtani puzzle that has allowed just one home run across 19 innings this season.
With Ohtani expected to work only four innings in his return from injury, both bullpens figure to play crucial roles, giving the edge to LA's relievers who lead baseball with 91 holds this season.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Los Angeles Dodgers form
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