La Angels Angels vs Seattle Mariners Picks and Predictions August 30th 2024

Friday’s matchup between the Mariners and Angels is set to get started at 9:38 PM ET from Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. The Mariners are 68-66 and are the favorites on the money line tonight, with their odds sitting at -188. The Angels are 55-79 and have a money line payout of +159. Samuel Aldegheri is starting for the Angels, while the Mariners are going with George Kirby.

Currently, the Mariners are 2nd in the AL West, while the Angels are 5th in the division. Television coverage for Friday’s game is being handled by APLTV.

Seattle vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Seattle is sending right-hander George Kirby to the mound today vs. the Angels. He has made 27 starts this season and has a record of 9-10 with a 3.48 ERA. Kirby’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.11. In his 27 appearances, he has turned in 16 quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Kirby took the loss vs. the Giants, giving up three earned runs in 4 2/3 innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts. One positive for Kirby is that he is averaging just 1.16 walks per nine innings.

Cal Raleigh has been a bright spot for the Mariners this season, leading the team with 27 homers and 80 RBIs, which is 14th in the league. However, he is batting just .210. Randy Arozarena is 2nd on the team with 18 homers and has gone 8/29 in his last eight games. This stretch includes two homers and five RBIs. Overall, Arozarena is batting just .218.

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As a team, the Mariners are averaging only 3.9 runs per game, which is 26th in the league. Their team batting average of .216 is the worst in the league, and they are also the worst team in terms of strikeouts. Overall, they are 16th in homers and have the 5th best walk rate in the league.

For today’s game against the Mariners, the Angels will rely on Samuel Aldegheri to set the tone. It’s his debut for the season and he’s looking to put together a strong start in his debut.

For the season, the Angels are averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. They have been equally bad at home and on the road in terms of scoring runs. As a team, they are batting just .231 and have the 24th ranked slugging percentage in the league.

Zach Neto has been the Angels’ top hitter this season, as he is batting .254 with a team-leading 20 homers and 66 RBIs. However, he has gone just 4/28 in his last seven games. Jo Adell is 2nd on the team in homers but is batting just .208 for the season. Taylor Ward is on a nine-game hitting streak and has gone 7/25 in his last seven games.

Despite this Mariners vs. Angels matchup being the 2nd lowest projected scoring game of the day, we are still leaning towards taking the over. As for who we like to win this one straight-up, we are leaning towards the Mariners. Looking at today’s starters, we like George Kirby’s strikeout potential over Samuel Aldegheri, and we have the Mariners offense finishing with the 4th worst team hits figure in today’s slate of games.

Julio Rodriguez and Mariners Face New-Look Angels

The Seattle Mariners are set to face off against the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game weekend series starting Friday night in Anaheim, California. As the Mariners push for a playoff spot, they are hoping that their star outfielder, Julio Rodriguez, can return to the form that made him an All-Star in his first two major league seasons.

Julio Rodriguez’s Season Struggles

Rodriguez, who burst onto the scene with impressive numbers in his first two seasons—averaging 30 home runs, 89 RBIs, 31 stolen bases, and a .279 batting average with an .834 OPS—has faced a more challenging 2024 season. Heading into Friday’s game, Rodriguez is hitting .253 with 12 home runs, 42 RBIs, 18 stolen bases, and a .670 OPS. This drop in production has been partly due to a high ankle sprain that sidelined him for 16 games from July 22 to August 10. Upon his return, Rodriguez struggled to find his rhythm at the plate.

However, there are signs that he might be turning a corner. Rodriguez hit his first home run since July 20 in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday. The home run was a much-needed confidence booster for the young outfielder, who has been working diligently on mechanical adjustments to improve his swing.

“Once you are working with something and then you see it play out in the game, it makes you feel really good,” Rodriguez said. “Because it shows you that you’re kind of on the right track. And just it kind of motivates you to continue to work at it.”

The Edgar Martinez Effect

Another potential catalyst for Rodriguez’s resurgence is the recent hiring of Mariners legend Edgar Martinez as the team’s hitting coach. Martinez, a Hall of Famer and career .312 hitter, brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role, which Rodriguez has already found beneficial.

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“Really helpful,” Rodriguez said of Martinez. “I feel like he has so much experience as a hitter. Obviously, like one of the best to ever do it — a Hall of Famer and everything. He’s somebody I respect a lot. And he just has a lot of good pointers. And I’m happy that, obviously, I listen, but I’m happy that he’s around.”

Mariners’ Playoff Push and Pitching Matchup

The Mariners, who are still in the hunt for a playoff spot, find themselves four games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West. Seattle will send right-hander George Kirby to the mound on Friday. Kirby, with a 9-10 record and a 3.48 ERA, is looking to bounce back from a tough outing against the San Francisco Giants, where he allowed three runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings. In his career, Kirby is 3-4 with a 3.07 ERA in seven starts against the Angels.

Angels’ Youth Movement

On the opposite side, the Los Angeles Angels have moved their concentration to fostering their more youthful players as they wind up out of playoff conflict. The Angels as of late called up left-hander Sam Aldegheri, who will make his significant league debut on Friday. Aldegheri, 22, will turn into the primary pitcher brought up in Italy to play in the majors. He was procured from the Philadelphia Phillies in an exchange cutoff time bargain that sent reliever Carlos Estevez to Philadelphia.

One more youthful player getting an open door with the Angels is first baseman/DH Niko Kavadas. Kavadas, 25, was obtained in an exchange with the Boston Red Sox and has shown power in the minors, hitting .264 with 19 grand slams and 67 RBIs across two Triple-A groups. Be that as it may, his progress to the majors has been rough, with a .100 batting average and 17 strikeouts in his initial 10 games. In spite of his battles, Kavadas had an essential effect with his most memorable significant league hit, a three-run homer against the Toronto Blue Jays last Thursday.

Kavadas was initially disappointed when the fan who caught his first home run ball left the ballpark before it could be retrieved, but his father reassured him that the moment was what truly mattered.

“I thought he was going to be really disappointed,” Kavadas said of his father. “And he said, ‘I couldn’t care less about the ball. It was an epic moment, and I’m so happy for you.’”

Fortunately, the fan later contacted the Blue Jays to return the ball to Kavadas, allowing him to share the special memento with his family.

“It’s someone who kind of gets it, who understands what it takes to get there and what that ball means to me and my family,” Kavadas said. “It’s awesome.”

Series Outlook

As the Mariners and Angels get ready to go head to head, the two groups have a lot in question. For Seattle, each game is urgent as they battle to remain in the playoff race. For Los Angeles, the emphasis is on giving their young players significant experience and an opportunity to show what them can do at the significant league level. This series will be a significant test for both Rodriguez as he hopes to track down his structure and for the Angels’ possibilities meaning to transform the mabig jor leagues.