The Los Angeles Angels (55-51) will be trying to pick up the series win when they face the Atlanta Braves (67-36) in the second game of their three-game interleague series on Tuesday night.
Patrick Sandoval, 6-7, 4.13 ERA, will get the start for the Angels. The Braves will counter with Spencer Strider, 11-3, 3.73 ERA.
Atlanta and Los Angeles split their last 10 meetings.
**This preview was written before Monday’s game was played**
The Angels have played well in the second half of the season and they’ve won five of their last seven games. They are now third in the AL West standings, five games behind the division-leading Rangers and four games behind the Astros, who are in the final AL Wildcard spot. They will try to reduce the gap in the standings with a win over the Braves, which will give them their sixth win in their last eight games.
With AL MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani headed for free agency, the Angels decided to put all their chips on the table, hoping a deep playoff run will help them convince their star to stick around after the season.
They bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring starter Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the White Sox last week. They also added improved their lineup with the addition of infielder C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk from Colorado on Sunday.
Los Angeles is averaging 4.99 runs per game. Their .256 batting average is ninth in the league. Their .333 on base percentage is fourth, as is their .448 slugging percentage.
Ohtani has been the best player for the Angels this season. He leads the team with a .302 batting average, 39 home runs, and 81 RBI.
Los Angeles’ pitching hasn’t been good, with the team giving up 4.75 runs per game. Opponents have a .246 batting average against the Angels, which is 18th in the league. Their 4.37 ERA is 19th, while their 1.36 WHIP is 22nd.
In his last start, Sandoval gave up five hits and two runs in five innings, leading to an 11-4 win over Detroit. They will need another solid effort from him if they want to get the win.
Zach Neto (Back) is questionable for this game.