LA Sports: Games to Watch on Your Beautiful Saturday
By Mary Coyne
Good morning and happy Saturday, LA sports fans.
It’s going to be 72 and sunny in Los Angeles today – not the kind of weather to keep you inside watching sports. But in the event you find yourself on the couch channel surfing, here are some solid picks for your LA sports viewing.
Dodgers v. Angels – Exhibition
12:30pm / Prime Network
It will be Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu on the mound vs. Angels’ RHP Garrett Richards in today’s matchup from Camelback Ranch in Glendale. It’s the first meeting between these crosstown rivals this spring and even though it’s only an exhibition game, there’s always LA pride on the line.
The Dodgers are coming off a monster 12-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday. The pitching rotation was solid with Brandon McCarthy (three scoreless innings) Brandon Morrow (struck out the side in the fourth) Julio Urias (struck out three in two hitless innings) and Josh Ravin (allowed 4 hits including one home run in his only inning).
The Dodgers had a strong showing on offense too. Yasiel Puig went 2 for 2 with a pair of home runs; Logan Forsythe doubled in the first and finished for 3 and RBI and Darnell Sweeney hit a home run in the sixth.
The Angels did not fare as well against the Padres yesterday
The Angels did not fare as well against the Padres yesterday losing 4-2. Angel Pitcher JC Ramirez gave up a three-run homer in the first as well as a solo HR in the fourth. Lefty Manny Banuelos gave up a hit, struck out three and walked four in 2 ½ innings, and Cody Ege allowed one hit and struck out two in his one inning of play.
Albert Pujols made his first spring training appearance at the plate after his surgery in December on the plantar fascia on his right foot. He grounded out twice and walked once. The Angels mustered up only 5 hits on the day including Carlos Perez’s run-scoring single in the second.
This is the perfect lunchtime game to give you a look at your two LA teams. They meet again on Monday.
LA Clippers vs. Philadelphia
12:30pm / Prime Network
The LA Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers meet at Staples in this mid-day match-up. The Clippers (39-26) are fighting for a playoff spot in the west so every game is a crucial one at this point.
The 76ers (23-41) have lost six of their seven previous games and hope to end their current 3-game losing streak.
I suspect that Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan will control the paint in this one. Griffin will likely face rookie Dario Saric while DeAndre Jordan will go head-to-head with Jahlil Okafor which should be fun to watch.
With Chris Paul running the point, and no foul troubles for Griffin and Jordan, I think the Clippers should take this one with no problem. I look forward to watching the core Clipper players on the court together, something they haven’t done much this season due to injuries. But now that they are healthy, I want to watch them work together and improve as a team – just in time for the playoffs.
LA Kings vs. Washington Capitals
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7:30pm / FS West
After the Clippers beat Philly at Staples, the staff will be pulling up the court to prepare for the Kings game against the league-leading Washington Capitals.
The Washington Capitals (44-15-7) three-game California road-trip stops in LA today where the team hopes to avoid their first three-game losing streak in more than two years. This is not a familiar feeling for Alex Ovechkin and company so I suspect they’ll come out strong with something to prove. Add in the fact that they’re 0-6 in the last 6 meeting in Los Angeles – and you’ve got a team on a mission.
The Kings (32-28-6) hope to gut out another win and keep their win streak vs. the Caps alive. Some consistency in their game would be nice. Drew Doughty and the Kings defense need to be on top of their games today and top scorers Jeff Carter and Tanner Pearson need to do what they do best, score!
Next: Clippers Rumors: How to soften the loss of Paul and Griffin
So what if it’s a sunny day and you want to stay inside and watch sports! Don’t feel guilty. Make yourself and sandwich, grab the remote, and enjoy your day!