The Los Angeles Angels (42-58, 22-29 home) continue their four-game series with the Texas Rangers (45-54, 24-28 away) Saturday night in California. Texas took the first two contests against the hosts, dropping the Angels 2-0 on Thursday and 7-2 on Friday.
The first pitch of Saturday’s contest is at 9:07 p.m. EST inside Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. Los Angeles opened as the betting favorite at -120, and the over-under total is 8.5 runs.
What to Know – Texas Rangers
Texas opened up the second half losing five of its first seven contests but have rallied to grab a pair of victories in a row. The Rangers sit third in the American League West, 20 games back of the leading Houston Astros.
The expected starter for the Rangers is right-hander Glenn Otto (4-7, 5.37 ERA, 1.46 WHIP). Otto hopes to buck the trend of four losses in his last five trips to the mound and capture his victory on the hill this month. The 26-year-old has 67.0 innings of work this season, allowing 40 earned runs on 63 hits and 35 walks with 52 strikeouts.
All-Star Corey Seager has been a big addition to the Rangers’ offense after joining in the offseason. Seager leads Texas with 23 home runs and has driven in 54 runs. Adolis Garcia and Marcus Semien are a pair of five-tool bats in the lineup, both with double-digit home runs and stolen bases.
The Rangers score 4.5 runs per game behind an offense that ranks 19th in the MLB, hitting .240 as a team. The pitching staff for Texas sports a 4.02 team earned run average, 18th in the majors.
What to Know – Los Angeles Angels
The Angels have lost their last five games at home and have just three victories since the start of the second half. Los Angeles falls well outside the playoff picture, 3.5 games back of the Rangers for fourth place in the AL West.
Right-hander Charlie Silseth (1-3, 5.84 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) aims to get the Angels back on track. The rookie starter hasn’t picked up a victory on the hill since his MLB debut in mid-May. Over 24.2 innings, Silseth has surrendered 16 earned runs on 28 hits and eight walks while striking out 19 batters.
Shohei Ohtani leads the Angels’ lineup with Mike Trout on the injured list. The 28-year-old two-way player has 21 home runs and a team-high 59 RBIs. Jared Walsh has also stepped up at the dish in Trout’s absence, smacking 13 home runs and driving in 41 RBIs.
Los Angeles is 26th in the majors with a .229 team batting average and plating 3.9 runs per contest. The Angels’ pitching staff sits 17th in the MLB with a 3.94 team ERA.
The Pick is In
The Angels and Rangers are seeing their seasons slowly slip away and will need to string some victories together if they want a shot at the postseason.
Otto and Silseth are two below-average arms on the mound, so expect some runs by both teams early. Trout’s absence continues to plague with Angels’ offense, and the Rangers grab their fourth in a row against their divisional foe.
The Pick: Texas Rangers ML
