Angels vs Padres MLB Betting + Handicapping Picks
One has to be wondering just how hot the seat is getting under Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia’s butt.
LAA: Jered Weaver (5-1, 2.83) vs. SD: Jeff Suppan (2-1, 1.69 ERA)
Date/Time: Friday, May 18 – 10:05 PM EST
Venue: Petco Park, San Diego, California
Broadcast: FOX Sports West (LA) FOX Sports San Diego (SD)
LINE:-158 Angels
TOTAL: 6
The Halos have lost three of their last five, despite the recent firing of hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, and Albert Pujols hitting another home run in a 6-1 loss to the underachieving Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Padres were embarrassed at home for the fifth time in their last eight games at Petco Park. Now they will get a chance to change that as the host the struggling Angels for the first time in 12 years when they open a three-game interleague series on Friday.
The Padres still played at Qualcomm Stadium the last time the teams met in San Diego, so the series represents the Angels’ first visit to Petco Park.
Jered Weaver makes his second career-start against the Padres. He blanked San Diego on six hits in 2009. The 29-year old right-hander allowed eight runs in 3 1-3 innings in Sunday’s loss to Texas. It was just the second time this season he has allowed more than three earned runs.
In 18 career interleague starts, Weaver has gone 10-3 with a 2.75 ERA. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Hopefully, he will get the runs support that has been missing in his last appearances, as Albert Pujols has homered in back-to-back games. However, he didn’t hit for a high average in Petco Park as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Pujols is batting just .258 at the airy ballpark with seven homers in 97 career at-bats.
No matter, because as bad as Los Angeles has been in the batter’s box, the Padres are even worse, resulting in the worst record in the National League, 11 1/2 games off the pace in the NL West after losing to the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday.
The Padres hope for more offensive production when 2-1 Jeff Suppan hits the mound on Friday for just his third start of the season after being recalled from Triple-A Tucson on May 2.
The 37-year old Suppan is 5-4 with a 4.87 ERA in 12 career starts against the Angels.
The good news for the Halos is that they are 35-for-99 with 18 RBIs, eight from Torii Hunter and six more from Pujols, versus Suppan.
Matt’s Free Prediction: Angels- The Angels and Padres have split 22 previous interleague meetings, and I expect this series to pan pretty much the same, with the Angels taking game one behind a rebound pitching performance from Weaver.
