The Los Angeles Angels (11-20) travel to face off against the Cleveland Guardians (20-11) on Friday, May 3rd. This game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland and televised on MLBN. Both the Angels and Guardians are looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:10 ET.
Angels vs Guardians
The Angels will be looking to get back on track after closing out their series vs. the Phillies with a 2-1 loss. This was especially tough, as they held a lead going into the 8th inning before the Phillies scored two runs in the top of the 8th. Los Angeles was the +177 underdog at home going into the game.
Patrick Sandoval had a good start for the Angels, going five innings and giving up just two runs on four hits. He also issued only two walks and struck out 10 Phillies batters. However, the Angels couldn’t close things out, and Sandoval took the loss. The Angels also wasted a big game from Ehire Adrianza, who homered in the 1st inning, going 1/4.
Los Angeles is on the road today to take on the Guardians, and they are 11-20 overall, which is good for 5th place in the AL West. The Angels are six games behind the Mariners for the AL West lead, and they have yet to play a game against another AL West team this year.
At home, the Angels are just 4-11 while going 7-9 on the road. So far, they have really struggled in day games, going 2-12 this year. As the underdog, the Angels are 10-17 this year and 1-3 when favored. Los Angeles’ overall series record is 1-8-1, and they have dropped four straight series.
When the Angels are the underdog, they have been a good bet to cover the run line, going 15-12. In their losses, they have been outscored by an average of 3.8 runs per game. They have covered the run line in 10 of their 16 road games, but have failed to do so in their last three. They have yet to cover the run line in four games in which they were the favorite.
The Angels have had a high-scoring season so far, with a combined run average of 9.7 runs per game. Their over/under record is 17-13, and the average over/under line for their games has been set at 9 runs. When the line has been set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 2-2-1. Overall, 80.6% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8 runs, and only 3.2% have had lower lines.
José Soriano Gets The Start For The Angels
Through five starts, José Soriano has yet to pick up a win, as he is 0-4 with an ERA of 4.76. Soriano’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.37. The right-hander has made one quality start this year and is coming off a rough outing in which he gave up four earned runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. In that start vs. the Twins, he gave up three homers. Soriano has struggled at home, with an ERA of 13.2 compared to 0.6 on the road. He has issued 5.56 walks per nine innings compared to 9.13 strikeouts.
Angels Offense Breakdown
Centerfielder Mike Trout has been a bit of a disappointment so far this season, as he is batting just .220, but he does lead the team with 10 home runs. Taylor Ward has been a nice surprise for the Angels, hitting .278 with seven homers, which is 4th in the league. Ward also has a team-high 23 RBIs. Over his last nine games, Jo Adell is batting .303 with three homers.
Los Angeles comes into the game 18th in scoring at 4.2 runs per contest. They have been a bit better on the road, averaging 4.3 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .242, which is 11th in the league, and are 7th in the league in home runs. The Angels have four players who are on a current hitting streak.
Cleveland closed out their series vs. the Astros with a 8-2 loss on the road. The Guardians were the +115 underdog going into this matchup. Things started off well for the Guardians, as they got on the board with two runs in the 3rd inning but gave up the lead right away as the Astros scored one run in the bottom of the third.
Logan Allen got the start for the Guardians and took the loss. He only lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits. Cleveland’s offense was hot early but cooled off, and they only scored two runs. Will Brennan went 3/4 with a run scored.
Cleveland is 20-11 overall, good for a 1.5-game lead over the Royals in the AL Central. The Guardians will host the Angels today, and they are 4-1 against other teams in the AL Central. At home, the Guardians are 8-4 this year and 12-7 on the road.
As the favorite, the Guardians have gone 11-5 this year and 7-3 as the home favorite. So far, they are 9-6 as the underdog. Looking at their overall series record, the Guardians are 7-3 but dropped two straight series.
The Cleveland Guardians have been a solid run line bet this season, going 21-10 overall. They are 8-4 against the run line at home, where they have an average run margin of 0.8 runs per game. As the underdog, the Guardians have been particularly strong against the run line, going 12-3. In their wins, they have an average run margin of 3.6 runs per game.
The Cleveland Guardians have had a high-scoring season so far, with their games averaging 8.8 runs per game. Their over/under record is 17-12, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. When the line is set at 8 runs, their over/under record is 4-2-1. In 48.4% of their games, the over/under line has been set at over 8 runs, while in 29.0% of their games, the line has been set at under 8 runs.
Tanner Bibee Gets The Start For The Guardians
Cleveland is sending right-hander Tanner Bibee to the mound today vs. the Angels. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 2-0 with a 3.45 ERA. Bibee’s WHIP for the season is 1.31, and he has issued 3.45 walks per nine innings compared to 10.05 strikeouts. So far, he has turned in one quality start and is coming off an outing in which he didn’t allow a run in seven innings of work. In that outing, he gave up just two hits and issued zero walks. Bibee has given up a homer in three straight outings.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Guardians are averaging 5.1 runs per game, which is good for 5th in the league. They have been a very consistent offensive team, as they are also 9th in home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage. For the season, they are averaging 5.0 runs per game at home and 5.1 on the road.
Josh Naylor and José Ramírez have been the team’s top power threats this season, with Naylor’s seven homers being 4th best in the league, and Ramírez’s five homers being 6th best. However, Ramírez is batting just .240 for the season and has gone 8/33 in his last nine games. Steven Kwan comes into the game with a team-best batting average of .349 and has gone 11/38 in his last 10 games.
Angels vs Guardians Prediction
We see the Guardians picking up a 5-4 win over the Angels, and with the money line payout for a Guardians win being -177, we recommend taking the over at 8 runs. Our prediction is that there will be a total of nine runs scored in this one, giving you some room to spare.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Jose Soriano is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Tanner Bibee, who we have finishing with six. However, Bibee is third in our rankings for most strikeouts today, and you could look to take his over on his strikeout line.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 3, 2024 Angels, Guardians