The New York Mets hope to continue their current three game winning streak Friday (7:10 p.m. ET) when they send RHP John Maine (5-4, 3.41 ERA) to the mound against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers who will counter with rookie LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-0, 3.00 ERA).
Oddsmakers at online sportsbook SBGglobal.com have installed the Mets as 142-moneyline favorites with an 8 run total. The Dodgers are getting +122 moneyline juice.
Kershaw was impressive in his Major League debut on Sunday, limiting St. Louis to two runs on five hits over six innings. The only thing that kept him from getting his first career win was Albert Pujols, who drove in the first Cardinals run and set up the second, and the Dodgers bullpen that surrendered the lead. Overall, Kershaw threw 102 pitchers, 69 for strikes, and consistently touched 96 mph on the radar gun. He struck out seven, including three in the first inning.
Maine had a strong outing at Coors Field on Sunday, holding the Rockies to three hits and four walks over six innings while striking out a season-high eight, but it wasn't enough to match the complete-game one-run outing by Aaron Cook. Maine allowed four runs (three earned), and through the first five innings the only hit the Rockies had touched him for was a three-run homer that followed an error on a potential double-play grounder that would have ended the inning. His changeup was off, but he had good velocity. The Rockies were patient in laying off his pitches out of the zone, forcing him to throw strikes.
David Wright belted two home runs in leading the Mets to an 8-4 win over the Dodgers as a -130 favorite in the opener on Thursday. The 12 runs sailed OVER the posted over/under (8.5).
Wright finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs for the Mets. Claudio Vargas gave up four runs off five hits over 5 2-3 innings in the win.
Jeff Kent went 2-for-4 with one RBI in the loss for the Dodgers, who were +115 underdogs in that game. Brad Penny surrendered six runs off eight hits over four innings in the loss.
Point-Spreads.com MLB Picks: Mets ML -142
