Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Chris Heston (2-2, 2.77 ERA) and the San Francisco Giants (9-13) meet C.J. Wilson (1-2, 3.12 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels (11-11) in the first of a three-game series at AT&T Park. The game gets underway at 10:15 p.m. ET on Friday, May. 1 and will air on FSN-W and CSN-BAY.
In his most recent outing, Heston pitched 5.1 innings, giving up six runs, striking out four and walking one in a 6-4 loss to the Rockies. In his career against the Giants, Wilson is 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and three strikeouts. Mike Trout (.329, 20 Rs, 5 HRs, 14 RBIs, 6 SBs) has been hitting the ball well for the Angels, going 2 for 3 yesterday with two runs and one stolen base.
San Francisco is a -123 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Giants perform poorly as a favorite with a 2-7 record and have an overall money line of -456. They have not performed well against the American League, earning an SU record of 9-13 and a 2-7 record when they were the favorite.
Moving on to the away team, the Angels come into this game with a win percentage of .500 when playing as the underdog (3-3) and an overall money line of -302. When playing Interleague competitors, they have a 7-8 as the favorite and 10-11 SU. The Angels are one of the top pitching staffs in the AL, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 4.0 runs allowed per game. They also average just 7.1 hits allowed per road game, best in the AL.
The Giants will take on a left-hander (Wilson) in this game and have a 4-2 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season. Taking the hill against the Angels will be the right-hander Heston. They sport a 6-9 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – SF, O/U – Over
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Los Angeles is 6-5, while San Francisco is 1-4.
The Giants are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded four strikeouts. The Angels have a record of 1-2 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Angels are 2-9. The Giants have a 2-8 record when opponents outhit them.
San Francisco ranks near the bottom of the league at 23rd when it comes to home runs, hitting 14 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top half at 15th with 18.
Ranking 14th, Los Angeles is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.43 per game. San Francisco ranks in the top 10 at eighth with 8.59.
San Francisco and Los Angeles both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. San Francisco sits at 21st with an OPS of .675 and Los Angeles ranks 24th with an OPS of .650.
The Angels are 5-11 when they allow at least one home run. The Giants perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 4-8 record.
