Here Come the Yankees! Angels Try to Cool Off Baseball’s Hottest Team
By Ryan Murphy in MLB Baseball
Published:
The Angels will have to contend with baseball’s hottest team on Friday, April 27th when they kick off a three-game series against the Yankees at Angel Stadium.
The Bronx Bombers have won six straight and are leading the Major Leagues in runs, home runs, RBI, OBP, and slugging percentage, and are third in batting average. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that stumbled out of the gates and appeared to be going through the motions after last year’s deep postseason run.
LA began the season at 13-3 and recently took two of three against the division-leading Astros.
They’ll be facing another red hot squad in the Angels. LA began the season at 13-3 and recently took two of three against the division-leading Astros. They’re presently in second place in the crowded AL West and exceeding expectations with their potent offense.
Below, find the opening odds, key statistics and betting trends, weather forecast, and score prediction for tonight’s game.
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS |
|---|---|---|
| YANKEES (-147) | YANKEES -1.5 (+110) | OVER 8 (-105) |
| ANGELS (+127) | ANGELS +1.5 (-130) | UNDER 8 (-115) |
The Angels feature plenty of tantalizing pitchers, but unfortunately none of them will be on the bump on Friday night. LA will have to make due instead with left-hander Andrew Heaney, who is 0-1 with a ghastly 9.64 ERA. The 26-year-old has given up ten earned runs in his last two starts and has been hampered by elbow issues since Spring Training.
The Yankees will counter with Luis Severino, who is 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA and a career-best 0.90 WHIP. The 6’2″ righty has emerged as the unquestioned ace of the staff and is coming off a superb start against the Blue Jays in which he gave up just three hits in seven innings. He’s still just 24, and appears to be getting stronger – and savvier – every time he takes the mound.
Team Stats
| 15-9 (4-4 Away) | RECORD | 16-9 (5-7 Home) |
| +34 | RUN DIFFERENTIAL | +16 |
| RHP Luis Severino: 4-1, 2.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP | PROBABLE STARTER | LHP Andrew Heaney: 0-1, 9.64 ERA, 1.14 WHIP |
| .125 BA, .125 OPS (in 8 at-bats) | LINEUP VS OPPONENT STARTER | .200 BA, .200 OPS (in 40 at-bats) |
| 3.83 ERA (13th in MLB) | BULLPEN ERA | 3.25 ERA (10th in MLB) |
| .835 (1st in MLB) | TEAM OPS | .735 (10th in MLB) |
| 2-4 (1-2 Away) | 2017 HEAD-TO-HEAD | 4-2 (2-1 Home) |
Betting Results & Trends
| YANKEES | TREND | ANGELS |
|---|---|---|
| Won 6 | WIN/LOSS STREAK | Won 1 |
| 8-2 | LAST 10 | 4-6 |
| 13-11 | RUNLINE RECORD | 14-11 |
| 16-7-1 | OVER/UNDER SPLIT | 14-11 |
| Under 1 | OVER/UNDER STREAK | Under 1 |
Gary Sanchez hit a three-run homer off of Fernando Ramsey in the ninth inning to power the Yankees to a dramatic 4-3 win over the Twins. Reliever Dellin Betances picked up his first win of the season after striking out the side in the game’s final frame.
Justin Verlander scattered four hits over seven innings and led the Astros to a 5-2 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night. The win prevented LA from sweeping their three game series and allowed Houston to retain the top spot in the AL West.
Weather Forecast at Opening Pitch
| TEMPERATURE | 64° |
| HUMIDITY | 60% |
| WIND SPEED | SSW 7 mph |
| P.O.P. | 1% |
Score Prediction
| YANKEES | 8 |
| ANGELS | 3 |
There’s no polite way of saying this, but Andrew Heaney has been hit harder than a piñata lately. That’s a concern when you’re facing any team, but it’s a huge red flag against New York. The Yankees are averaging 7.8 over their last six wins and have rocked frontline starters like Marcus Stroman, Jake Odorizzi, Jose Berrios, and Lance Lynn.
New York’s most powerful bat belongs to Didi Gregorius, who is hitting .354 with nine home runs and 29 RBI.
Surprisingly, New York’s most powerful bat belongs to Didi Gregorius, who is hitting .354 with nine home runs and 29 RBI. The 28-year-old shortstop has been locked in since Day 1 and has become the hardest out on a team featuring a trio of prodigious sluggers in Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Gary Sanchez.
In the words of Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, “We have so much power in our lineup, you’ve got to be on your ‘A’ game every day or we can take advantage of it. That’s the type of team we have.”
Say a prayer for Andrew Heaney. He’s going to need it.
Former Sports Writer
Ryan worked as an Editor and resident Lead NBA and MLB Writer for SB from 2017-19. He has authored his own weekly columns for Fox Sports and AskMen, and has created successful campaigns for the WWE, the NHL, and the NFL. Ryan's critically acclaimed stories have been published in 20 books.
