The Los Angeles Angels return to Angels Stadium for the beginning of a nine-game home stretch tonight against the Cleveland Guardians.
Excluding last night’s start from Yusei Kikuchi, the Angels lead the MLB with a 1.64 ERA dating back to August 11 when they fired pitching coach Mike Maddux.
One pitcher that has enjoyed the change is George Klassen, the Angels’ former No. 4 overall prospect. Klassen made three starts in August, giving up three runs in 17 innings for an ERA of 1.59.
Parker Messick is projected to take the mound for the Guardians opposite Klassen. Messick has delivered a sensational rookie campaign for the Guardians, sporting a 2.54 ERA and 1.04 WHIP through 149 innings this season. Messick is firmly in the American League Rookie of the Year race, leading all rookie pitchers.
Messick faced the Angels back in May, giving up two runs in 6.2 innings. The Angels’ two runs came on a Zach Neto two-run home run in the fifth inning of that game. Neto finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI, a run and a walk. However, the Angels’ offense outside of Neto didn’t generate anything in that game.
The Guardians’ other rookie sensation, Chase DeLauter, leads the team in every major offensive statistical category. DeLauter leads the Guardians in home runs (13), batting average (.288), RBIs (59) and OPS (.813). In the three game series against the Angels in early May, DeLauter went 2-for-9 with an RBI and a run.
First Pick: Parker Messick over 6.5 strikeouts
Rundown: The last time I chose a strikeout bet against the Angels, they scored 18 runs against the Astros on 18 hits. However, I believe this time it’ll be different.
Messick is one of the best pitchers in the AL – and his strength is his ability to locate at an elite level. In his last start against the Angels in May, he struck out seven in 6.2 innings. He struck out 30 in his last four starts – which averages out to 7.5 strikeouts per game. On top of that – the Angels still strike out at an alarming rate as a team. Their strikeout rate is 25.2%, which ranks second-worst in the league, slightly better than the Cincinnati Reds.
Second Pick: Los Angeles Angels under 3.5 runs
Rundown: This pick is once again a combination of the Angels’ poor offensive output and Messick’s elite pitching. The Angels’ 18-run output against the Astros was an incredible outlier. In eight of the last 12 games, the Angels scored three runs or less.