Matt Shoemaker (3-4, 5.44 ERA) and David Price (4-1, 2.97 ERA) start in the last of a four-game series between the Los Angeles Angels (26-24) and the Detroit Tigers (28-23) at Angel Stadium. The Angels won the last game 8-6 and Los Angeles can finish out the series sweep with a win in this game. Action begins at 8:05 p.m. ET on Sunday, May. 31 and can be seen on ESPN 2.
Shoemaker pitched 7.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering zero runs, striking out six and walking one in a 4-0 defeat to the Padres. Mike Trout (.296, 38 Rs, 12 HRs, 26 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with two runs, one home run, and one RBI. Price is 4-4 with a 3.90 ERA when pitching against the Angels. He is up against a below-average Los Angeles offense which is hitting just .238 this season. Miguel Cabrera (.333, 27 Rs, 11 HRs, 34 RBIs, 1 SB) has been successful at the plate for the Tigers, going 2 for 5 yesterday with one RBI.
Detroit takes on Los Angeles as a -121 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at seven runs. The Angels have an overall money line of -209 and a record as the underdog of 10-10. Los Angeles’s batters do not strike out very often, with only 7.1 per game. Turning to the pitchers, the Angels are the fifth-best team in the league at limiting hits and walks to their opponents, recording a WHIP of 1.20 so far this season. Opponents have consistently been struck out by the Angels, who rank fourth in the AL in strikeouts per home game with 8.7.
In games where it is the favorite, Detroit has a 18-14 record and an overall money line of +316. The Tigers are an excellent base stealing team with 45 stolen bases, ranking second in the MLB. Detroit’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL at pitching on the road, with a 3.87 ERA. When it comes to issuing walks, the Tigers have the third-fewest in the AL with an average of just 2.5 walks allowed per game.
The Angels have the edge in the season series, 3-0. The Angels have a great 4-2 record at home (7-4 overall) against left-handed starting pitchers, which is what they’ll be facing when Price takes the mound. Shoemaker (RHP) will be on the hill against the Tigers, who have a 20-17 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Tigers play into extra innings, they have a 3-1 record. The Angels are 1-2 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Tigers are coming off of a weak pitching game where they recorded six strikeouts. The Angels have a record of 12-7 when opponents’ pitchers have that many strikeouts or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 2-16. The Angels have a 6-17 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 21st in home runs, Detroit has hit 41 this season. Los Angeles ranks 11th with 50 home runs.
Ranking 15th, Los Angeles is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.76 per game. Detroit ranks in the top five at second with 9.24.
Ranking 26th, Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.672). Detroit ranks in the top five at fourth with an OPS of .752.
The Tigers are 10-16 when they allow at least one home run. The Angels perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with an 11-20 record.
