After a disheartening result in a rubber match with Oakland on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Angels pack up and head north to take on another divisional rival, the Seattle Mariners.
This is the first time that these two clubs will meet post-All-Star break. The Halos came out on the right side of five of their eight matchups during the first half.
MLB Standings
Los Angeles (44-61) led the MLB standings in the American League West at one point this season. Since then, they’ve been in what is essentially a freefall.
Questions swirled about whether the Angels would deal with two-way player Shohei Ohtani before the trade deadline, and franchise cornerstone Mike Trout has been on the shelf with an injury.
All of that said, the team isn’t in a great spot — they sit a dozen games out of a wild card spot as it stands.
In their division, the Halos are only ahead of the Athletics. If not for Detroit and Kansas City, they’d have the fewest road victories in the AL.
Before they began the second half of the season, they’d only notched 14 total away wins. They’re coming off of a seven-game home stand in which they went 2-5.
Mariners on the Second Half
The Seattle Mariners (57-49) have had success during the second half — when not facing Houston, that is. Seattle came out of the break with some steam, but their surge was halted by a sweep at the hands of the Astros. Before taking two of three from the New York Yankees, they struggled in another set against Houston Astros.
They come into this clash riding a minor win streak and having scored 15 times in the last two games. The Mariners are 27-23 at T-Mobile Park and trail the Astros by 11 games in the grouping. As of right now, they’re in possession of a wild card spot.
For the spot that it’s in, Seattle hasn’t done all that well at the dish. They’re only a few ticks better than the near-hapless Angels as it pertains to team batting average (.234).
MLB Rankings
The Mariners also rank in the bottom third of the bigs when it comes to runs driven in and total runs scored. They have been patient, however, working the fourth-most walks in MLB.
First baseman Ty France is hitting .308 and has a .380 on-base percentage, while third baseman Eugenio Suarez has clubbed 18 home runs and piled up 57 RBIs.
Center fielder Julio Rodriguez is hitting .271 with 18 dingers but is out of the lineup right now with an injury.
Mariners vs. Angels Odds
MLB odds today favor the hosts to capitalize here. Seattle is -1.5 on the run line at +108, while the Angels are -130 to cover the spread.
On the moneyline, the Mariners are -215 and Los Angeles Angels a +180 underdog. The total has been set at seven runs, with the over being +100 and the under -122 at the time of this writing.
At home against the A’s Thursday night, the Angels showed an impressive display of power. If only it didn’t come at the cost of embarrassment.
- Catcher Kurt Suzuki
- right fielder Taylor Ward
- first baseman Jared Walsh
- center fielder Mickey Moniak
- left fielder Jo Adell
All hit solo home runs. Ohtani added another two blasts with no one on — and still, somehow, Los Angeles couldn’t get the job done.
Angels Offense
The offense as a whole is out of rhythm. The Angels have the fifth-worst collective batting average in the major leagues (.229).
They grade out the exact same in terms of runs scored and RBIs. Their home run and walk numbers aren’t anything more than average.
Second baseman Luis Rengifo, Ward, and Trout are all hitting .270 or better on the year. The latter has belted 24 long balls, while Ohtani has a team-high 64 runs driven in. Trout, who also has a .368 on-base percentage, is currently on the injured list.
Ohtani has also been Los Angeles’ best mound presence. His value to the team really can’t be overstated.
Mariners vs. Angels Betting Preview
Who Is Starting for the Mariners?
Robbie Ray, a 30-year-old left-hander, is scheduled to take the hill for the home crew. He has an 8-8 record, a 4.11 ERA, and a 1.20 WHIP thus far. This will be his 22nd start of the season. His previous two haven’t gone according to plan.
In a pair of performances against Houston — yes, the thorn in his team’s side — he posted showings he’d rather forget. Neither time was he able to last more than three frames.
Last Friday, he could only muster 2.2 innings, allowing five hits and four earned runs before he was yanked. Prior to the recent skid, Seattle had won six of his starts in a row.
Who Is Starting for the Angels?
The Angels’ Patrick Sandoval will offer some opposition. To this point in the year, he has a 3-7 mark, with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP. Since the beginning of June, not much has gone right for Los Angeles when he’s toed the rubber.
The Halos are hoping August will be different, as they only managed one triumph in his nine outings in that time frame.
His last time out, against Texas on Friday, he went 5.2 innings, giving up four knocks and two earned runs. That followed an effort in which he let Atlanta plate five runs in three innings the week before.
Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels Picks and Predictions
Let’s make some Angels vs. Mariners picks. It all boils down to whether or not you think that Los Angeles will be more motivated to get things going after doing something that’s hardly been done.
Lose a game despite sending at least seven balls over the outfield fences. Or maybe, incitement can only carry a team so far. The latter seems to have been the case for the Angels during a frustrating campaign.
Playoff Race
Meanwhile, the Mariners still have a ton to play for, as they’re in the thick of a playoff race — something they haven’t been able to say all that much for the last two decades.
Despite a few trip-ups against the division leaders, Ray has proven to be able to give his team a chance in games better than his counterpart has.
That will be the difference here in this one. There won’t be any MLB picks against the spread. Our MLB picks say to take Seattle to cover in its own ballpark.
MLB Pick: Mariners -1.5 (+115)
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