The Angels are looking to snap their 5-game losing streak as they once again host the Phillies. The Halos are coming off a brutal 5-3 loss last night, when they carried a 3-1 lead into the ninth before Edmund Sosa hit a pinch-hit grand slam with 2 outs to steal the game. Tonight, the Angels have a tough matchup as Ryan Johnson takes on Cristopher Snchez.
How to Watch Angels vs. Phillies
The Phillies and Angels continue their three-game series tonight, August 29, at 7:07 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. The game will air locally on Angels Baseball TV, presented by Pechanga Resort Casino, while NBC Sports Philadelphia will carry the Phillies broadcast.
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Angels vs. Phillies Odds, Run Line and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Run Line:
Moneyline:
Total:
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8: Over (-108)/Under (-112)
Can the Angels Find Any Success Against Cristopher Snchez?
Snchez has been one of baseball's best pitchers this year, heading into tonight with a 16-4 record, a 2.62 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, and 194 strikeouts through 168.1 innings. The left-handed pitcher has a terrific 5.11 K/BB ratio and has allowed just 14 homers in the entire season. In his last start, Snchez did allow 4 runs through 6.2 innings pitched to the Cardinals, but before that allowed only 3 runs in 23 innings of August play.
There is, however, precedent that indicates that Angels have what it takes to get to Snchez. His career ERA when pitching against Los Angeles is 5.73, as he allowed 14 hits and 7 earned runs in 11 innings. Zach Neto
, meanwhile, has been excellent against Philadelphia, hitting .385 with 10 hits, 2 doubles and a homer in his 6 career games against Philadelphia, and he is 1-for-2 against Snchez. Trout hasn't had much luck against Snchez, 0-for-2 with a walk against him, but Moiss Ballesteros might be someone to watch as he went 7-for-11 with four doubles and a 1.692 OPS against Philadelphia this season in Chicago. Overall, Angels hitters have hit just .158 in 21 career plate appearances against Snchez.
Can Ryan Johnson Continue His Recent Turnaround?
Johnson's
numbers don't look great as he carries a 3-7 record along with a 5.75 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 50 strikeouts in 67.1 innings pitched, but things have been different since the start of August. In 4 August games, Johnson has an ERA of 1.69, having allowed four earned runs in 21.1 innings pitched along with giving up 12 hits. His best game came last Saturday when he threw 7 shutout innings, allowing only one hit and 2 walks while facing Texas.
Philadelphia is a much tougher opponent for Johnson. Kyle Schwarber has 40 home runs and an OPS of .890 this year and has smashed 6 home runs and scored 14 RBIs in 16 games played against the Angels. Even scarier than Schwarber against the Angels is Bryce Harper, who has a batting average of .351 along with 10 home runs and 20 RBIs with an OPS of 1.471 in 16 games played against the Angels. The only current Phillies player to have faced Johnson in his career and had some success is Luis Arraez, who is 2-for-3 with an RBI and a career average and OPS of .365 and .853 against the Angels, respectively.
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Prediction, Props, and Picks:
The Phillies' -1.5 (-136) is my favorite bet today. Though Johnson has a better August ERA than his season, Snchez is clearly the better pitcher, while the Phillies have so many other advantages on offense in their lineup. The current Angels lineup has been limited to a .158 average by Snchez, while Snchez boasts a 6.25 FIP and 2.1 HR/9.
In terms of props, I'll be betting Kyle Schwarber 2+ total bases (-109). Schwarber has knocked out 40 dingers this season and six more in 16 games against the Angels, including two hits on Friday night. In case you want to bet on Angels props, the pick could be Zach Neto 2+ total bases (+142), because of his .385 career average and .984 OPS against the Phillies, as well as a 1-for-2 record against Snchez.
Bets I like:
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Kyle Schwarber 2+ Total Bases (-109)
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Zach Neto 2+ Total Bases (+142)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/angels/onsi as Angels Look to Bounce Back Against Phillies: How to Watch, Predictions, Analysis, and Prop Bets
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