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The marquee matchup around baseball on Wednesday is a rematch from the 2017 World Series as the Los Angeles Dodgers and reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer are favored on the MLB odds as the Houston Astros.

How to Bet Dodgers at Astros MLB Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Minute Maid Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Trevor Bauer/Luis Garcia
TV: ESPN
Stream/gameday audio: ESPN app; https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/

Why Bet on LA Dodgers? | Betting Odds for MLB

Los Angeles remains without two of its best players in former Rookie of the Year Corey Seager and former NL MVP Cody Bellinger, both on the injured list – as is outfielder AJ Pollock. Seager isn’t close to returning with a broken hand, while Bellinger won’t play here due to a calf injury but could return this weekend. Pollock likely is out until early June with a hamstring issue.

It’s reigning NL Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer on the mound. Bauer (5-2) allowed one run (zero earned) on two hits and four walks with 11 strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in a 2-1 win over the Giants last Friday. The only run against him came in the sixth inning with two men on base and two outs. Evan Longoria hit a ball back to him and he overthrew the first baseman, allowing the runner on second to score. Bauer was otherwise excellent, allowing just two hits as he struck out 11 batters. The 30-year-old right-hander generated 16 whiffs — 11 on the fastball.

Bauer threw a whopping 126 pitches in the appearance — the most by any pitcher in MLB this season. He has thrown at least 113 pitches in a game four times this year, which also leads the Majors. Friday was his third straight game throwing at least that many pitches.

Bauer lowered his ERA to 1.98 on the season and now ranks second in the league with 88 punchouts. He has a 0.77 WHIP through 62.2 innings. Bauer has been phenomenal in May, compiling a 1.14 ERA across 23 2/3 innings.

When he walked off the mound for the final time vs. the Giants, with boos raining down on him at Oracle Park he cupped his hand to his ear and asked for more.

“They’re going to hate me anyway, might as well lean into it,” Bauer said. “I like when the crowd’s into it. It makes the moment feel bigger, and I perform better in those moments. It just feeds me.”

The Dodger starting pitchers have been phenomenal this month a Major League best 2.71 ERA. The club’s starters also lead the Majors in WHIP (0.89), opponents’ batting average (.181), opponents’ on-base percentage (.245) and opponents’ OPS (.572) in May.

Why Bet on Houston? | Betting Odds for MLB

The Astros have the fourth-best BA (.263) with runners in scoring position in the AL and have scored the most runs (192). With RISP and two outs, they have the 4th best BA (.247), and they have scored the 3rd most runs (71).

It’s rookie Luis Garcia (2-3) on the mound for Houston. The 24-year-old right-hander from Venezuela, who signed at age 20 for $20,000, has risen from an expected depth role to provide the Astros quality major-league starter innings. Though he’s still viewed as a prospect, he looks ready now.

Garcia allowed two runs on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in five innings and earned the win last Thursday vs. Oakland. Two of the three hits against the right-hander left the yard as Garcia allowed solo home runs to Mark Canha and Tony Kemp.

It was an otherwise solid start for Garcia, who has yet to yield more than three runs in an appearance. The 24-year-old has a 3.38 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 47:15 K:BB in 40 innings across nine games (seven starts). He’s allowed 29 hits in 40 innings, but eight of those hits have been home runs. He has a 2.53 ERA at home.

The changeup had long been García’s primary secondary offering, but something’s happened with his breaking stuff this year. A high-70s slider had been his equalizer against right-handed hitters and is still a quality pitch, but a reshaped, mid- to upper-80s cutter has been a devastating pitch thus far in 2021, evidenced by its 58.1 percent whiff rate, as well as an impressive 47.8 percent chase rate. Both are well above the league average.

In spite of injuries to Framber Valdez, Jake Odorizzi, Jose Urquidy and Justin Verlander, the Houston Astros starting rotation has managed to hold its own so far. The same cannot be said for the bullpen, however, and the lack of impact relief pitching aside from closer Ryan Pressly is evident. In spite of all this, Astros GM James Click said that while the bullpen is an area of concern, “it’s something that we will address with the players that we have.”

Game Trends

Dodgers are 22-8 in their last 30 vs. American League West.
Dodgers are 20-8 in their last 28 Wednesday games.
Astros are 5-1 in their last 6 interleague home games.
Astros are 4-1 in their last 5 interleague home games vs. a right-handed starter.
Astros are 3-7 in their last 10 vs. National League West.