The Los Angeles Angels look to rebound after last night's loss to King Felix & the Seattle Mariners. Odds makers are listing the Angels as the -205 favorites, and I strongly believe that LA will pull through with the "W".
Every game is vital
for the Los Angeles Angels (77-65) as they trail the AL West division leading Texas
Rangers by 3.5 games with 20 games to go. Last night, the Angels ran into a
brick wall in "King" Felix Hernandez in a 2-1 loss. Now, the Angels
will look to defeat the Seattle Mariners (59-82) on Wednesday in the
final game of this 3 game series as the New York Yankees are next on their
schedule.
MLB odds makers are backing the Angels tonight, having listed them as -205 favorites with the total set at 9.
It's crunchtime, and this is the type of game that the Angels must
win. They send Jerome Williams (2-0, 4.58) to the mound, as he'll be opposed by
Charlie Furbush (3-7, 4.97) of the Mariners.
This has been an awful season for the Mariners. They trail Texas by 21 games
and are playing out the string.
Ichiro Suzuki is beginning to show his age and
this is the first season with Seattle that he won't reach the 200 hit and .300
BA. plateau.
Los Angeles is a team that has switched their roster regularly over the past
few years and has always managed to stay near or on top of the division. A win
here is crucial. The Mariners are weak and the Angels play the New York Yankees
well.
Inexperienced pitching
This game should possibly come down to the bullpens. Angels starter
Jerome Williams sports a 2-0 record (1 win against the Mariners) but has
switched from starter to reliever on each of his 5 outings this season. In the
2 games that he's started, he did manage to go 7 innings in each game while
allowing an average of 2.5 runs and picking up the victory in each.
In his last
outing he gave up 1 hit in just over an inning pitched. Before this season, the
30 year old pitcher hadn't pitched since 2007. He'll look to continue his
winning ways as a starter.
This is Charlie Furbush's first year in the majors. He got traded to the
Mariners from Detroit during the season. Furbush hasn't faired well as a
Seattle Mariner. He's 2-4 with a 6.39 ERA in 6 starts. With Detroit, he carried
an ERA of 3.62 but was used primarily in the bullpen. Furbush is also 0-4 on
the road this season.
It's apparent to me that Williams plays better as a starter and Furbush is
better in the pen. Like I've stated earlier, the Mariners have nothing to play
for and they're giving Charlie Furbush an opportunity. The pitching matchup
favors the Angels who are playing at home.
Favorable matchup for Torii Hunter
Currently, veteran outfielder Torii Hunter is riding a 9 game hitting streak.
During this streak, he's 11 for 30 with 9 runs, 1 triple, 1 HR and 7 RBI. This
isn't one of Torii Hunter's best seasons but he's a reliable player that's
outstanding defensively.
He's picked the right time to get hot as the Angels chase the Rangers.
Hunter is a lifetime 3 for 4 with 2 HR and 5 RBI against Charlie Furbush. While
the Mariners try to pitch around him, look for Hunter to have a good game
against a pitcher that he's owned.
Better late than never
Although he's been a disappointment since coming over from the Toronto Blue
Jays, outfielder Vernon Wells has finally started to hit well. Like most
hitters, he was held hitless against Felix Hernandez. In the 9 games previous
to that, Wells is 11 for 34 with 5 runs, 3 HR and 8 RBI. Wells has also hit
well off of Furbush. He's 2 for 5 in a short sampling.
The Angels are an average hitting teams but have players that have been stars
in the past and are capable of having productive games. Anaheim native and
rookie Mark Trumbo is having a great rookie season. He leads the team
with 26 HR and 80 RBI. He reminds me of former Angel first baseman Troy Glaus
but with a better upside.
Look for Los Angeles to hit Charlie Furbush hard as their season lies in the
balance.
Young studs
The North Carolina Tarheels have been kind to the Seattle Mariners. They've
produced two very promising players in 3rd baseman Kyle Seager and 2nd baseman
Dustin Ackley. These guys have been good to fantasy league players and have
occasionally been good to MLB bettors even though the rest of the Mariners hitting
hasn't fared so well.
Ackley 10 game hitting streak
Dustin Ackley has been nothing short of a superstar in his 260 at-bats in the
majors. Not only does he have a 10 game hitting streak, he's hit safely in 16
out of his last 18 games. In his last 10 games, Ackley is a red hot 16 for 37
with 6 runs, 1 HR and 6 RBI. Overall, Ackley is hitting .304 with 6 HR and 35
RBI. The Seattle Mariners must look to the future and Dustin Ackley is a bright
part of it.
Kyle Seager has played well in his limited time in the majors. He's hitting
.329 in 20 games on the road and a solid .285 for the season. In his last 3
games, he 5 for 13.
Look for either one of these players to have a possible impact on the game.
Outcome of the game
I don't like to choose heavy MLB betting favorites but in this game, I must. The Angels
aren't an overwhelming team offensively. They could possibly be feeling the
after effects of King Felix as Seattle broke a 5 game losing streak against
them.
The Angels objective is to win the game and not lose track while trailing
the Texas Rangers. The Seattle Mariners are the perfect team to accomplish this
feat against. Look for Torii Hunter to play a major role in this game. The Angels
won't lose to Charlie Furbush and the lowly Mariners.
My Pick - Los Angeles Angels -190