Matt Shoemaker (4-5, 5.20 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels (37-36) go up against Taijuan Walker (5-6, 4.94 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners (33-40) in the first of a three-game division series at Angel Stadium. The game starts at 10:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 26 and will air on ROOT-NW and FSN-W.
Shoemaker has a 2.67 ERA and a 3-1 record in his career against the Mariners, and is up against a struggling Seattle offense that’s hitting just .231 on the year. The Mariners were victorious over the Astros 6-3 the last time Walker pitched. He went 6.1 innings, giving up three runs and striking out 11. Kyle Seager (.265, 28 Rs, 11 HRs, 37 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 Wednesday.
The odds are even for this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable at the moment. Against teams in the AL West, the Angels have an SU record of 20-15. Los Angeles’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, recording a low 3.36 team ERA at home. The Angels don’t give up many hits to opposing batters at Angel Stadium, ranking fourth in the AL with only 7.9 hits allowed per home game.
Against teams in their division, the Mariners are 16-15 SU. Seattle has stepped up their play against division opponents. They have averaged 3.8 runs per game, more than their season average of 3.4. Playing against AL West foes really brings the worst out of the Seattle pitchers. They allow 4.6 runs per game against teams within their division, which is higher than their season average of 4.1.
The Angels have mostly come out on top against the Mariners in their previous six games this season, earning a 4-2 record. This game will feature Walker (RHP) on the mound against the Angels, who have a 28-30 record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Shoemaker will take the mound against the Mariners, who have a 26-32 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAA
Notes
Seattle has won 48% (10-11) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Los Angeles has won 58% (18-13) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Angels are coming off of a hot pitching game where they recorded 12 strikeouts. The Mariners have a record of 2-10 when they are struck out that many times or more.
When they are outhit, the Angels are 7-25. The Mariners have an 11-24 record when opponents outhit them.
Tied at eighth for total home runs, Los Angeles and Seattle have each hit 74 homers this season.
Los Angeles and Seattle both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Los Angeles sits at 14th with 8.03 hits per game and Seattle ranks 15th with 7.73.
Los Angeles and Seattle both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Los Angeles sits at 24th with an OPS of .684 and Seattle ranks 27th with an OPS of .666.
The Mariners are 13-33 when they allow at least one home run. The Angels perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 16-29 record.
