The struggling Los Angeles Angels don’t get a break this weekend as they head to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees. All three games will be broadcast nationally with Saturday’s showdown live on FOX. The Angels will try to get back to the winning team they were in the first part of the season while attempting to cool off a red-hot Yankee offense. The Angels’ starter for Saturday is still up in the air, but they’ll get an inconsistent Sonny Gray against them.
First pitch for the game between the Angels and Yankees is scheduled for Saturday May 26, 2018, at 7:15 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. The matchup will be shown on FOX.
You can bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
Odds Analysis
If there is one thing we know, it’s that the Yankees will score runs. New York has scored more runs than any other Major League team and is the only big league squad with a team OPS over .800 at .816.
The Yankees can mash. They’re starting to look a bit more human after an insane 17-1 run. Since then, the Yankees are 5-5 with a suspended game thrown in.
Even though the wins aren’t coming in as fast and furious, the runs are still going on the board. The Yankees have scored 10 or more in three of their last four games.
We all know the story with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. The big thumpers in the middle are imposing figures for any pitcher and with Gary Sanchez and Didi Gregorius anchoring them—even with Gregorius’s recent struggles—it’s a fearsome heart of the order.
While that’s all great, the biggest weapon in the Yankees offense of late has actually been the youngest, 21-year old Gleybar Torres.
The highly touted middle infield prospect has stormed onto the scene, forcing the veteran Neil Walker into a utility role that gets him more time at first than second.
Torres has torn through the big leagues. He’s hitting .323 with a .998 OPS and has already belted eight homers and driven in 22 runs in 27 games. Add in another strong, young bat in Miguel Andujar and its really hard to find a hole in the lineup.
Yes, there’s a lot of swing and miss. A pitcher can exploit that to some extent, but such a pitcher would need to be perfect with so many weapons in the order.
The Angels, obviously, don’t have nearly as many weapons.
Los Angeles is still a good offensive club overall, but the offense—like everything else—has waned a bit. The Angels are 2-6 in their last eight games and have scored three or fewer runs in nine of their last 11 games.
Perhaps the poster child of struggles in 2018, Kole Calhoun has been one of few offensive contributors in the lineup other than Mike Trout. Calhoun is completely lost right now. He’s batting .154 with a .191 OBP. He’s got an OPS+ of 8. He’s better than that.
Right now, Calhoun and Trout combine as two league average offensive players. That, of course, just highlights how amazing Trout has been. He’s hitting g.292 with a .444 OBP and 1.063 OPS. He’s hit 14 homers and stolen 11 bases.
While Calhoun is an automatic out, Trout is as close as you can get to an automatic base hit. Then, Justin Upton, Andrelton Simmons and Shohei Ohtani add depth to the order. Zack Cozart’s bat has been okay so far, too.
Probable Pitchers
Mike Scioscia cited workload management as the reason Shohei Ohtani won’t start this weekend against the Yankees.
With Ohtani not starting, Garrett Richards is slated to pitch on Sunday, leaving Saturday’s starter unannounced.
Jaime Barria could get recalled to make the start. The team optioned the 21-year old back to Triple-A after his last start to get an extra bullpen arm, but may need the youngster back for a big start against a big opponent.
Barria has looked great in his first five starts. The rookie is 3-1 with a 2.13 ERA and 1.026 WHIP. He’s allowed seven walks to 20 strikeouts and has giving up just one homer and 19 hits in 25.1 innings of work.
In his last two starts at the big league level, Barria went to Colorado and allowed no runs in 5.1 innings and then held the Astros to a single run in seven frames in Anaheim.
In four starts at Triple-A Salt Lake, Barria’s been nearly as impressive. Despite being a hitter’s league, Barria has allowed six runs in 15 innings, walking four and striking out 16.
On the other side, Sonny Gray is a much more experienced pitcher than his counterpart which is a plus in his favor, though he’s in the middle of a very disappointing start to the season.
Gray hasn’t been the same pitcher since he came over from Oakland. He was good, but not great, for the Yankees after the trade last season. He put up a 3.72 ERA in 11 starts, but his FIP was 4.87. His FIP is actually a bit lower in 2018, but he’s 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA and 1.630 WHIP. He’s walking more than a batter every other inning and his strikeout rate is mediocre.
That said, Gray is coming off his best start of the season. He went eight innings, allowing just one run against the Royals. Of course, the Angels are a better offensive club than the one in Kansas City.
Over his career, Gray has had plenty of chances against the Halos, spending most of his career in the AL West. He’s 5-3 with a 3.21 ERA in 14 games against the Angels.
Live Betting
The Yankees have the offense, but the young Barria could provide a challenge as none of the Yankee have faced him.
The same isn’t true for Gray. The Yankee right hander has allowed three homers to Trout. Justin Upton is 2-for-5 against him and Luis Valbuena, who should get the start based on the matchup, is 6-for-11 with a bomb.
After Gray, the Yankees can parade out their stacked bullpen though the results haven’t been as good for New York’s pen as expected. David Robertson, Dellin Betances and Chasen Shreve haven’t been lock down.
Aroldis Chapman and Chad Green still form a dynamic duo late in the game, but the middle innings are vulnerable for New York, something we saw in Wednesday’s 12-10 game against Texas.
Granted, the Angels are vulenerable in the pen, too. Kenyan Middleton is out, leaving the Angels in desperate need of a closer. Blake Parker and Cam Bedrosian are viable options, but then leave Los Angeles lacking earlier in the game.
MLB Pick
The Yankees should win the series against the Angels, but Saturday’s game could be the one that the Angels steal.
While Los Angeles’ starter is still TBA, the Yankees are turning to Gray who has been a mess this season. Sure, he pitched well last time out, but with Trout, Ohtani and Upton, the Angels have more firepower than the Royals and could hang a crooked number or two.
Look for the Angels to get to Gray early and put up a few runs on the former A’s ace before the bullpen takes over and calms things down.
Still, the Angels should be able to tack on a run or two and come away with a win in a rather high scoring affair.
MLB Odds: Angels 7, Yankees 6
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today!
