Hector Santiago (3-2, 2.25 ERA) starts for the Los Angeles Angels (22-21) as they square off against Wade Miley (3-4, 5.10 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox (20-23) in the last of a three-game series at Fenway Park. The Red Sox won the last game 8-3 and the series is currently tied 1-1. Action begins at 1:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, May. 24 and can be seen on FSN-W and NESN.
Miley pitched 7.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering two runs, striking out seven and walking one in a 4-3 win over the Rangers. Hanley Ramirez (.264, 23 Rs, 10 HRs, 22 RBIs, 1 SB) had another good game yesterday, going 2 for 4 with one run. Santiago is 0-2 with a 3.86 ERA when pitching against the Red Sox. He is up against a below-average Boston offense which is hitting just .237 this season. Mike Trout (.302, 34 Rs, 11 HRs, 24 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with one RBI.
Boston is a -134 favorite against Los Angeles and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at nine runs. The Red Sox have an overall money line of -789 and a record as the favorite of 10-14. Boston is a disappointing 1-3 as the favorite over its last 10 games. The Red Sox have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.2 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 3.9 runs per game. Boston’s batters do not strike out very often at home, with only 6.3 per game.
In games where it is the underdog, Los Angeles has a 9-8 record and an overall money line of +10. They played solid baseball as the underdog over their last 10 games with a 5-1 record, and a 7-3 record SU. Los Angeles’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL, with a 3.61 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting hits, the Angels are third in the AL with an average of 7.8 hits allowed per game.
The Red Sox have a 5-7 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Santiago takes the mound. Miley (LHP) will be on the hill against the Angels, who have very good records against left-handed starting pitchers on the road and overall of 3-1 and 7-3, respectively.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAA, O/U – Over
Notes
When the Red Sox play into extra innings, they have a 2-1 record. The Angels are 1-1 when their games exceed nine innings.
The Angels managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Red Sox who are heading in with a 12-9 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Angels are 15-6. The Red Sox have a 16-2 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd in runs, Los Angeles has earned 166 this season. Boston ranks 19th with 170 runs.
Ranking 24th, Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 107 this season. Boston ranks in the top five at third with 153.
When the Red Sox hit at least one home run, they are 15-13, well-matched with the Angels who are 15-12 when hitting one or more homers.
