The Los Angeles Angels will host the Houston Astros in the first contest of a three-game series on Friday. The Astros have won six of the nine head-to-head games over the Angels this year heading into this series.
Friday, August 13, 2021 – 09:38 PM EDT at Angel Stadium
The Houston Astros are 68-46, holding onto a slim 1.5 game lead over the second-place Oakland A’s in the American League West. Houston was off on Thursday after sweeping the Colorado Rockies in a two-game series at Minute Maid Park.
The Houston Astros have been the most dangerous offensive teams in baseball for most of the season. Houston leads all teams with a .266 team batting average, 5.4 runs scored per game, and ranks second with a +158 run-scoring differential. The Astros lineup is loaded, with five positions who have at least a 3.0 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) on the season.
Michael Brantley leads the team with a .332 batting average, Jose Altuve leads the team with 25 home runs, and Yordan Alvarez has a club-best 74 RBI. Carlos Correa has a team-high 4.8 WAR to go along with 18 home runs and 71 RBI.
Zack Greinke is scheduled to start for the Astros on Friday. In 23 starts games this season, Greinke is 10-3 with a 3.69 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. In two starts this year against the Angels, Greinke has no decisions with a 2.57 ERA and 10 strikeouts against one walk.
The Los Angeles Angels snapped a two-game losing streak on Thursday night with a 6-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Jared Walsh and Kurt Suzuki both drove in two runs in the victory. With the win, the Angels are fourth in the AL West with a 58-58 record and are 32-28 at home.
The Angels are 12th in MLB, averaging 4.6 runs per game, sixth with a .251 batting average, and ninth with 144 home runs. Shohei Ohtani leads all of MLB with 37 home runs and is tied for second with 84 RBI. Ohtani has also been a force on the pitching mound, where he is 7-1 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 starts. Ohtani got the win on Thursday night, allowing three hits and two runs in six innings while striking out six Blue Jay batters.
The pitching for Los Angeles has struggled overall this season, with the team ranking 25th with a 4.72 ERA. Scheduled to start on Friday will be Patrick Sandoval, who is 3-5 with a 3.39 ERA on the season, appearing 16 games with 13 starts. Sandoval has allowed four earned runs in two innings against the Astros this season, which took place in a 9-1 loss on May 12.
The Los Angeles Angels are not mathematically out of the playoff picture, but as they sit 7.5 games out of a wild card spot, the MLB odds are stacked against them. The Astros, on the other hand, will feel a greater sense of urgency, as they have the Oakland A’s, who have won seven straight games right on their heels. This series has close to playoff significance for Houston, and the team is full of veterans who are battle-tested in important games. The Astros have an advantage on the mound, starting Zack Greinke, who is 5-0 with a 2.67 road ERA this season.
The Angels starter Parick Sandoval is 0-2 with a 10.64 ERA in four career games against the Astros. Houston also has the better bullpen and offense, so take the Astros to get a big win on Friday for your MLB picks.
MLB pick: Astros (-135) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.