La Angels Angels vs Seattle Mariners Picks and Predictions August 31st 2024

First pitch for Saturday’s Mariners vs. Angels matchup is set for 9:38 PM ET from Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA. Seattle is currently on a two-game winning streak, and their record of 69-66 has them 2nd in the AL West. The Angels are 5th in the AL West with an overall record of 55-80.

RSNW will be televising Saturday’s game, and the money line odds have the Mariners as the favorites, with the payout sitting at -167. The Angels are +140, and the over/under line is currently at 8 runs. Tyler Anderson is starting for the Angels, and the Mariners are going with Bryan Woo.

Seattle vs. Los Angeles Key Information

Seattle is sending right-hander Bryan Woo to the mound today vs. the Angels. He has made 16 starts this year and has a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 2.05. Woo’s WHIP for the season is .81, and opponents are batting .192 off him this year. In his last outing, he gave up one earned run in seven innings of work vs. the Giants. He got the win in that outing. Before that, he had given up two earned runs in three straight starts. Woo has been excellent at home, going 4-0 with a 1.46 ERA compared to 2-2 with a 3.1 ERA on the road.

Seattle’s offense has been one of the league’s worst so far this season, as they are averaging just 4 runs per game and are batting a collective .216, which is the worst in the league. However, they do come into the game with a few hot hitters, as Randy Arozarena has gone 10/31 in his last eight games and Julio Rodriguez has two homers in his last eight games. Rodriguez is batting .255 for the season, and Arozarena is at just .220.

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Cal Raleigh has been the Mariners’ most consistent power threat this season, as he has 27 homers, which is 9th in the MLB, and his 80 RBIs are the best on the team. However, he is batting just .208 for the season. Right now, Arozarena is on a six-game hitting streak, and Victor Robles has a three-game streak going.

Left-hander Tyler Anderson gets the start for the Angels today as he faces the Mariners at home. He has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 10-12 with a 3.41 ERA. Looking at his overall numbers, Anderson has a WHIP of 1.23 and has issued 3.52 walks per nine innings compared to 6.93 strikeouts. Anderson has turned in 12 quality starts this year and is coming off a rough outing vs. the Blue Jays, where he gave up two homers and four earned runs in five innings of work. Before that, he had won two straight starts.

So far this season, the Angels offense is averaging just 3.9 runs per game, which is 27th in the league. They have been equally as bad home and away, averaging 3.9 runs per contest in both situations. As a team, they are batting just .231, and their on-base percentage of .302 is also near the bottom of the league.

Over his last eight games, Taylor Ward has gone 8/30 with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .238 and is on a 10-game hitting streak. Zach Neto and Jo Adell are the team’s top power threats, with 20 homers and 18 homers, respectively. However, Adell is batting just .209 so far this season.

Our lean for a money-line pick in this Angels vs. Mariners matchup is to take the Angels to win. We also have this as the 10th highest-scoring game of today’s slate, and our lean would be to take the over. These teams have the 2nd lowest combined hits projection, and this one has the 4th highest combined strikeout projection. Looking at today’s starters, we have Bryan Woo as the 4th best strikeout option compared to Tyler Anderson, who is 9th worst.

Zach Neto Making an Impression as Angels Host Mariners

The Los Angeles Angels, set to face the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night in Anaheim, California, are gearing up to evaluate many of their young prospects over the season’s final month. However, one young player has already made a lasting impression—shortstop Zach Neto.

Neto’s Breakout Season

Zach Neto, 23, has quickly established himself as an above-average defensive player, but it’s his offensive numbers that have truly caught the eye. On Thursday, Neto hit his 20th home run of the season against the Detroit Tigers, joining Angels legend Jim Fregosi as the only shortstops in franchise history to hit 20 homers in a season. Fregosi, who hit 22 homers in 1970, is considered one of the greats in Angels history.

Neto’s impressive season doesn’t stop with his power at the plate. He also has 25 stolen bases, making him the second player in Angels history to achieve a 20/20 season before the age of 24, a feat first accomplished by Mike Trout, who hit 30 homers and stole 49 bases at age 20 in 2012.

Neto’s milestone 20th home run was a long time coming, with his 19th homer occurring on August 20. Neto admitted that the pressure of reaching the milestone might have affected his approach at the plate.

“Everybody knew I needed one more to get to 20,” Neto said. “I could be pressing, (or) not. It was me maybe just doing too much. But now, I’m just happy I was able to get it, get a pitch and have a pretty good quality at-bat with the result being a homer.”

For Neto, the connection to Jim Fregosi is particularly meaningful. Neto reflected on a speech he gave about Fregosi shortly after being drafted by the Angels.

“At a mini-camp, the day after I got drafted, we had a meeting with the whole minor league camp,” Neto said. “I actually got picked to speak on Jim Fregosi, his career and all of his accomplishments. So I know him pretty well from the knowledge that I picked up. Yeah, I think it’s pretty cool.”

Saturday’s Pitching Matchup

The Angels are set to start their 27th game of the season with left-hander Tyler Anderson (10-12, 3.41 ERA) pitching. Anderson had a tough game last Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks in a five-inning 8-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. In seven career starts against the Mariners, he has a record of 1 win and 2 losses with a 4.79 ERA. The Angels, who have been facing difficulties recently, have suffered defeat in eight out of their last nine games.

Meanwhile, the Mariners will respond by sending out right-handed pitcher Bryan Woo (6-2, 2.05 ERA) for his 17th start of the season. Woo is feeling confident after an impressive showing against the San Francisco Giants last Sunday, giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits in seven innings during a 4-3 win. Woo has a strong history of success when facing the Angels, boasting a 1-0 record and a 2.81 ERA in five previous starts.

Woo’s recent success in pitching deeper into games has been a key development in his career. After failing to pitch into the seventh inning in his first 29 major league starts, Woo has now done so in each of his past five outings.

“It’s been more mental,” Woo said of his recent ability to pitch deep into games. “Doing it once or twice, understanding that I can do it, and that I can still have good stuff late in the game. So I think it’s just digging deep. And being able to find that, it’s kind of opened up a new part of my game.”

Series Outlook

As the Angels look to assess their young talent in the remaining games of the season, Zach Neto’s standout performance has already made him a player to watch. Meanwhile, the Mariners, with Woo on the mound, will look to secure another win as they push toward the postseason. With both teams having much at stake, Saturday’s matchup in Anaheim promises to be an intriguing battle.