Angels Rule Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels looks to add to their major league-leading total of home victories when they open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night.
The Angels (36-22) will close out their 10-game homestand this week against the Twins (28-27) after they took two of three from Seattle and then three of four from Baltimore over the weekend.
Oddsmakers have made Los Angeles -160 money line favorites (MLB Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 8.5un total runs (Matchup). Our public betting information shows that 66% of bets for this game have been placed on Minnesota +150 (View MLB Bet Percentages).
Los Angeles improved to 22-8 at Angel Stadium following Sunday’s 4-3 comeback win. Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning off Chris Ray for the team’s eighth win in the last 10 games.
Angels starter Ervin Santana pitched seven solid innings and relievers Darren Oliver and Chris Bootcheck each worked one perfect inning.
"It feels very good, especially knowing what our guys did on the mound, to be able to pick them up," Guerrero said through a translator. "Definitely, it’s a huge win for us."
The Angels are a major league-best 19-6 since May 9.
Guerrero is one reason the Angels are playing well at home. Although he’s just 2-for-11 in his last three games, he’s still hitting .389 (42-of-108) with eight homers and 31 RBIs at Angel Stadium.
Los Angeles’ offense has been backed by impressive performances by the team’s starters, who are 18-6 with a 2.98 ERA at home this season. The club’s starters have lasted seven or more innings in 11 of their last 17 home starts.
The Angels, however, are starting Jered Weaver (4-3, 4.25 ERA), who hasn’t been as successful at home. The right-hander is just 1-1 with a 6.16 ERA in four starts this year at Angel Stadium.
Weaver, who has never faced the Twins, is 3-0 with a 4.24 ERA over his last four outings, receiving an average of close to seven runs of support over that stretch. Weaver lasted just 4 2-3 innings his last time out and gave up five runs and nine hits in an 8-6 win over Seattle on Wednesday.
The Twins will counter with Boof Bonser (4-1, 3.61), who is 4-0 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts after going winless in his first seven outings.
Bonser, who has never faced the Angels, pitched 6 2-3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, allowing two runs and seven hits in a 9-2 win.
"The record part of it is overrated," Twins catcher Mike Redmond said. "To me, he’s been pretty consistent all year. It’s nice to score some runs for him. He deserves it."
Minnesota dropped the final two games of its three-game series with the Oakland Athletics over the weekend. The Twins came into the series averaging 6.33 runs while winning nine of 12 games, but they were held to a total of five runs against the A’s.
In Sunday’s 4-2 loss, Minnesota left 11 runners on base and was 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and ace Johan Santana allowed all four runs in six innings.
"It was kind of a disappointing day," manager Ron Gardenhire said.
The Angels won four of six games against the Twins last season despite getting only four hits in 27 at-bats (.148) from Guerrero in those contests.
by: Michael Cash – thespread.com – Email Us
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