Runs may be hard to come by in this one as Hector Santiago (4-4, 2.68 ERA) and the Los Angeles Angels (38-37) go up against Felix Hernandez (10-4, 3.24 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners (34-41) in the last of a three-game series at Angel Stadium. The Angels won the last game 4-2 and the series is currently tied 1-1. The game starts at 3:35 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jun. 28 and will air on ROOT-NW and FSN-W.
Santiago is 1-2 with a 4.57 ERA against the Mariners in his career, but faces a struggling Seattle offense that’s hitting just .232 on the year. Mike Trout (.303, 55 Rs, 19 HRs, 42 RBIs, 8 SBs) went 1 for 3 yesterday with one run. In his pitching opportunities against the Angels, Hernandez is 13-13 with a 3.41 ERA, 276 strikeouts and 74 walks. Nelson Cruz (.305, 36 Rs, 19 HRs, 45 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 4 yesterday.
Los Angeles is a +113 underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is seven runs. The Angels are 15-18 as the underdog and have an overall money line of -256. They have an SU record of 20-16 against teams in their division and a 6-7 record when they were the underdog in those games. Los Angeles’s pitching staff performs very well on its own field, recording a low 3.35 team ERA at home. The Angels are fifth in the AL in hits allowed with just 8.1 per game.
On the other side, the Mariners have a record of 20-26 when they are favored and are -1,214 overall with the money line. They have played poorly when rated as favorite as of late. They managed a 2-5 record when playing as the favorite and an SU record of 5-5. 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. Shifting to the pitching staff, they have the fifth-lowest ERA in the AL at 3.72.
The Angels have mostly come out on top against the Mariners in their previous eight games this season, earning a 5-3 record. The Angels will take on a right-hander (Hernandez) in this game and have a 28-31 record against right-handed starting pitchers this season. The left-handed Santiago will take the mound against the Mariners, who have a 7-8 record against lefty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – LAA, O/U – Under
Notes
When leading after 7 innings, Los Angeles is 19-13, while Seattle is 10-12.
The Angels are coming into this game after allowing two walks during their last outing. The Mariners have an 11-24 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Angels are 8-25. The Mariners have an 11-24 record when opponents outhit them.
Tied at ninth for total home runs, Los Angeles and Seattle have each hit 76 homers this season.
Los Angeles and Seattle both rank in the top half of the league in hits. Los Angeles sits at 13th with 8.04 hits per game and Seattle ranks 15th with 7.74.
Los Angeles and Seattle both rank near the bottom of the league for their on-base plus slugging percentage. Los Angeles sits at 23rd with an OPS of .684 and Seattle ranks 26th with an OPS of .668.
When the Mariners allow at least one home run, they are 14-34, well-matched with the Angels who are 17-30 when allowing at least one homer.
