This Saturday the (39-53) Los Angeles Angels and the (56-38) Atlanta Braves will play game two of this three-game series. The first pitch will be thrown out at 7:20 PM EST inside Truist Park. This is also the first series between these two teams this regular season.
The Los Angeles Angels are coming into this one after being swept in their short two-game series against the Los Angels Dodgers. They struggled at the plate in both of these games, as they were outscored 16-2. They will need to be more active at the plate and score more runs if they want to avoid another result like that one.
The Atlanta Braves are entering this one after winning their previous four-game series against the Washington Nationals. Atlanta looked great in the field and on the mound, as they held the Nationals to less than four runs in three of the four games that they played. They will need to keep up this outstanding de fensive play if they want to take down the Angels in this one.
This game was published/written before last night's results.
The Los Angeles Angels entered the All-Star break on a (2-8) run, as they desperately needed the break. They have struggled at the plate this season, as they aren't scoring enough runs to stay completive in these games. The Angles are also in fourth place in the AL East, as they are 21.5 games out of first place. At the plate, they are scoring 4.02 runs per game and hitting .230 as a team. This is the 25th most runs scored per game and the 26th lowest overall team batting average. They are struggling to reach base consistently, as they aren't making enough contact with the ball. They have also had a difficult time stringing together multiple hits, to create a big inning. Luckily, Los Angels have shown that they are solid when they are scoring runs in multiple different ways. They are averaging 1.16 home runs per game, which is the 12th most in the league. I also expect the Angels to stay fairly aggressive once they reach base safely . They have already recorded 51 stolen bases this season, which is the 15th most in the league. They will do whatever it takes to put their men in scoring position, as their bats have failed to move runners consistently this season.
In the field, the Angels have been up and down. They are allowing 4.35 runs per game and they have the 15th highest overall fielding percentage. They don't make many mistakes in the field, as they do a great job of keeping the ball in front of themselves and knowing where to go to get the nearest out. Los Angeles has also only committed 53 fielding errors this season, which is the 19th most in the league. They can't continue to make mistakes in the field and still expect to win these games.
According to MLB.com, the Angels will be starting Patrick Sandoval on the mound. He has been decent this season, as he is (3-5) with a 3.00 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP. He also looked shaky in his last start, as he only pi tched for 4.2 innings and allowed two earned runs to the Dodgers. They hit him hard and early, as he couldn't handle the heat. His team has also lost four of the last five games that he has started.