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MLB Betting – Angels Aim to Reverse Fortunes vs. Indians

Zack Garrison

by Zack Garrison in News

Updated Jan 17, 2018 · 9:39 AM PST

Cleveland Indians (+100) at Los Angeles Angels (-120, 7 o/u)

After snapping a seven-game losing streak last night, the Los Angeles Angels (56-49, 33-21 Home) will look to build some momentum tonight when they face the Cleveland Indians (48-57, 28-25 Away) at Angel Stadium of Anaheim (10:05 PM Eastern) in the second of a three-game set.

The Angels took game one of the series last night (5-4) with Conor Gillaspie hitting the decisive home run in the sixth inning off reigning AL Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

“I was just kind of looking for a mistake,” Gillaspie said to the Associated Press after the win. “[Kluber is] tough. He’s got good stuff, good movement, and he’s one of the elite pitchers at this level. So you really have to get locked in and concentrate, just try to put the barrel on the ball against a guy like that. You feel pretty lucky to get a hit off a guy like that. I’d have been just as happy with a hit.”

The Angels’ recent seven-game skid has seen the team fall three games back of the Astros in the AL West. They still hold the first Wild Card spot, but are now just two games up on the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Twins.

With so many teams still in contention in the AL, the Angels will need to right the ship right-quick if they want to be playing October baseball. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker (5-7, 4.24 ERA) will be on the bump tonight, looking to start a modest two-game win streak for his club. Shoemaker went seven shutout innings in his last start against the Houston Astros, but wound up with a no-decision. The solid outing was the latest in a string for the 28-year-old, who has a miniscule 1.78 ERA in his last five starts.

Facing Shoemaker for the Indians will be Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 4.03 ERA), whose 11 wins lead the team. Carrasco is coming off a great performance against the Oakland A’s, allowing only two hits and one run in a complete game gem.  The big righty was rumored to be on the move before Friday’s trade deadline, but he wound up staying put.

“It looked like it was bothering him a little bit,” manager Terry Francona explained to the AP. “So I just said, ‘Hey, man, teams call, because you’re coveted. That’s a good thing.’ But, we’re not dying to let our pitching go away, and they know that.”

Both pitchers have been good lately and will face lineups that have struggled recently.  Though Cleveland has lost three straight, Carrasco, who looks to have finally found his control, should make the underdog Indians better value.

Pick: Indians (+100). 

(Photo credit: Keith Allison on Flickr (Originally posted to Flickr as “Matt Shoemaker”) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo has been cropped.)

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