Baseball Game Preview: Beverly Hills Normans vs. Lawndale Cardinals

For the second straight game, Beverly Hills will face off against Lawndale. The Normans will be playing in front of their home fans against the Cardinals at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday.

Tuesday just wasn't the day for Beverly Hills' offense. They lost 10-0 to Lawndale on Tuesday. The Normans have struggled against the Cardinals recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.

For Lawndale's part, Issaiah Alvarado made a big impact while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave Alvarado a new career-high. He was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Seth Alex Rodriguez, who scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played. Jeremy Lara was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances.

Lawndale always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .543 or higher in three consecutive matchups.

Lawndale is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten games. That's provided a nice bump to their 13-4 record this season. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Beverly Hills, their loss dropped their record down to 4-8-1.

Thursday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Beverly Hills has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Lawndale struggles in that department as they've averaged .526. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.