9:38 pm
September 2

Astros @ Angels

Who will WIN this matchup?

Houston Astros (84-47)

@ Los Angeles Angels (57-74)

 

Starting Pitchers:

McCullers Jr. (HOU): 1-1; 1.69 ERA

Detmers (LAA) 5-4; 3.47 ERA

 

Current odds:

Houston Astros: (-156)

Los Angeles Angels: (+135)

 

• The starting line-up for the Astros is as follows:

Image

• The starting line-up for the Angels is as follows:

September 2 Lineup: SS Fletcher, CF Trout, DH Ohtani, 2B Rengifo, RF Ward, 1B Ford, 3B Duffy, LF Aguilar, C Thaiss, P Detmers

• The Los Angeles Angels will host the Houston Astros on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif., with a first baseman who is the very embodiment of the term “journeyman.”Mike Ford likely will be in the lineup for the Angels, the fourth major league club for which he’s played this season alone. Ford, a left-handed hitter, played one game for the Giants, 16 games for the Mariners and five games for the Braves before Atlanta released him Aug. 10 and the Angels signed him to a minor league contract on Aug. 16. He’s also played a total of 34 games for four Triple-A teams this season.

• With the Angels losing regular first baseman Jared Walsh for the season because of thoracic outlet syndrome, Ford, 30, was a good option to play out the string in an otherwise lost season for the club.

• Ford played in six games with Triple-A Salt Lake before joining the Angels, and he’s made an immediate impact. In seven games, he’s hitting .333 (8-for-24) with two home runs and a .991 OPS. Both home runs came against the Yankees, the team for which he played from 2019-21.

• Left-hander Reid Detmers (5-4, 3.47 ERA) will be on the mound for the Angels, his 21st start of the season. He’s coming off a victory his last time out, when he threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays last Friday. He is 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA in three career starts against Houston.

• Right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (1-1, 1.69 ERA) will make his fourth start since joining the active roster after missing the first four months of the season with a strained right flexor tendon in his forearm. Last Friday, he threw five scoreless innings in a victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He is 5-5 with a 3.01 ERA in 18 career starts against the Angels.

• While the Angels are playing well, having won five of six, the Astros enter the final full month of the regular season with the best record in the American League. Astros manager Dusty Baker is looking for his team to stay sharp and healthy as the playoffs approach.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Houston Astros
Previous Pick
Next Pick