The Los Angeles Angels (28-24, 15-11 home) continue their three-game series against the Miami Marlins (26-26, 12-15 away) in a rare AL vs. NL series. Miami opened up play on Friday with a 6-2 victory. The two teams will close out the interleague series on Sunday.
The first pitch of Saturday’s showdown is at 10:07 p.m. EST inside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. Los Angeles is the betting favorite (-205 moneyline), while the over/under total is 7.5 runs.
What to Know – Miami Marlins
Miami’s victory on Friday pulled the Marlins back to .500 and added their second victory in three tries. The Marlins are squarely in the mix in the NL East, sitting in third place and 5.5 games behind the leading Atlanta Braves.
Righty Edward Cabrera (3-4, 5.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) is the expected starter for Miami. The 25-year-old won’t eat up a lot of innings for the Marlins, hitting the six-inning mark just twice in ten starts. Cabrera has 46.1 innings under his belt, 39 hits, 31 walks, and 61 strikeouts.
Offensively, the Marlins are ninth in the majors hitting .259 as a team and scoring 3.7 runs per game. Miami’s pitching staff ranks 18th in the MLB, featuring a 4.39 team earned run average.
Luis Arraez leads the major leagues with a .374 batting average backed by 65 hits in 174 at-bats. Jorge Soler is the power supply in the lineup, smacking a team-high 16 home runs and driving in 33 RBIs.
What to Know – Los Angeles Angels
Friday’s loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Angels, who have won six of their last eight contests. Los Angeles is third in the AL West division, five games back of the Texas Rangers.
The expected starter for the hosts is two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani (5-1, 3.05 ERA, 0.90 WHIP). Ohtani will try and capture his sixth win of the season and string together his second quality start in a row. The 28-year-old has pitched 59.0 innings, allowing 20 earned runs on 28 hits and 25 walks while striking out 80 batters.
The Angels are one spot ahead of Miami batting .260 as a unit but scoring 4.9 runs per game. The pitching staff for the Angels is 15th in the league with a 4.23 team ERA.
Ohtani and Mike Trout pace the Angels offense with 12 home runs a piece, and Ohtani leads the team with 33 RBIs to Trout’s 28. Hunter Renfroe has added ten home runs and 29 RBIs for the Los Angeles offense.
The Pick is In
The Angels and Marlins close out Saturday’s slate of baseball games with the late start time under the lights. Ohtani on the hill gives the hosts an excellent chance to even the series.
We see the Angels bouncing back and taking advantage of Cabrera’s presence on the mound to build a quick lead and hold on for a comfortable victory.
The Pick: Los Angeles Angels -1.5
