The City of Angels rivalry is back in action to close out the first half of the regular season when the Los Angeles Angels (45-44, 22-24 away) visit the Los Angeles Dodgers (49-38, 27-16 home). The Dodgers won a pair of 2-0 ball games earlier this season in Anaheim against the Angels.
The first pitch of Friday’s contest is at 10:10 p.m. EST inside Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are the betting favorite (-175 moneyline), and the over/under total is nine runs.
What to Know – Los Angeles Angels
The Angels hobble into the weekend having dropped seven of their last eight contests and playing without the services of star Mike Trout. Los Angeles sits in third place in the AL West, trailing the Texas Rangers by 6.5 games.
Right-hander Griffin Canning (6-3, 4.29 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) looks to get the Angels back on track. The 27-year-old pitched well in five starts in June and will try to close out his first half of the year on a high note. Canning has logged 71.1 innings in 13 appearances this season, surrendering 34 earned runs, 62 hits, 21 walks, and striking out 71 batters.
Offensively, the Angels are 11th in the MLB batting .256 as a team and averaging 4.9 runs per game. The pitching staff for Los Angeles ranks 17th amongst league teams with a 4.27 team earned run average.
With Trout sidelined, Shohei Ohtani is the star of the Angels lineup. Ontani is the MVP front-runner with 31 home runs and 68 runs batted in over 87 games played. Bradon Drury and Hunter Renfroe add offensive support, with Drury driving in 45 runners and Renfroe with 41.
What to Know – Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers took three of four from the Pirates and are closing in on the top spot in the NL West. Los Angeles trails the Arizona Diamondbacks by only a half-game heading into the weekend.
The Dodgers hand the ball to Tony Gonsolin (4-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) in Game 1. Gonsolin makes his second trip on the mound in July after serving the Kansas City Royals four runs over 3.2 innings in a loss on July 2nd. The right-hander has 61.0 innings under his belt, allowing 25 earned runs on 43 hits and 25 walks while striking out 49 batters.
On offense, Los Angeles sits 19th in the league sporting a .242 as a lineup while scoring 5.4 runs per contest. The Dodgers’ pitching staff is the 23rd ranked unit in the majors, featuring a 4.50 team ERA.
After a slow start, Mookie Betts found his groove and continues to be one of the toughest leadoff hitters in baseball. Betts leads the Dodgers with 23 home runs and has scored 68 runs and driven in 57 RBIs. Similar numbers are there for Freddie Freeman, who’s hitting .320 with 15 home runs, 57 RBIs, and 68 runs scored.
The Pick is In
No Trout in the lineup is a big blow to the Angels’ chances against the Dodgers lineup. We anticipate a strong outing from Gonsolin and the Dodgers offense to take care of business at the dish.
The Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers ML
