Saturday night baseball and we will see the Los angels Angels take on the Chicago White Sox in game 2 of their 3 game series from U.S. Cellular Park. The game is scheduled for a 7:15 (ET) pm start time and it will be televised live on Fox Sports West (Los Angeles) and WGN (Chicago). Currently the odds have Chicago favored at -120, while Los Angeles is dogs of +110. The total for the game sits at 10 runs.
Free Analysis: Chicago has regained control of the American League Central by winning eight of its last 10 games, including an 8-6 walk-off thriller in Friday’s series opener. The White Sox remain 2 1/2 games ahead of Detroit after Alex Rios stunned Los Angeles with his second home run of the night in the 10th inning. The Angels, losers of three straight, fell six games back of Texas in the AL West but still have a tenuous hold on the second wild-card spot, half a game in front of Detroit and Tampa Bay. The Angels (57-50) have allowed 34 runs over 26 2-3 innings during their three-game skid, while their starters have posted a 9.50 ERA during that stretch. Ervin Santana (5-10, 5.97 ERA) takes the mound after he allowed three runs in five innings of a 15-8 victory at Texas on Monday to record his first win in six starts. The right-hander is 4-5 with a 4.72 ERA in 13 starts against the White Sox including postseason, but 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA in five at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago counters with Gavin Floyd (8-9, 4.28 ERA), who fell to 2-5 with a 4.98 ERA in eight starts against the Angels when he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 7-2 loss in Anaheim on May 16. Floyd, however, is 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA in his last six starts overall, a stretch surrounding a stint on the disabled list with elbow tendinitis. The right-hander has walked 11 and struck out just two in two starts since coming off the DL, but he has allowed only five runs - three earned - in 12 2-3 innings while splitting those games. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, who each homered Friday, are a combined 4 for 9 against Floyd. Pujols is 11 for 24 with four doubles, five home runs and 11 RBIs in the first five games of this 10-game trip while Trout has hit three of his 19 homers and driven in eight runs during the same span. Chicago is 11-1 in its last 12 home games. The Angels, meanwhile, have dropped 10 of their last 14 on the road. The White Sox have lost Floyd’s last five starts against AL West teams, but Los Angeles is just 6-18 in Santana’s last 24 starts overall.
Free Pick: How much do the Angels really have left in the tank for this one. They have to be demoralized after letting their last 3 games get away from them, which has dropped them to third in the Division behind Oakland. I feel the series vs the Rangers really took it's toll on this team, especially on their staff, which now has an 8.46 ERA in their last 5 games. Now you head to play a very confident Chicago team, with your worst pitcher on the mound. Good luck. Ervin Santana had a good showing in his last outing, but the fact is that he is still a bad pitcher with a 3-4 mark and a 6.83 ERA on the road. Gavin Floyd has had his struggles this year, but is pitching very well right. He is 4-2 with a very nice 1.62 ERA in his last 6 starts. Those two losses over that stretch were not really his fault as the Sox gave him just 2 total runs in the two games and I don't fee run support will be a problem here vs Santana. The Sox are confident right now and the Angels are not. Go with the Sox in this one.
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MLB Free Picks: Los Angeles Angels at Chicago White Sox Betting
What baseball bettors need to know about Angels at White Sox on Saturday (8/4/12) - with Pregame.com's Vegas Runner and host Marco D'Angelo.