The Los Angeles Angels know they are going to have to stay on their high horse if they are going to win the AL West and get into the playoffs this year. The team has lost three in a row though, and Sunday's game against the Kansas City Royals is the ninth game in nine days for a team which is just dying for a day off to help right the ship, something that isn't coming until August 24.
PITCHING MATCHUP
Hector Santiago is starting to show some chinks in his armor. His ERA is still a fantastic 2.87, but he has allowed 14 runs in his last four starts combined, surrendering six homers in that stretch.
Sure, live bettors can note that Santiago has been unlucky in that run of games, as men have a BABIP of .333 against him in this run, a number which is just far too high to continue. That said, Santiago has averaged over 17.5 pitches per inning in that run, and that type of number will lead to a very short day against a team like Kansas City.
Yordano Ventura, Sunday's starter for KC, will drive you, the live bettor nuts as well. He allowed six runs against the Tigers in five innings two starts ago and five runs over seven innings against the Blue Jays the start prior.
Then you have games like his most recent one. The fireball-throwing righty allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts… and six walks.
Ventura just hasn't put it all together yet in his young career, and that 4.97 ERA in 2015 is indicative of just that.
ADVANCED STATS
Where have you gone, Albert Pujols? The Angels and their live bettors know that they are going to need their slugger to get things going again to get into the playoffs. Here in August, Pujols has picked up some hits, as he is batting a respectable .286. That said, he has just one extra base hit and a pathetic ISO of .028 in that run, and he has a BABIP of .410.
What does that tell you? Pujols is getting very fortunate that when he hits the ball, it is finding its way where fielders aren't. The Royals aren't forgiving from that standpoint, as they have the best defensive team in the game by just about every major advanced metric. Clearly, Pujols is going to have to put a charge into a ball to get aboard consistently in this one, and live bettors can't be confident that is going to happen.
TALKING BULLPENS
You'd like to think by Sunday that Wade Davis is going to be back in action for the Royals. Davis has been fighting a back issue, but the team hasn't put him on the DL as of Thursday morning in spite of the fact that he hasn't pitched since August 6.
There are some signs that live bettors should be afraid of late in games for KC. Davis' back is chief amongst them, knowing that he had looked somewhat hittable before being shut down for a few games.
The bigger problem might be Greg Holland, who hasn't been anywhere near dominant. Yes, the righty did strike out the side in his last appearance on August 8 against the White Sox, and the few days off might give him some help, but color us concerned with a man who suddenly has a 1.30 WHIP after posting years and years of dominance with sub-1.00 WHIPs as KC's closer in the past.
The baseball betting odds for this game will first be available at BookMaker Sportsbook. BookMaker is going to have multiple betting options available for this baseball matchup. Live wagering during commercials offers and adjusted moneyline, individual inning run totals and next hitter results. Log in, and start gambling during the game now!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Kansas City Royals will start at 8:08 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 16, 2015 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. The matchup will be televised nationally on ESPN.
