The Los Angeles Angels (60-77) take one of the lowest-scoring offenses in MLB on the road to face the Houston Astros (88-49) at Minute Maid Park on Friday for the opener of a three-game series. The Angels are playing their first of six games on the road after wrapping up a nine-game homestand (5-4). They won two out of three in their last series against the Tigers, dropping the finale 5-4 on Wednesday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Mike Trout was 2 for 4 with a solo home run. Matt Thaiss added a home run and two RBIs. The Astros are in the midst of a six-game homestand. They won two of three against the Rangers in their last series, taking the finale 4-3 on Wednesday at Minute Maid Park. Kyle Tucker went 1 for 3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBIs.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Astros have won 11 of 16 in the season series between the AL West rivals, including a 9-1 victory in their most recent meeting on Sunday at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Jose Urquidy threw seven scoreless innings- striking out eight – for the win.
ON THE MOUND
Michael Lorenzen (6-6, 4.94 ERA) is set to start for Los Angeles. The right-hander gets the Astros in back-to-back starts. On July 1, he allowed eight runs (seven earned) over three innings, an 8-1 road defeat. He took the loss, yielding eight hits while striking out three and walking two. Over two previous starts against the Astros this season, Lorenzen has allowed 11 earned runs over 6.1 innings (0-2, 15.63). He has struck out five and walked four. RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (2-1, 2.08 ERA) gets the start for Houston. His only prior start against the Angels this season was his last outing, when McCullers Jr. gave up two runs over 5.2 innings in a 4-2 road win on September 2. He gave up six hits and walked four, while striking out seven in the win.
AT THE PLATE
The Los Angeles offense is averaging 3.8 runs per game for the season, fifth lowest in the league, with a slash line of .228/.294/.384. Shohei Ohtani leads the team in OPS at .892. He is slashing .267/.356/.536 with 33 home runs, 86 RBIs, and 79 runs over 132 games. Against righties like McCullers Jr. this season, the Halos have a .686 OPS. Ohtani also is the team’s most productive hitter against right-handers with a .932 OPS in 319 at-bats. Houston is slashing .245/.318/.417 for the season and averaging 4.5 runs per game. Four Astros hitters have an OPS of .800 or better, led by Yordan Alvarez (.974). The left fielder has 31 home runs, 82 RBIs, and 78 runs scored with a slash line of .289/.393/.581. The ‘Stros have a .727 OPS against right-handers in 2022. With a .907 OPS over 305 at-bats, Alex Bregman has been their best hitter against right-handers.
HOME AND AWAY
Los Angeles is on a three-game winning streak on the road, bringing their record to 29-37 in 2022. The Halos have scored 3.6 runs per game away from home, while allowing 4.0 runs. Houston has gone 45-21 at home this season, averaging 4.4 runs per game while surrendering 3.1. In the last 10 meetings at Minute Maid Park, Houston is 7-3 with an average scoreline of 5.5-3.1.
STANDINGS UPDATE
The Astros lead the AL West by 11 games over the Mariners. The Angels are third in the AL West, 28 games behind the Astros.
SportsTips’ MLB Pick:
Houston Astros (-250)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
