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From Globe Life Field in Arlington, we have the Angels and Rangers facing off in an AL West matchup. First pitch is set for 2:35 PM ET, and BSSW is carrying this one on TV.
The Rangers are the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -174 compared to the Angels at +146. The over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and Sunday’s starting pitching matchup features Caden Dana for the Angels and Andrew Heaney for the Rangers. Texas comes in with a record of 69-74, while the Angels are 59-83 and are 5th in the AL West.
Los Angeles vs. Texas Key Information
- Teams: Angels at Rangers
- Where: Globe Life Field Arlington
- Date: Sunday, September 8th
- Betting Odds TEX -174 | LAA +146 O/U 8.5
The Angels Can Win If…
Caden Dana and the Angels are on the road to take on the Rangers today. Dana started the season with a win at home against the Mariners, going 6 innings and giving up 2 earned runs. He struck out 4 and gave up a pair of home runs in that outing.
After a slow start to the season, Taylor Ward has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Angels, going 11/35 in his last nine games with five home runs. Overall, he is batting .243 with a team-high 22 homers. Zach Neto is also near the top of the Angels’ home run leaderboard, with 20 homers and a batting average of .254. Jo Adell is also near the top of the home run leaderboard but is batting just .207 for the season.
As a team, the Angels are 27th in the league in runs scored, averaging just 3.9 runs per game. They also have one of the league’s worst team batting averages at .229. Overall, they are 21st in home runs and have the 24th OPS in the league.
- The Angels are 5-5 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Angels are 2-3 vs. the run line.
- Los Angeles has an over/under record of 4-6 in their last ten games.
- The Angels have an average of 4.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten road games, the Angels are 2-8
- Looking back across the Angels last five games as the favorite, they are 1-4
- Los Angeles has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Angels have averaged 2.7 runs per game on offense
The Rangers Can Win If…
Andrew Heaney gets the start for the Rangers today vs. the Angels and comes in with a record of 4-13 and ERA of 3.81. He has made 27 starts this season and has six quality starts. Looking back at his last outing, Heaney finished with a no-decision vs. the Yankees, going five innings and not giving up a run. Before that, he had given up at least one earned run in four straight starts. Heaney has given up a homer in three straight outings. Per nine innings, he has 9.11 strikeouts and 2.45 walks.
Corey Seager has been a bright spot for the Rangers this season, as he is batting .278 and leads the team with 30 home runs and 74 RBIs. Marcus Semien is also a power threat in the lineup, with 18 homers and 65 RBIs, but he is batting just .236 for the season. However, Semien is currently on a four-game hitting streak. Josh Jung and Wyatt Langford have also been swinging the bat well of late, with Jung going 15/35 in his last nine games and Langford going 10/35.
For the season, the Rangers are averaging just 4.2 runs per game, and their team OPS of .683 is 21st in the league. As a team, they are batting .239, which is 15th in the league, and their collective isolated power of .138 is 21st in the MLB.
- The Rangers are 7-3 in their last ten games.
- Over their last five games, the Rangers are 4-1 vs. the run line.
- Texas has an over/under record of 6-4 in their last ten games.
- The Rangers have an average of 5.4 runs per game over their last five games.
- Across their last ten home games, the Rangers are 5-5
- Looking back across the Rangers last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
- Texas has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
- In their ten most recent road games, the Rangers have averaged 4.5 runs per game on offense
Caden Dana: A Rising Star for the Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are shifting gears toward the future, and all eyes are on 20-year-old right-hander Caden Dana. Set to make his second major league start on Sunday, Dana is quickly becoming a standout as the Angels take on the Texas Rangers in the final game of their four-game series in Arlington.
Dana’s MLB debut last Sunday was nothing short of impressive. He allowed just two runs on two hits over six solid innings, helping the Angels to a 3-2 win over the Mariners. Despite his youth, Dana showed a level of calm and control that’s rare for a player his age.
“For his first big league start, the amount of information he had on their lineup, the homework he did, was really impressive,” Angels catcher Matt Thaiss said.
Dana’s debut also marked a historic moment—he became the youngest pitcher to take the mound for the Angels since Francisco Rodriguez in 2002 and the youngest starting pitcher since Frank Tanana in 1973. His ability to step up in key moments has left Angels manager Ron Washington full of praise.
“He proved to himself he can pitch in the big leagues,” Washington said. “He made pitches when he had to.”
Selected in the 11th round of the 2022 MLB Draft, Dana has progressed rapidly through the minors. With a 12-12 record and a 3.01 ERA across three seasons, he recently posted a 9-7 record with a 2.52 ERA in Double-A Rocket City, striking out 147 batters in 135 2/3 innings. Now, Dana’s set to continue showing why he’s the future of the Angels’ rotation.
Rangers Turn to Veteran Andrew Heaney
On the other side, the Texas Rangers are counting on veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney (4-13, 3.81 ERA) to steady the ship and secure the series win. Heaney has been pitching well recently, but poor run support has left him winless in his last few outings despite a 3.24 ERA in August.
In his most recent start on Tuesday, Heaney shut out the Yankees for five innings, allowing just three hits. Unfortunately, a bullpen collapse meant the Rangers needed a late rally to pull off a 7-4 win.
“It seems like every year you have a guy that you just have trouble getting run support for, and he’s been that guy,” Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said.
Heaney, who spent several seasons with the Angels, hasn’t had much success against his former team. In four appearances, he holds a 0-1 record with a 4.22 ERA, including a rough outing in May where he allowed three runs over 3 2/3 innings in a 9-3 loss.
Series Overview
The Rangers took the series opener 3-1 on Thursday, but the Angels bounced back with a 5-1 win on Friday. Texas responded on Saturday, securing a 6-4 victory to take a 2-1 lead into the finale.
Before Saturday’s game, the Angels made several roster moves, placing outfielders Kevin Pillar (left thumb sprain) and Jo Adell (left oblique strain) on the 10-day injured list. They called up outfielders Bryce Teodosio and Jordan Adams from Triple-A Salt Lake, with Teodosio making his major league debut on Saturday, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
What to Watch For
As the Angels continue to showcase their young talent, the spotlight will be on Caden Dana as he looks to build on his excellent debut. With Dana showing poise beyond his years, the Angels are eager to see him continue his development. On the other hand, the Rangers will rely on Andrew Heaney’s experience, hoping to finally give him the run support he’s been missing.
Though both teams are out of playoff contention, this series finale is a glimpse into the future, especially for the Angels. With Dana’s potential and Heaney’s veteran presence, Sunday’s game promises an exciting duel between a rising star and a seasoned pro.
The Lean
For a money line pick, we are leaning towards the Rangers to come out on top at home vs. the Angels. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 4th lowest-scoring game of the day, and this line is sitting at the 3rd lowest total. These teams have the 2nd lowest combined home run projection, and Andrew Heaney is 6th among today’s starters in projected strikeouts.
