In the third of a four-game series between the Los Angeles Angels (6-8) and the Oakland Athletics (6-8) at Angel Stadium, Jered Weaver (0-2, 6.61 ERA) and Sonny Gray (1-0, 2.11 ERA) take the mound. The Angels won the last game 14-1 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game starts at 10:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Apr. 22 and will air on CSN-CA and FSN-W.
Weaver is 13-9 with a 2.49 ERA against the Athletics in his career, but is up against a strong Oakland offense that’s hitting .270 on the year. Kole Calhoun (.293, 8 Rs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs) continued his hot start yesterday, going 4 for 5 with three runs, one home run, and three RBIs. In his pitching opportunities against the Angels, Gray is 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA. He meets a less-than-stellar Los Angeles offense that’s batting just .228. Billy Butler (.375, 9 Rs, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs) has been hitting the ball well, going 2 for 4 yesterday with one run, one home run, and one RBI.
Los Angeles is a small -108 favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Angels have a losing record of 3-6 when playing as the favorite and an overall money line of -445. They have a 5-5 record SU and are 3-3 as favorite within their division. Whenever an AL West opponent shows up on the calendar, the Angels pitch better. They allow an average of 4.3 runs per game, but allow just 3.7 against teams from their own division.
On the other side, the Athletics have a nice record of 4-2 when they are the underdog, but are -121 overall with the money line. Against divisional opponents, they are 6-5 SU and 3-2 as the underdog. The Athletics are known for their bats, hitting 50 extra base hits. Opposing pitchers have routinely struggled to strike out the Oakland batters, who rank second in the AL with 6.5 strikeouts per game. The Athletics are a problem for opposing batters, sporting a 2.79 ERA this season. They also allow just 7.1 hits per game, good for fourth in the AL.
This game will feature Gray (RHP) on the mound against the Angels, who have a 0-3 home and 3-6 overall record when they take on a right-handed starter. The right-handed Weaver will take the mound against the Athletics, who have a 6-5 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – OAK, O/U – Over
Notes
The Angels won their last game by a 13-run margin. In games decided by a margin of 10 runs or more, the Athletics are 2-1. The Angels are 1-0 in blowouts this season.
When leading after 7 innings, Los Angeles is 2-3, while Oakland is 2-6.
The Angels managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Athletics who are coming in with a 3-3 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the Angels are 1-7. The Athletics have a 1-5 record when opponents outhit them.
Oakland ranks in the top half of the league at 14th when it comes to home runs, hitting 13 this season. Los Angeles ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 14.
Ranking 14th, Los Angeles is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 7.00 per game. Oakland ranks in the top five at third with 9.71.
Ranking 23rd, Los Angeles is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.657). Oakland ranks in the top 10 at seventh with an OPS of .757.
The Athletics are 1-5 in games where they allow one or more home runs. The Angels are 4-8 when they allow at least one homer.
