Los Angeles Angels at Philadelphia Phillies Betting Preview
An interleague matchup of struggling playoff hopefuls starts on Friday as the Los Angeles Angels (27-25) take on the Philadelphia Phillies (22-29). The Phillies will host this one at Citizens Bank Park, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm ET.
Both of these teams are in the midst of rough stretches. For Los Angeles, they have lost eight straight games, including being swept by both the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees.
On Thursday, they lost both games of a doubleheader to New York, 6-1 and 2-1. In the nightcap, Reid Detmers threw 4.1 scoreless innings, but the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead. Offensively, the Angels managed just one run on two hits.
After being swept by the New York Mets, it looked like the same was going to happen earlier in the week by the San Francisco Giants. Luckily for Phillies’ fans, the team salvaged the finale, 6-5.
Aaron Nola picked up the win despite giving up five runs in six innings of work. Offensively, Kyle Schwarber hit his 12th home run of the season while Nick Maton hit his first.
Angels Trying To Stop Slide
With their eight straight losses, the Angels have fallen to 27-25. While that is still good enough for second place in the AL West, they have now fallen 6.5 games back of the first-place Houston Astros. On Friday, they will try to end their slide and get back into the win column.
To do so, the Angels will send righty Chase Silseth to the mound for the opener. This season, the 22-year-old is 1-1 in three games with a 3.07 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and he has ten strikeouts in 14.2 innings of work.
In his last start, he went 4.1 innings against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on six hits while not striking out anyone.
Offensively, the team is led by perennial MVP candidate Mike Trout. In 168 at bats, he is hitting .292/.396/.613 with 13 home runs, 25 runs batted in, and 37 runs scored. He leads the team in both home runs and runs scored.
The reigning AL MVP, Shohei Ohtani, hasn’t fared quite as well this season. He is currently hitting .244/.320/.457 with 11 home runs, 32 runs batted in, 34 runs scored, and seven stolen bases. While those numbers are certainly strong, he has not been near as strong as his MVP season.
Phillies Have To Be Better At Home
Like the Angels, the Phillies have been looking for answers lately. They are currently 12.5 games behind the first-place Mets, and they have struggled both at home (12-15) and on the road (10-14). If they have any hope of contending for a playoff spot this year, they will need to improve, especially at Citizens Bank Park.
Leading the team offensively is reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper. Dealing with a forearm issue that has limited him to designated hitter duties, Harper has still been strong at the plate. In 178 at bats this season, he is hitting .303/.359/.584 with ten home runs, 32 runs batted in, 34 runs scored, and six stolen bases.
Kyle Schwarber leads the team in the power department with 12 home runs, but he has struggled otherwise, hitting just .192/.314/.429 this season.
As of Friday morning, the Phillies still had not announced their starter, but the expectation is that Zach Eflin will likely take the mound in this one. In eight starts, he is 1-4 with a 4.60 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and has 39 strikeouts in 43 innings of work.
In his last start, Eflin took the loss against the Mets after giving up seven earned runs on eight hits and two walks over six innings of work.
Take Angels To Win On The Road
Despite having lost eight in a row, the Angels might be a strong play in this one. In their last ten games against the Phillies, the Angels are undefeated, and they are 4-1 in their last five interleague games.
The Phillies have not had near the success in interleague play as they are 2-4 in their last six games against American League teams.
Neither of these teams are playing particularly good baseball, and neither team’s starters strike fear in their opponents, but with their strong track record against Philadelphia, the Angels are the team to get behind. Take the Angels to win straight up.
