The Los Angeles Angels have had the upper hand versus the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Freeway
Series so far this year. Can they continue putting the squeeze on their City of
Angels rivals this weekend?
Dodgers vs. Angels:
The Situation
The Angels took the opener of this series Friday night, 8-5,
rallying from an early 5-0 deficit and getting four shut-out innings from their
bullpen.
So the Halos, at 39-32 and winners of 21 of their last 28
games, remain five games behind first-place Texas in the AL West.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, losers of four straight, lost
another game off their lead in the NL West, and at 42-29 now sit just three
games ahead of second-place San Francisco.
They've also scored a total of seven runs over their last
four games.
In the first edition of the Freeway Series this season, the
Angels took two of three games at Chavez Ravine a week and a half ago.
Sunday's Pitching Matchup
Aaron Harang (5-4, 3.76) will start the series finale for the Dodgers Sunday against Garrett Richards (2-0, 0.86) for the Angels.
By our strict standards Harang is just four-for-14 on quality starts this season, although the Dodgers have won eight of his starts. Harang is coming off a wild outing in which he walked eight batters in 3 2/3 innings vs. Oakland Tuesday night. But just before that he had held the Angels to two unearned runs through seven innings of a 5-2 Dodgers victory.
For the season Harang has allowed 80 hits in 81 innings, walked 37 and struck out 70.
Richards, meanwhile, is two-for-three on quality starts, and the Angels have won all three of his outings. Most recently he held Arizona scoreless through eight innings, and before that he limited the Dodgers to one earned run in five innings of a 3-2 Angles victory.
On the year Richards has given up 13 hits in 21 innings, walked 11 and whiffed 17.
Free MLB Pick for Sunday
In sticking with that hot vs. cold theory for Sunday we'll stick with the Angels for our free MLB pick.
Saturday's Pitching
Matchup
Lefty Chris Capuano (8-2, 2.71) will throw for the Dodgers
Saturday (7:15 pm Eastern, Fox) vs. Ervin Santana (4-7, 5.16) for the Angels.
Capuano is eight-for-14 on quality starts this season, and
the Dodgers are 10-4 in games he's started. His last outing was his best of the
year, holding the White Sox to one run on six hits through eight innings,
walking one and striking out 12. On the season Capuano has allowed 67 hits in
86 innings and owns an 80/31 K/BB ratio.
Capuano started against the Angels two weeks ago and gave up
two runs on eight hits in five innings of a 3-2 Dodgers loss.
Santana is just six-for-14 on quality starts this year, and
the Angels are 5-9 in games he's started. But he is coming off his best outing
of the season, a one-hit shut-out of the Diamondbacks last Saturday. For the
year Santana has given up 83 hits in 89 innings, but he's also been tagged for
18 homers and he's walked 36. So a good part of his troubles have been
self-created.
The OVERS/UNDERS are a combined 10-17 in Capuano and
Santana's starts this season.
Dodgers vs. Angels
Saturday Betting Lines
As of Saturday morning the best price we could find on the
Angels was the -142 offered at Bookmaker, while the Dodgers can be had at +138
at Matchbook.
The total on Saturday's game is set at 7.5 at almost every
baseball betting shop.
Also, The Greek is listing the Angels at +155 giving the run
and a half on the run line.
In early betting on Saturday's game about 55 percent of play
on the side was coming in on the Dodgers, while about 58 percent of the action
on the total was coming down on the 'over.'
Injury Update
The Dodgers are now 19-16 this season without OF Matt Kemp,
who's on the DL with a pulled hammy.
Free MLB Pick for
Saturday
We're glad to see Capuano having such a nice season after
some lost time. We're also leery of Santana. But the Dodgers are sliding while
the Angels are rising, so we'll go with the Halos for Saturday.