Arizona Diamondbacks vs La Angels Angels Picks and Predictions June 13th 2024

Air Cleared, Angels Seek Series Win vs. Diamondbacks

The Los Angeles Angels conducted a team meeting on Wednesday to discuss a terrible defeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks the previous night. The lengthy pregame discussion has positioned Los Angeles to win the series as they finish a three-game set on Thursday night in Phoenix.

Angels’ Response to Team Meeting

The Angels erupted with a convincing 8-3 victory, featuring stellar starting pitching from Jose Soriano, timely hitting, and intelligent baseball. This was a vast improvement over Tuesday’s 9-4 loss, when the Diamondbacks had 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position and outfielder Jo Adell was thrown out trying to steal third, ending the seventh inning with the Angels trailing by three.

Accountability and Performance

“Accountability. That’s the biggest thing we got out of it,” Angels shortstop Zach Neto said of the meeting. “We wanted to come out here and play for each other no matter the result. We wanted to be the better team.” Neto was one of the heroes on Wednesday, going 3-for-5 with a homer, two RBIs, and two runs. Adell hit a three-run homer, and the Angels turned four double plays as Soriano accumulated 16 outs on grounders while pitching a career-high eight-plus innings.

Manager’s Praise

Angels manager Ron Washington praised the team’s performance, saying, “I just think we came out tonight and jumped on them and didn’t stop. It doesn’t matter what you say in a meeting because once those guys go between those (white) lines, it’s up to them. The offense came out early and kept going the whole game, we played solid defense, and Soriano took care of the rest.” The win was the fifth in eight games for the Angels, who are 15 games below .500.

For those making MLB game forecasts, the Angels’ recent form and strategic adjustments could be pivotal.

Diamondbacks’ Struggles

Arizona has been defeated in four of its last 11 games. Even though the Diamondbacks had runners on base for most of Tuesday’s game, they did not have any at-bats with runners in scoring position on Wednesday. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo suggested putting it in the “we-can-all-improve” category and continuing forward. “Their pitcher at the beginning did quite well, and sometimes you just have to acknowledge and respect that level of performance.”

Blaze Alexander went 0-for-3 in a start at third base for the Diamondbacks in place of slumping Eugenio Suarez. Lovullo said Alexander will receive more playing time in light of Suarez’s struggles (.197 average, 76 strikeouts).

Injury Updates

In the meantime, Angels outfielder Taylor Ward (back) and catcher Logan O’Hoppe (groin) were both sidelined on Wednesday. Ward had to exit the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game because of tightness in his lower back, while O’Hoppe left in the sixth inning after being hit by a foul ball in a painful area. O’Hoppe was given the all-clear from a major injury and is anticipated to begin Thursday’s match.

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Pitching Matchup: Griffin Canning vs. Brandon Pfaadt

Griffin Canning (2-6, 4.65 ERA) will start for the Angels on Thursday against fellow right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-5, 4.60 ERA) of the Diamondbacks. Canning is 0-2 during a four-start winless stretch in which he has allowed three or fewer runs in each outing. He lost to the Houston Astros on Friday, giving up three runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 innings of a 7-1 loss. Canning, 28, is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two career starts against Arizona. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (one homer) and Christian Walker are each 2-for-5 against Canning.

Pfaadt has not won in his last three starts, with a record of 0-2, allowing 13 runs and 20 hits in 18 1/3 innings. He allowed three home runs during a 10-3 defeat against the San Diego Padres on Friday, surrendering five runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed four runs in each of his last two starts. Pfaadt, who is 25 years old, has not yet played against the Angels.

Conclusion

To win the series against the Diamondbacks, the Angels will need strong pitching from Griffin Canning and the offensive performance of Zach Neto and Jo Adell. The Heavenly messengers appear to be restored after the new group meeting, showing expanded responsibility and execution. In the meantime, the Diamondbacks plan to rely on Brandon Pfaadt to stop their losing streak and establish stability in pitching.

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