Angels vs. Nationals Pick
Will the Washington Nationals win a second straight game over the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday afternoon?
According to oddsmakers at BetDSI, the Nationals are favored at home by a money line of -124. The Angels have a +113 line to win, while the over/under total for the game has been set at 9 runs.
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The pitching matchup today pits Ricky Nolasco (5-12, 5.24 ERA) versus Tanner Roark (9-7, 4.74 ERA. Nolasco has allowed 10 earned runs over his last nine innings in his last two starts, but did receive enough offensive support to come away with a no-decision in both games as the Angels won one and lost the other. A maddeningly inconsistent pitcher, Nolasco has fluctuated between fantastic and mediocre all season as in four of his last nine starts he’s allowed one or zero earned runs. Roark is a groundball pitcher who does not possess a high strikeout rate, but has been in good form as of late surrending only four earned runs over 12 1/3 innings in his last two starts with both of them being Nationals victories. Washington has won four of the last five games Roark has pitched.
Washington won the opener of the two-game series Wednesday as it prevailed 3-1. The Angels are now 61-59 overall and 28-33 on the road, while the Nationals sit at 71-46 overall and 35-24 at home.
Wednesday saw the Nationals score a solo run in the third, fifth and sixth innings to notch the victory. Howie Kendrick paced Washington with a pair of solo home runs from the leadoff spot, while Anthony Rendon went 3-for-4 with a double and scored a run. Los Angeles mananged to get a run back in the eighth on the second home run of the season by Cliff Pennington, but ultimately Sean Doolittle picked up his ninth save of the year.
Nolasco has had a pair of poor starts in a row and it’s typical of him to be at his best when you expect the least out of him. The Nationals are still a good offensive team, but the fact of the matter is their superstar Bryce Harper out with an injury is a significant blow and will be a detriment in the upcoming weeks. Nolasco should be able to navigate through this lineup, while Los Angeles also has the best hitter in the game in Mike Trout. The Angels aren’t a large underdog and they are a smart play in this situation.
MLB DAILY PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES ANGELS +113