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The Philadelphia Phillies look to extend their winning streak to five games today as they face the Los Angeles Angels. It is time to continue our MLB odds series with an Angels-Phillies prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Last night the Angels struck first, scoring in the first inning on a Luis Rengifo single that scored Shohei Ohtani. Trea Turner hit a home run in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one. The Angels took the lead again in the fourth inning on a two-run single, but Bryce Harper's two-run home run tied it again in the fourth inning. Trea Turner would add his second home run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, in what would be the deciding runs. The two-run shot gave the Phillies a 5-3 lead. The Angels would get a run back in the seventh but ultimately would fall 6-4.
With the win, the Phillies are now well in control of a Wild Card spot. They are 73-59, giving them a five-game lead over the Giants, the first team out.
Here are the Angels-Phillies MLB odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
MLB Odds: Angels-Phillies Odds
Los Angeles Angels: +1.5 (-134)
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.5 (+112)
Over: 9.5 (-110)
Under: 9.5 (-110)
How To Watch Angels vs. Phillies
TV: BSW/NBCSP
Stream: MLB.TV
Time: 6:40 PM ET/ 3:40 PM PT
*Watch MLB games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Angels Could Cover The Spread
Yesterday, it was starting pitching that let the Angels down as Lucas Giolito gave up three home runs and five runs in the loss. On the season the Angels are 23rd in team ERA, while sitting 23rd in WHIP and 20th in opponent batting average. They will send Tyler Anderson to the mound today for the start. He is 5-5 on the year with a 5.35 ERA. Anderson has also struggled this month. In four starts he has pitched just 18.1 innings, giving up 18 runs with 15 of them earned. That gives him a 7.36 ERA this month with an 0-3 record. Meanwhile, the Angels have lost all four games he has started this year.
At the plate, it was just the second time in the last five games that the Angels got to four runs. This year they have averaged 4.71 runs per game and they have eclipsed that just three times in their last ten games. On the season, they sit 13th in the majors in runs scored, 176h in batting average, 15th in on-base percentage, and seventh in slugging. The offense is paced by Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani leads the majors in home runs with 44 while sitting tenth in batting average at .304. He has continued to hit well this month despite battling injuries. On the month he is hitting .3052 with a .417 on-base percentage. He has five home runs, seven doubles, and a triple, which has led to 11 RBIs. He has also stolen seven bases and scored 19 times this month.
The best bat in the lineup as of late may be Luis Rengifo. In the last week, he is hitting .500 with a .586 on-base percentage. Meanwhile, he has driven in six runs with the help of two doubles, a triple, and a home run. Rengifo has also scored four times in the last week. Nolan Schanuel is also hitting well. He is hitting .400 in the last week and scored four times. He has also walked five times giving him a .591 on-base percentage. Schanuel has just one extra-base hit though, a double, and just two RBIs in the last week. Brandon Drury is leading the team in RBIs in the last week. He has seven with the help of a home run and a double. He is hitting .269 in the last week as well.
Why The Phillies Could Cover The Spread
The Phillies offense continues to hit well. In the last ten games, they have scored 70 runs, well above their season average per game. They are currently 11th in runs scored while sitting fifth in batting average, tenth in on-base percentage, and sixth in slugging. Kyle Schwarber leads the team in home runs and RBIs this year. He has 36 home runs which is good for fourth in the majors while sitting tied for 16th in RBIs. He has continued to slug this month as well. While hitting .209 with a .378 on-base percentage, he has nine home runs and 19 RBIs this month. Schwarber has also scored 20 times so far in August.
Trea Turner and Bryce Harper were the big bats last night, both hitting home runs. Both of them along with Schwarber, have three home runs in the last week. Harper has driven in ten runs while scoring six times as well. He is hitting .524 in the last week with a .615 on-base percentage. Harper has also hit a double and a triple over those games. Turner is hitting .333 in the last week with a .370 on-base percentage. With his three home runs and two doubles in the last week, he has eight RBIs. Also, Turner has stolen a base and scored eight times i the last week.
The Phillies pitching has also been solid. After giving up just three runs over the weekend, they gave up four last night. The pitching has been solid this year for the Phillies. They are seventh in team ERA while sitting seventh in WHIP and eighth in opponent batting average. It will be Michael Lorenzen on the mound for the Phillies today. He is 7-8 on the year with a 3.69 ERA. After starting his career with the Phillies hot, including a no-hitter, it has not been as good for him in the last two starts. He has pitched nine innings in the last two starts, giving up 11 runs with ten earned. As a member of the Phillies, he is 2-1 with a 4.15 ERA.
Final Angels-Phillies Prediction & Pick
Tyler Anderson has underperformed this year compared to expectations. His walk rate has gone up this season, while his expected batting average has skyrocketed. Meanwhile, batters hit .381 against Lorenzen in the last two starts. Neither pitcher is putting out good stuff right now, so this comes down to how the guys at the plate will perform. The Phillies have had a much hotter offense. They are hitting well as a team and for a lot of power. Take the Phillies in a high-scoring game.
Final Angels-Phillies Prediction & Pick: Phillies -1.5 (+112) and Over 9.5 (-110)
