Busy Weekend Comes To End for AL West Rivals
The Los Angeles Angels try to win a second straight game and three of four from the division rival Oakland Athletics when the teams wrap up a four-game weekend series on Sunday. Los Angeles won the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader to pull within percentage points of the top spot in the division standings, currently held by the Houston Astros.
Oakland eked out a win in the first game of the day and has alternated between wins and losses in its last four games. These teams have been going back and forth all weekend, so make sure you read our in-depth preview of the series finale to help you decide how you want to bet online.
Let’s check the latest MLB picks, stats, injury reports and MLB odds for Angels vs Athletics. We’ve plenty of MLB predictions.
Ohtani Milestone Helps Angels to Nightcap Win
After a disappointing walk-off loss in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Los Angeles Angels bounced back in a big way thanks to reigning AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The 27-year-old had his 100th career home run in a 9-1 victory, making him the only player other than Babe Ruth to have at least 100 home runs and 250 strikeouts pitched.
“He does it every day,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said of Ohtani after Saturday’s win. “It’s not surprising anymore. I don’t want to say expecting it, but we’re expecting it. That’s just who he is right now. He’s going to keep adding on to that. You’re going to hear more names, more milestones. He’s a baseball player. He loves to play.”
Ohtani is batting .255 with seven doubles, seven home runs, 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored, ranking seventh in the last category.
The Angels also got a grand slam from outfielder Taylor Ward in the win. Ward was 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, five RBIs and two runs scored. He is batting .384 with five doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 22 RBIs and 23 runs scored.
Left-hander Patrick Sandoval will be on the mound for the Angels. Sandoval is 1-1 with a 2.03 ERA in five starts, striking out 27 in 26⅔ innings. He’s struggled a bit in his last two starts, allowing three earned runs in each after he hadn’t given up an earned run in his first three appearances.
Athletics Looking For More Consistency
The Oakland Athletics decided to start over in the offseason, trading away many of the top players from last year’s team. Because of that, they are younger and more inexperienced, so it’s going to take some time for the offense to be consistent at the plate, as shown by the team’s .200 batting average, which ranks at the bottom of baseball.
Outfielder Luis Barrera had the biggest hit of his MLB career in the first game with a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth. It was Barrera’s first career home run in just his 12th game at the major league level. This season, he’s batting .364 with four RBIs in six games.
Catcher Sean Murphy leads Oakland with four home runs and 17 RBIs, but he’s struggled in this series, going 0-for-10 with a walk and a strikeout. Murphy has just one hit over his last five games, dropping his season batting average to just .197.
The Athletics will have right-hander Frankie Montas getting the start. Montas is 2-3 with a 3.77 ERA, striking out 41 in 43 innings over seven starts. Montas took the loss in his last start, facing the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday, after he allowed four runs on seven hits in 6⅓ innings, striking out four and walking three.
Angels vs Athletics Head-to-Head
With a win in Sunday’s finale, the Los Angeles Angels can take the most games at Oakland Coliseum as they’ve won since the 2019 season. Los Angeles has gone just 4-12 against the Oakland Athletics on the road over the last two years, winning two games each season.
The Athletics have gone 19-7 against the visiting Angels over the last three seasons and haven’t lost the majority of their home games against their division rivals since 2016. The MLB lines see the Angels’ success continuing in this one, giving the visitors the edge.
Angels vs Athletics Game Information
- Game: Los Angeles Angels (23-13) at Oakland Athletics (15-21)
- Location: Oakland Coliseum
- Day/Time: Sunday, 4:07 p.m. ET
- Live Stream: MLB TV
Angels vs Athletics Betting Lines
Los Angeles Angels -1½ +135 -125 7 -120o 3½ -125o 3½ -105u
P. Sandoval -L
Oakland Athletics +1½ -155 +115 7 Evu 3½ +115o 3½ -145u
F. Montas -R
Angels vs Athletics Prediction
The Oakland Athletics just don’t have a lot of offensive punch this season, and that’s going to be a problem against teams with deep lineups like the Los Angeles Angels. Montas won’t be enough to keep Los Angeles from taking the series with a win on Sunday.
When doing your MLB betting, take Los Angeles to get the road victory.
