In the last of a three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels (72-69) and the Houston Astros (76-66) at Angel Stadium, Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.52 ERA) and Mike Fiers (7-10, 3.66 ERA) take the mound. The Angels won the last game 3-2 and Los Angeles leads the series 2-0. The game gets underway at 3:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, Sep. 13 and will air on FSW and RTSW.
In his most recent outing, Heaney pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five runs, striking out six and walking three in a 6-4 loss to the Dodgers. Albert Pujols (.248, 73 Rs, 35 HRs, 83 RBIs, 4 SBs) played well again yesterday, going 2 for 4. The Astros were unsuccessful to the Athletics 10-9 the last time Fiers pitched. He went 5.0 innings, allowing four runs, striking out five and walking four. Carlos Correa (.275, 41 Rs, 18 HRs, 52 RBIs, 12 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Los Angeles is favored by a slight -108 margin in its matchup against Houston. The teams combine to set the Over/Under (O/U) at eight runs. The Angels perform well as a favorite with a 52-30 record, but haven’t fared as well with the overall money line (-302). They are 4-1 as the favorite over their last 10 games. The Angels seem to play better against their division opponents, averaging 4.5 runs per game, well over their season average of 4.0. The Angels rank third in the majors in extra base hits with 369. Over their past 10 games, Los Angeles’s pitchers have been playing lights out, only allowing 2.9 runs per game, below their season average of 4.1.
Moving on to the away team, the Astros come into this game with a win percentage of .508 when playing as the underdog (30-29) and an overall money line of +153. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 3-7 SU and have a poor 0-1 record when they were an underdog to win. The Astros are known for their power, smashing 195 home runs. The Astros have racked up 106 steals on the year, making them one of the most threatening base-running teams in the league. Switching gears to Houston’s pitching staff, they have the lowest ERA in the AL at 3.34. They have a WHIP of 1.19, second best in the MLB.
The Astros have mostly come out on top against the Angels in their previous 15 games this season, earning an 8-7 record. The Angels will take on a right-hander (Fiers) in this game and have a 51-51 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Heaney will take the mound against the Astros, who have a 26-23 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou, O/U – Over
Notes
The Astros lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Angels are 26-16. The Astros are 19-25 in close games this season.
The Angels are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Astros have a 22-37 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
It looks like the Angels have a slight leg up on the Astros, as the Angels have won their last three games while the Astros have lost their last two.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 55-17. The Angels have a 52-15 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 24th in runs, Los Angeles has earned 566 this season. Houston ranks eighth with 620 runs.
Ranking 20th, Los Angeles is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 385 this season. Houston ranks in the top half at 12th with 421.
When the Angels hit at least one home run, they are 55-34, well-matched with the Astros who are 63-40 when hitting one or more homers.
