[Raji]

Los Angeles Angels at Detroit Tigers
Odds: -130, 9 ½
Starting Pitchers: Jered Weaver vs. Justin Verlander

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball showcase features two teams expected to be among the American League’s best this year. Both the Angels and Tigers were favorites to win their respective divisions and right now the Angels are atop the AL West.

Neither team has had things go the way they wanted so far this year, however, so this game could serve as a turning point for both squads.

The Angels have been bitten hard by the injury bug, especially in the pitching staff. Starters John Lackey and Kelvin Escobar, who combined for 37 wins last year, both suffered major injuries. Their absence has put added pressure on L.A.’s young hurlers, namely Jered Weaver.

Weaver had a standout rookie campaign, going 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA, and followed that with an up-and-down sophomore season. An opportunity knocked on Weaver’s door this season with Lackey and Escobar shelved but he hasn’t answered the call.

He is just 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA and .289 batting average against this year. The road has been especially unkind to Weaver, where he is 0-2 with a 6.88 ERA.

That doesn’t bode well when going up against a Tigers lineup that has awoken from its early-season slumber. Detroit was predicted to score 1,000 runs this season but the opening weeks made that forecast look unrealistic.

A slow start from the batter’s box left the Tigers 2-10 through the first 10 games of the season, but a quick turnaround at the plate has propelled Detroit on an 8-3 run. The Tigers averaged 7.8 runs per game during that run.

Detroit will have “ace” Justin Verlander on the mound, even though he hasn’t quite lived up that title this season. The young right-handed flamethrower is just 1-3 with a 5.93 ERA. Verlander has boasted a great strikeout-to-walk ratio in past years but that has not been the case this year as he has walked 14 and struck out just 17 in 30 innings.

Verlander didn’t pitch against the Angels last year but had two strong showings against them in his breakout 2006 season. He allowed just three earned runs in 13 innings of work that season but he could have his work cut out for him this year. Los Angeles is among the league’s best in numerous offensive categories, including second in team batting average and stolen bases, fourth in OPS, seventh in scoring and ninth in home runs.

Two trends stand out from 2007’s series between Los Angeles and Detroit. Big run production was the most glaring trend as the teams combined to average 14.3 runs per game en route to pushing all eight contests over the total.

Additionally, the series was dominated by the home-field advantage with the home team going 6-2 and winning by 5.8 runs per game.

The “worldwide leader” made a wise decision in making this contest its featured game. Two promising young hurlers going up against two explosive offenses will no doubt produce an entertaining game.

Raji