Dallas Keuchel (17-6, 2.29 ERA) takes the hill for the Houston Astros (76-64) as they square off against Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.78 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels (70-69) in the first of a three-game series at Angel Stadium. Action begins at 10:05 p.m. ET on Friday, Sep. 11 and can be seen on FSW and RTSW.
Weaver pitched 6.0 innings in his last outing, surrendering one run, striking out three and walking three in a 2-1 defeat to the Rangers. Mike Trout (.293, 88 Rs, 34 HRs, 76 RBIs, 10 SBs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday. Keuchel went 8.0 innings, surrendering three runs, striking out 12 and walking two in an 8-5 win over the Twins in his most recent start.
The odds for Los Angeles and Houston are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. Within its division, Los Angeles has a record of 32-25 SU. The Angels have seen an uptick in scoring against teams inside their division, averaging 4.5 runs per game. They average 4.0 runs per game on the season. The Angels are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 364.
The Astros are 29-27 against AL West rivals. The Astros can change the game with one swing of the bat, leading the league with 192 home runs. The Astros are an excellent base stealing team with 104 stolen bases, ranking third in the MLB. Houston’s pitching staff has set the standard for its league, with an AL-low 3.36 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Astros are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.18 for the season.
The Astros lead the season series, 8-5. The Angels have a 20-18 record against left-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Keuchel takes the mound. Weaver (RHP) will be on the hill against the Astros, who have a 49-42 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Hou
Notes
Houston has won 59% (32-22) of its games when leading after 7 innings. However, Los Angeles has won 62% (34-21) of its games when taking a late lead.
The Astros are coming into this meeting after a high-scoring game where they scored an impressive 11 runs. The Angels have a 0-4 record when opponents score that many runs or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Astros are 55-17. The Angels have a 50-15 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 23rd, Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 560 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 616.
Ranking 20th, Los Angeles is in the bottom half of the league in walks, notching 379 this season. Houston ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 417.
When the Angels hit at least one home run, they are 54-34, well-matched with the Astros who are 63-38 when hitting one or more homers.
