Albert Pujols had some monster seasons while playing for the Cardinals. He bolted St. Louis for Anaheim after helping the Cards to the 2011 World Series championship and looks to rekindle some of the old magic for the offensively-challenged Angels.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
We figured the Angels would have trouble offensively this season, considering the lineup they toss out there on a daily basis. Even with Mike Trout it’s difficult for this team to produce. Kole Calhoun is a decent player, C.J. Cron has some upside, but after that, they stink. And because of it, the Halos were going to rely on pitching to at least be competitive in the AL West, and if the dominoes fell their way, maybe even compete for a division title.
Well, the dominoes have fallen, and not in the Angels’ favor. Staff ace Garrett Richards will likely need Tommy John surgery to repair his elbow, putting three-fifths of the projected starting rotation on the disabled list. And that’s not good for a team that needs pitching to win games. The Angels have dropped seven of their last nine games and were swept by the Rays over the weekend. For the year, the Halos are down 6.70 units on the moneyline and the under is 10-4-1 in their 15 home games.
PROBABLE PITCHERS
Winless in his first six starts, Mike Leake (0-3, 6.03 ERA) will try to avoid being hurt again by the big inning. It’s been an ugly start for Leake in his first season in St. Louis, and it didn’t get any better last time out. He gave up four runs on four hits, including two homers, in a no-decision against the Phillies last Wednesday. He’s had some trouble pitching out of the stretch, which has led to four different instances in which he’s allowed three or more runs in an inning.
Leake has now given up three or more earned runs in all six starts, leading to a total of 23 in 34.1 innings with opponents hitting .272 against him. Having pitched in the National League his entire career, Leake will be making just his third start against the Angels.
By default Hector Santiago (2-1, 3.58 ERA) is the new ace of the Angels rotation. He struck out four and walked four while giving up three runs on eight hits over 5.1 innings in a no-decision at Milwaukee on Wednesday. Santiago had to throw a season-high 116 pitches in that outing and left with the game tied.
Santiago has pitched at least 5.1 innings in all seven starts this season. In his two home outings he’s 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and seven strikeouts in each start. He’ll be facing the Cardinals for the first time in his big league career.
LIVE BETTING
There is a level of concern in this baseball town over their teams’ performance. At 16-16 through their first 32 games, the Cardinals beat up on poor teams and struggle to beat the good ones. But one constant the team can rely on every day is Stephen Piscotty, who has become a fixture in the No. 2 spot in the batting order.
Piscotty tied a career-high with four hits Sunday and is hitting .323 with five homers and a team-high 21 RBIs. He’s on pace to drive in more than 100 this season and manager Mike Matheny consistently raves about Piscotty’s ability to make adjustments. Some questioned whether Piscotty could hit with enough power, but he put that to rest late last season and he continues to use all fields to abuse the baseball and opposing pitchers.
QUICK PICK
Angels’ bats were silenced in a weekend sweep by the Rays and the news of Richards being done for the year is another kick in the sack. Facing Leake in the first of a three-game set might just be what they need to break out of their funk. Leake hasn’t fooled too many hitters this MLB season and the Halos need a nice offensive showing to get some confidence back in their ability.
The Angels are facing desperate times with a pitching staff ravaged by injuries and the latest rumors of Trout being dealt to bolster a minor league system. That will not happen, however, and the team will struggle in the meantime. Santiago will keep them in this game, but L.A.’s lack of offense will again be their downfall, even against Leake.
MLB Odds: St. Louis 5, Los Angeles 3
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