Angels to rally around Rasmus, beat Rays?
At 13-15, mired in third place in the American League West, the Angels probably didn’t think that things could get worse.
Guess again.
Hours after learning that ace Garrett Richards needs Tommy John surgery, Los Angeles will attempt to topple the formidable Chris Archer and Tampa Bay. The two teams get underway at 10:05 p.m. ET out West, with the visiting group getting the lion’s share of love from oddsmakers. Online sports book Bovada.lv lists the Rays (12-14) as 1.5-run favorites in the series opener.
Richards had been schedule to assume this evening’s assignment – until a medical examination Thursday revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. In the interim, Cory Rasmus (0-1, 4.40 ERA) must fill the void. He made six late-season starts in 2014 and one last season, surrendering two runs across three innings vs. the Dodgers on Aug. 2.
Tampa Bay’s Archer, (1-4, 5.01) meanwhile, won’t hesitate to prey on a wounded club. After a horrendous beginning to the campaign, the 2015 All-Star has been dynamic in the past several weeks. Most recently, he allowed one hit – a two-run homer to Jose Bautista – through six frames in a no-decision against Toronto.
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Perhaps the Angels’ lineup, though, rises to the occasion here. The Halos batted .329 with 25 runs in the final four of a six-game trip. Individually, Mike Trout boast a .407 average with six blasts and 18 RBIs since April 20. Still, we expect Archer to choose his battles wisely. Bank on a deceptively low-scoring affair here.
FRIDAY MLB FREE PICK: RAYS/ANGELS UNDER 7.5 RUNS
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