The Seattle Mariners play host to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday afternoon from T-Mobile Park in the series finale between the two sides. On the weekend, the Angels were surprised in winning two of the first three games and looking to pull off another stunner on Sunday. There is still quite a bit between the two sides in the AL West standings, though if the first few games have shown anything, it's that this will surely be an interesting finale.
The Angels have been the talk of baseball for much of the season but not in a good way. Considering all the talent on their roster, many expected at least a Wild Card push for this team. Despite that, they find themselves closer to the bottom of the American League than to the Wild Card race and it's become clear that this team won't be finding itself in the playoffs come October. They've gone 4-6 in their last ten games and with a brutal record on the road, it'll be interesting to see how this group can replicate the success they've already had on the weekend.
Injuries haven't helped this group for much of the season and the continued absence of Mike Trout (ribs) is the obvious biggest concern. Adding to that are Matt Duffy (back) and Anthony Rendon (wrist) remaining out, while Shohei Ohtani (forearm) is questionable. Adding to that are three other relievers being out, as concerns mount in the bullpen.
Detmers for the W!#GoHalos | #SoCalMcD pic.twitter.com/XsuJvJOoLe
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) August 7, 2022
According to MLB.com, Tucker Davidson will be getting the ball for the Angels as he looks to set the tone in this one. The lefty doesn't have a ton of experience on the season and with a 1-2 record and 6.46 ERA, it remains to be seen what exactly to expect out of him. Davidson hasn't pitched since May 28th and with that lack of experience of late, it could be a challenge.
Even though they've played well across the first three games of the series, question marks remain if they'll be able to keep it going in the finale. The offense has struggled for much of the season and having the worst strikeout rate in the league doesn't help matters, along with the injuries. Over the last week, only Luis Rengifo (.417 average) has been hitting with any sort of consistency, as they'll need others to continue to step up.