Up to MLB Free Picks

in MLB Free Picks

ALCS Game 6 - Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees

Bookmark and Share by D.S. Williamson

MLB Update:  Angels Win Forces a Game 6 on Saturday

Game-day:  10/23/2009

After one of Los Angeles’ team disappointed the fans who call the land of fruits and nuts their home, not much was expected of the Angels who went into Game 5 of the ALCS down 3 to 1 to the best team in baseball.

After one inning in Game 5, the Angels were up 4 to nil over the those Yankees and looked to be coasting to the victory until the Yankees, off of a Robinson Cano triple, took a 6 to 4 lead in the top of the 7th..

As is common with this team, the Halos shot back in the 7th.  With the heart of their batting line-up at the plate, the Angels came right back at the Yankees in the bottom of the 7th with 3 runs. That ended up being enough as the Yankees couldn’t get anything going outside of the 7th and he Angels took the elimination game 7 to 6. 

If you think back to the Yankee’s/ Red Sox 2004 classic, it was a late rally from the Sox that sparked a comeback for the ages.  

Now, the Angels and Yankees turn to Game 6 on Saturday where anything can happen.

Let’s take a peek at that Game 6 on Saturday.

First-pitch:  8:05 pm EST

Here are the baseball odds in the MLB sportsbook

Los Angeles Angels
Joe Saunders – L                               +1 ½ -130        +155                O 9 -115

New York Yankees
Andy Pettitte – L                               -1 ½ +110        -175                 U 9 -105

There’s no doubt that Andy Pettitte is a big game pitcher but he didn’t show it in his last trip to the mound, against the Angels in Game 3 of this series.  Pettitte did go for 6 and 1/3rd innings but he game up 3 runs off of 7 hits including 2 home runs for a 4.26 ERA. 

The problem with Pettitte’s performance is that two out of the 3 runs he gave up were home runs.  If the Angels had players on base at the time, things could have been much worse.

The Angels send Joe Saunders to the mount to counter Andy Pettitte.  Saunders pitched very, very well in the Angels loss to the Yankees in Game 1 of this series.  Saunders only gave up 6 hits and 2 runs in 7 full innings of work.  He’ll need a game similar to this, and his teammates to help him with their bats, in order for the Angels to have any chance in this game.

One thing to remember is that the longer this game goes the more it helps the Angels as their offense is starting to get things going.  The 7 runs that the Angels scored in Game 5 were the most they have scored in any game during this post-season.  In Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox, the Angels put up 7 as well.  Now, they face a pitcher that they can beat, but the game is in New York.

What prevails in this game?  The hot team, the Angels, with a pitcher at the top of his game?  Or, the old pro who is no stranger to the big games?

It’s difficult to back the Angels again after they needed a 3 run rally in the 7th, at home, in order to secure a victory over the Yankees in Game 5.  Although the half full Angels’ fans will say that L.A. outplayed the Yankees overall in Game 5, the half empty fans would say that the Angels’ giving up 6 runs in the 7th shows that at any time this New York team can turn it on.

That’s a bad sign for the Angels.  The baseball bet I will be making will be on the Andy Pettitte and the run line in this game.  New York Yankees and Pettitte at -1 ½ +110 in the baseball sportsbook.