Los Angeles Dodgers vs Arizona Diamondbacks Prediction: A low scoring affair expected

On Sunday, Major League Baseball action will take place at Dodger Stadium, featuring a matchup between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Los Angeles Dodgers. This will be the first game in the National League Division Series playoff, which will consist of a best-of-five format. This week, the Arizona Diamondbacks eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers from playoff contention by sweeping both games of their series against the Brewers. The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded the season with an overall record of 100-62, which was good enough to win the National League West division by a margin of 16 games.

The regular season for the Los Angeles Dodgers was capped off by a successful series against the San Francisco Giants, in which they took two of three games. This season, the Atlanta Braves outscored the Los Angeles Dodgers in several important offensive categories, including runs scored (906), RBI (877), and home runs (249). Los Angeles ended up in second place in Major League Baseball. Freddie Freeman was a significant contributor with 211 hits, which was good for second in the Major Leagues, while Mookie Betts hit the most home runs for the team with 39. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers will send their ace and seasoned pitcher Clayton Kershaw out to the field to start the game. Kershaw finished the regular season with a record of 13-5 overall and a 2.46 earned run average in 24 appearances. Kershaw has played a total of 38 playoff games (31 of which he started), compiling a record of 13-12 with a 4.22 earned run average.

This week, the Arizona Diamondbacks were successful against the Milwaukee Brewers, advancing their standing by winning both of their games against them. Corbin Carroll hit a home run, drove in two runs, had two hits, and scored two runs for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, when they won 6-3. On Wednesday, Ketel Marte contributed two runs batted in for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and Alek Thomas added a solo home run to the triumph. Merill Kelly will take the mound for the Arizona Diamondbacks in their game on Saturday as the team's opening pitcher. Kelly had a record of 12-8 in 2023 and had a 3.29 earned run average across 30 starts. In his previous seven starts, Kelly has a record of 2-3 with a 4.35 earned run average. He has struck out 41 batters while pitching 41.1 innings.

In this particular game, I'm going to put my money on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw, who has been pitching well as of late despite coming off a loss to the San Francisco Giants in his most recent outing, should be able to provide a boost to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kershaw has a record of 1-1 in his last three starts, with just two earned runs over the course of 14.1 innings, six walks, and a total of nine hits. While he's on the field, the Los Angeles Dodgers should have a better chance of success thanks to him. When it comes to the Arizona Diamondbacks, they will have Kelly, who has had plenty of rest, take the mound for the start here, and he should perform quite well. In his last three starts, Kelly has a record of 1-1 with four earned runs allowed across 18.2 innings. I'm hoping for a low-scoring, tight game that ends with the Los Angeles Dodgers squeaking out a victory in the ninth inning.