The Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago White Sox meet in MLB action from Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night.
The Los Angeles Angels will look to build on their current three-game win streak after a 4-1 win over Cleveland last time out. Mike Trout leads the Angels with 5 home runs while Brandon Marsh has a team-high 15 RBIs while Shohei Ohtani and the aforementioned Trout each have a team-high 19 hits with Ohtani adding 4 doubles, 3 home runs and 10 RBIs. Jo Adell also has 3 doubles and Trout has a .352 batting average on the year. Noah Syndergaard will start here and is 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA and 11 strikeouts this season.
The Chicago White Sox will look to bounce back from a 5-2 loss to Kansas City last time out. Andrew Vaughn has a .300 batting average with team-highs of 4 home runs and 12 RBIs while Tim Anderson’s got team-highs of 17 hits with 4 doubles as well this season. Lucas Giolito is tabbed as the starter for the White Sox here and is 0-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 15 strikeouts this season.
Los Angeles is 1-6 in their last 7 series-opening games and 5-11 in their last 16 games overall while the over is 4-1-1 in their last 6 games as an underdog. Chicago is 17-4 in their last 21 series-opening games and 70-33 in their last 103 home games while the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games against the AL West.
I get the case to be made for either side in this one, but I am on the under. Noah Syndergaard’s been as good as we remember in his short stint with the Angels so far, and while it’s just been a short sample size, Lucas Giolito already looks to be in solid form himself. I think this is shaping up to be a bit of a pitcher’s duel and if we can get 6 or 7 strong innings from the starters, I love the under here.