The Angels (63-68, 31-35 away) travel to take on the Phillies (72-58, 39-25 home) in game one of this interleague matchup. Lucas Giolito is getting the start for the Angels while Taijuan Walker is starting for the Phillies. See who I like to pick up the win in today’s Los Angeles Angels vs. Philadelphia Phillies showdown at Citizens Bank Park.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Los Angeles Angels +122

This game will be played at Citizens Bank Park at 6:40 ET on Monday, August 28th.

WHY BET THE LOS ANGELES ANGELS:

  • Over their last five games on the road, Los Angeles has a straight-up record of 3-2.
  • As the favorite on the road, the Angels’ win streak currently stands at three games.
  • Opponents are hitting just .218 against Lucas Giolito in his last five starts.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

On an overall record of 63-68, the Angels are 4th in the AL West. In their 42 series, Los Angeles has gone 17-22-3 which includes losing each of their last three sets. On the road, the Angels are 31-35 and are 32-33 at home.

Lucas Giolito takes the mound with a 7-10 record and 4.32 ERA. On the road, he has gone 3-7 with an ERA of 7.17 in 14 appearances, while at home he has put together a 4-3 mark and 2.60 ERA. His season WHIP is 1.27, while opponents have hit .234 against him with a .443 slugging percentage.

Despite his best efforts, Lucas Giolito was unable to lead the Angels to victory in his most recent start against the Reds. He was ultimately charged with the loss after allowing four runs over six innings of work.

As a team, Los Angeles has scuffled at the plate over their last ten games, with a combined batting average of just .207. Compared to other teams, this is just 24th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .433% while going deep a total of 190 times (4th). Overall, the Angels are 13th in the MLB at 4.7 runs per contest.

The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani has been their offensive leader this season, boasting a .305 batting average. His slugging percentage stands at an impressive .666, and his on-base percentage is an even more impressive .409.

WILL THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Phillies enter today’s game with an overall record of 72-58, including putting together an above .500 mark at home (39-25). This year, Philadelphia has played in 42 series and have gone 23-16-3. Currently, they are 2nd in the NL East.

Taijuan Walker has had a solid season thus far, appearing in 25 games and boasting a 13-5 record with an ERA of 4.02. His WHIP stands at 1.29, and he’s averaging 7.44 strikeouts per nine innings with 113 K’s total. He’s been particularly successful at home, where his record is 6-2 with an ERA of 3.33, while his road record is 7-3 and his ERA is 9.50.

Taijuan Walker’s latest outing against the Giants saw him surrender three runs and six hits, though he did not factor into the decision. Despite this, the Phillies emerged victorious with a 4-3 scoreline.

Across their last ten games, the Phillies’ offense is 5th in batting average, leading to an average of 6.4 runs per contest in that span. Overall, they are the 11th ranked scoring offense and posted a season-long OPS of .761 on 162 (11th).

The Phillies’ top hitter Nick Castellanos has been a key contributor to the team’s offense this season, boasting a .276 batting average. He also leads the squad with a .471 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage of .311.