Analysis: The Atlanta offense has been inconsistent for much of the year but the Braves have used some strong pitching (team's 3.75 ERA ranks 4th in all of MLB) to stay within striking distance in the NL East and wild-card race (Braves trail the Phils by seven games and the Rockies and Giants by four games). The Dodgers continue to have MLB's best record (64-40) and maintain a solid seven-game lead over the Giants and Rockies in the NL West. The pitching matchup for the rubber game of this series is a good one, with Chad Billingsley squaring off against Jair Jurrjens. Billingsley is 10-6 with a 3.96 ERA in 22 starts (team is 14-8) but he's under some pressure these days with his recent struggles. Billingsley won nine of his first 12 decisions and had a 2.72 ERA on June 14 through 14 starts (team was 11-3). However, he's just 1-3 with four no decisions in his last eight starts (team is 3-5), posting a 6.46 ERA. Meanwhile, Jurrjens has been the Braves' best pitcher this season. He's just 9-7 in 22 starts (team is only 11-11) but he's allowed three ERs or less in 19 of his 22 starts (2.69 ERA), including NINE of his last 10. He's allowed just five ERs over 25.2 innings of his last four starts (1.75 ERA), winning three in a row before getting a no decision in his last outing. Jurrjens beat the Dodgers twice last year, allowing two ERs and eight hits in 13 innings (1.38 ERA), while Chad Billingsley is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in two career starts vs the Braves. The Braves have won 11 of their last 14 home games and with this three-game series being the team's only home games between July 24 and Aug. 9, expect Atlanta to play well before the ESPN cameras and continue Billingsley's recent woes, as Jurrjens again pitches well.
ness use to be solid...now he's just spouting losing picks and chasing costing bettor's money along with it for some time now...he's a piece of shit...
Larry Ness 8/2
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