Los Angeles Dodgers: Freeway Series Beat the Streak

The first leg of the 2019 Freeway Series starts on Monday with a two-game series in Anaheim as the Los Angeles Dodgers look to continue rolling.

Every year the Freeway Series provides baseball fans in California with a bit of a rivalry. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels interleague with one series each at home. Usually, MLB stacks the two series so the two teams play each other four-six times in a row. This year it is different.

Like last year, the two series are split and the two teams will first get a taste of each other in a two-game series at Angel Stadium. The Freeway Series resumes on July 23 with another two-game series at Dodger Stadium.

The first game between the two teams features the best two starting pitchers for each team, at least in terms of ERA. Hyun-Jin Ryu and his league-leading 1.35 ERA squares off against rookie Griffin Canning and his 3.52 ERA. Every pitcher in the Dodgers’ rotation has a better ERA than the Angels’ best.

Ryu has been borderline unhittable on Dodger Stadium and is getting better on the road, evident from his season results thus far. It looks like that trend will continue on Monday as well, as Ryu has a career 1.42 ERA in two starts at Angel Stadium.

Canning certainly has been impressive but if any team is going to burn him for a lot of runs it is the Los Angeles Dodgers. A young, right-handed pitcher is something that the Dodgers’ left-handed hitters can feast on.

As part of our Los Angeles Dodgers Beat the Streak series, here is who we think will get at least one base hit off of Canning on Monday.

Jason’s pick (Current streak: 1): Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger was not great in the three-game series against the San Francisco Giants, lowering his averages in the process. Bellinger did not have a hit in nine at-bats against the Giants, allow he did rack up four walks in the process.

Bellinger is not only due because of his slump but he also is going to be part of a superstar battle against Mike Trout. While a two-game series certainly doesn’t decide the better player (which is still Trout), the two will be attempting to one-up each other with every great thing the other does.

Bellinger is hitting .381 against right-handed pitching thus far this season and there is no doubt that he is ready to feast on the young right-handed hitter. It feels like he is due for his 21st home run.