The Los Angeles Angels play host to the Seattle Mariners on Monday night in the series opener from Angel Stadium. These two AL West foes aren't strangers to each other on the season and have had pretty equal levels of success against each other, especially considering the distance between the two in the standings. While the Mariners continue to battle in the Wild Card race, the Angels have their eyes set on playing the role of spoiler as the season draws to a close. This is likely to be an exciting one and fans of both sides will want to be sure to tune in.
The Mariners continue their road trip as they head to Los Angeles in an AL West showdown on Monday night. While catching the Astros atop the division seems like far too much to ask of this team, the Wild Card race continues to be what this group has their eyes set on. Heading into Monday's opener, they have the top Wild Card spot but they know that they can't afford to drop games down the stretch, especially against teams below them in the standings. With a 6-4 record over their last ten games and an impressive record on the road, there's no reason they will think they can't grab the win in this one.
Injuries have continued to be a concern all season, though it hasn't seemed to slow down the Mariners, especially of late. Positionally, Tom Murphy (shoulder) and Evan White (groin) both remain out, while Taylor Trammell (hamstring) could be in the lineup in the opener. With three relievers out, the bu llpen is slightly more of a concern, though it shouldn't impact them in the series opener.
No. 1??9?? for Eugenioooooo! pic.twitter.com/J7X6JoUcW7
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 14, 2022
According to MLB.com, Luis Castillo will get the ball for the Mariners as he looks to set the tone. The righty has been strong this season, coming in with a 2.71 ERA, though his 5-4 record has left something to be desired. Coming off of an eight-inning shutout of the Yankees last time out should give him quite a bit of confidence as he hits the road on Monday.
Despite the wins, Seattle's offense has struggled to find much consistency on the season and while it might not hurt them against the Angels, it could be their downfall as the season continues. They rank in the bottom third of baseball in runs per nine innings and team average. They rank right around the middle of the league in every other category, peaking at 14th in home runs. Mitch Haniger is hitting .435 over the last week to pace the lineup, though with many others struggling to get things going, Monday could see this group kocking off some rust early on.