TST Best Bets 7/20
Nick Wire
Host · Writer
The Los Angeles Angels snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers, improving to 39-62 on the season. It was their third win in their last 15 games.
In the last five games, the Angels are 1-4 and haven’t scored more than three runs in a game.
While the offense has been lackluster, the Angels have gotten solid production from the starting pitching. The combined ERA throughout the past five games is 4.68. Taking out Saturday’s shutout loss to Detroit drops the team ERA to 3.00 in 21 combined innings.
One major contributor to that low ERA is Jose Soriano, who sports a 3.49 ERA this season along with a WHIP of 1.29. Soriano will be tasked with facing a below-average St. Louis Cardinals lineup tonight, as the Angels conclude their home stand with a three-game series against the Redbirds.
First Pick: Los Angeles Angels vs St. Louis Cardinals – under 8.5 total runs
Rundown: The Angels lackluster offense runs into a red-hot Kyle Leahy, who will take the bump across from Soriano. In his last 19.1 innings pitched, Leahy surrendered one earned run, dropping his season ERA to 3.73.
The aforementioned Soriano has given up three or more runs in four of his last five starts. However, Soriano will be facing a Cardinals lineup that ranks slightly below average in many categories across the league. The Cards rank 16th in hits per game, 20th in walks per game and 23rd in slugging percentage.
St. Louis (51-47) is led by right fielder Jordan Walker in every major offensive category: home runs (22), RBIs (76) and batting average (.292).
Second Pick: St. Louis Cardinals -1.5 over Los Angeles Angels
Rundown: Neither team is entering tonight on a hot streak – in fact, it's quite the opposite.
The Cardinals enter tonight’s game having lost two straight in their last series against the Arizona Diamondbacks, as well as splitting their last eight games.
The Angels won their series finale against Detroit, but have won just three of their last 15.
The main draw to this game is if Leahy can continue his recent dominant stretch. The Angels offense ranks slightly higher (.318) than the Cardinals (.317) in wOBA (weighted on base average), but both offenses are 22nd and 24th in the league respectively.
Neither team has a great bullpens, either. The Angels have the 7th-worst bullpen in the league, sporting a 4.56 ERA. Meanwhile, the Cardinals have a slightly-better bullpen that pitches to the tune of a 4.25 ERA.
The Cardinals are slightly better and will be riding the hot-hand of their starter.
