The Los Angeles Angels will complete their series against the San Francisco Giants on August 20th. Although the Angels looked pretty good in their first outing against the Giants, they ended up getting blown out 8-2 in the second game. The Angels started this rough stretch against the Oakland Athletics losing four-straight games before defeating the Giants.
Thursday gives the Angels a chance to close the series on a high note before they head from San Francisco down to Oakland on Friday. Let’s see what both squads bring to Thursday’s game and decide who to place our money on.
Los Angeles Angels: Rough Start to Short Season
The troubles started early for the Angels with a 7-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics. It seems as if they haven’t been able to shake off the rust because out of twenty-four games, they’ve only been able to win eight. Getting their season back on track isn’t impossible; however, if they can take a couple of games this series, they’ll have another chance against the Athletics.
The checks in the negative column come from the Angels’ ineptitude at the plate. Brian Goodman (LF) is the only player with an above .300 batting average (through 20 games played). Leading the Giants team is Donovan Solano with a batting average of .392 (as of 8/18).
San Francisco Giants: Offense Stays Clicking
The Giants racked up an impressive eight runs against the Angels a few nights ago. Thursday marks the last game of the series, and with the close loss they suffered in Game 1, the Giants will look to close out the series with a win. This last game against the Angels is crucial to the Giants home-stretch; for the next seven games, San Francisco will host the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers, two strong teams.
San Francisco will want to avoid falling into another losing streak as they suffered before facing the Angels on Sunday. If the Giants want to close out this series on a high note, the pitching will need to avoid letting Mike Trout and Tommy La Stella cranking out homers.
Los Angeles Angels vs. San Francisco Giants Betting Pick: San Francisco Giants +115
The key in this one is the team that is more consistent when covering lines, the San Francisco Giants. The Angels have had struggles throughout the season producing runs, and if Giants starting pitcher Kevin Gausman can keep Trout and La Stella in check, the Angels will be in for a hard night.
The other concerning point for the Angels is their inability to cover the line and their inefficiency to score runs. Relying on Trout to crank out homers has led to the Angels suffering heavily when the MVP is unable to do so. The Giants are the better team on paper and are much better against the spread than the Angels. Take the home team in this one to close out the series with a win, San Francisco Giants +115.
