Two of the most under-rated pitchers in all of baseball will square off Sunday Night when the Los Angeles Angels host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the last game of the Freeway Series. Ervin Santana has only a 3-8 record on the year, but he has pitched well enough to be over .500.
Chad Billingsley generally takes a second seat to Clayton Kershaw in the Dodgers rotation, but he has the armory to be an elite pitcher in the National League.
This plot will be the rubber-game in this 3 game set, but its quite obvious that the Dodgers need this one far more than the Angels. The Boys in Blue are 10.5 games behind the defending Champion San Francisco Giants in the N.L. West, but still more of a job is that they take 3 other teams to hurdle if they are to take a firm second half run.
Baseball handicappers didnt anticipate that the Dodgers would win their division or go deeply in the playoffs, however they did carry them to be well forward of their current pace at the mid-way point of the season. Pitching has been the matter for the Dodgers this year. Hiroki Kuroda, Kershaw and Billingsley have been a reliable trio for this squad, but the want of a consistent 4th and 5th starter has put a wonderful stress on the bullpen and the rotation. With all of the upheaval surrounding the possession of the Dodgers, it will be improbable that they have any moves prior to the trade deadline.
Santana often gets lost in the mix for the Angels as Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are off to tremendous starts in 2011. Santana has been a solid starter for the Angels over his career, and is doing the same this season. MLB experts feel as though he has never fully lived up to his potential, and they may be right. Santana has a live arm, but frequently loses control of his pitches. If he can get on board with Weaver and Haren over the 2nd half of the season, this team will make a legitimate chance at passing the Rangers for the top position in the A.L. West. Tune in Sunday night as the Dodgers and Angels appear to get the series with a win in this one.
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