The Los Angeles Dodgers head to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento on Monday, June 29 to face the Athletics at 9:40 PM ET, with left-hander Eric Lauer drawing the start against Oakland's Gage Jump. This is a regular-season road matchup that carries real weight for a Dodgers club that expects nothing less than October baseball — every game in the standings matters, and a win on the road against a rebuilding Athletics squad is exactly the kind of game Los Angeles needs to pocket without drama.

Pitching Matchup: Eric Lauer vs. Gage Jump

Eric Lauer gets the ball for the Dodgers. The veteran southpaw has had an up-and-down career, but he knows how to eat innings and work through a lineup multiple times when his command is on. The key for Lauer will be keeping the ball down in the zone and avoiding the big inning — the Athletics may be rebuilding, but they can still sting a pitcher who leaves pitches up in the strike zone.

On the other side, Gage Jump gets the nod for the Athletics. Jump is a young arm still finding his footing at the big league level, and that represents a genuine opportunity for the Dodgers lineup to do damage early. Los Angeles should be looking to get into the Athletics bullpen by the fourth or fifth inning — the more pitchers the Dodgers see, the more likely they are to grind out runs.

Keys to Watch for the Dodgers

• Work the count early: Against a developing starter like Jump, the Dodgers' patient hitters need to run up the pitch count from the jump. Force him into deep counts and the lineup turns over twice before he gets out of the fourth inning.
• Lauer's command: If Lauer is locating his fastball and mixing his breaking ball effectively, this could be a smooth outing. If the command wavers early, manager Dave Roberts will need to be proactive with the bullpen.
• Dodgers defense on the road: Playing at Sutter Health Park, a minor league-affiliated facility, can present quirks. The Dodgers need to stay sharp in the field and avoid the kind of sloppy errors that give an inferior opponent extra life.
• Capitalizing on baserunners: The Dodgers have the lineup depth to score in bunches when opportunities present themselves. Leaving runners stranded in scoring position against a young, inexperienced starter would be a missed chance the club cannot afford.

Broadcast Information

Los Angeles fans can catch the game on SportsNet LA, with radio coverage on Dodgers Radio AM570. Spanish-language broadcasts are available on KTNQ 1020 and KVMX 92.1/105.5.

Prediction

This is a game the Dodgers should win, and win decisively. Eric Lauer is the more experienced arm in this matchup, and the Los Angeles lineup has the firepower to make Gage Jump's evening a short one. Expect the Dodgers to grab an early lead, hand it off to a reliable bullpen, and leave Sacramento with two in the win column. Dodgers 6, Athletics 2.