Cruising Along
Joe Saunders has enjoyed plenty of success against the team he grew up watching.
The Los Angeles All-Star looks to remain perfect against the Baltimore Orioles when the first-place Angels open a 10-game road trip Friday night at Camden Yards.
Oddsmakers from SBG Global have made Los Angeles -130 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for tonight’s game, the over/under has been set at 9 total runs (Matchup). Current public betting information shows that 87% of bets for this game have been placed on Los Angeles -130 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Saunders (12-5, 3.05 ERA), who grew up in Springfield, Va., about 60 miles from Baltimore, is 3-0 with a 5.63 ERA against the Orioles.
"It was always the team I grew up watching and that we always went and saw," Saunders told the Angels’ official Web site. "It’s always a nice homecoming."
The left-hander, who allowed four runs and 12 hits in five innings of a 6-5 win over Baltimore on May 4, enters this contest after failing to earn a decision in his most recent outing. He allowed two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings against Boston on Saturday – the 13th time in his 19 starts that Saunders gave up two earned runs or fewer.
He appears to have a good chance to continue that trend against Baltimore (48-53), which scored two total runs in two losses to Toronto on Thursday. The Orioles fell 5-1 in the continuation of Wednesday’s suspended game before losing 7-1 in the finale – their third straight defeat overall.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, owns a major league-best 31-18 road record and went 4-2 at Baltimore in 2007. The Angels, whose 10-game lead in the AL West is the largest in baseball, have won two in a row overall and seven of their last eight.
The Angels (62-39) used a season-high 19 hits to outslug Cleveland 14-11 on Wednesday.
Casey Kotchman had five hits while Howie Kendrick and Jeff Mathis added four apiece for Los Angeles, which equaled its run total from the previous four contests.
"Everybody came out swinging and we were making solid contact,” said Kendrick, who drove in three runs and is 10-for-15 in his last four games to raise his season average to .341. "Right now I’m just feeling good and trying to ride it out.”
Mathis also finished with a career-high six RBIs.
Los Angeles will face Baltimore’s Brian Burres (7-6, 5.02), who allowed three runs and six hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 5-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday.
"It was a struggle all day," Burres told the Orioles’ official Web site.
The left-hander fared well in his only two career starts versus Los Angeles – both last season – going 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA.
While Orioles’ pitchers have allowed 22 runs during their three-game skid, their offense was the biggest problem Thursday.
Melvin Mora drove in Baltimore’s the lone run of the suspended game, while Luke Scott did the same in the nightcap. Mora is hitting .469 (15-for-32) with 15 RBIs in his last eight contests.
He’s also 6-for-11 with a homer and three RBIs against the Angels this season, and 5-for-7 with a home run lifetime against Saunders.
Baltimore dropped two of three at Los Angeles from May 2-4.
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