Miami Marlins (26-26) vs. Los Angeles Angels (28-24)
The 2023 Major League Baseball season continues Saturday, May 27, with the Miami Marlins facing off against the Los Angeles Angels in the interleague showdown at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, and the first pitch is set for 10:07 PM ET.
The Marlins and Halos lock horns in the second of a three-game series at Angel Stadium, with the Marlins winning 6-2 on Friday night. The Angels are surefire -200 moneyline favorites with a total of 8.0 runs, so let’s take a closer look.
The Marlins are back to .500
The Miami Marlins improved to 26-26 on the season following Friday's 6-2 win over the Angels. Before that win, the Fish dropped a four-game set at Coors Field in Denver, tallying their fourth loss in five games. During that five-game stretch, Miami scored 28 runs while yielding 21 in return, and all four losses have come by one or two runs.
The Marlins now own the third-lowest scoring offense in baseball, tallying 3.67 runs per game. They are slashing an excellent .307/.360/.479 with eight home runs and ten extra-base hits in the last seven days and 215 at-bats. Jorge Soler has launched six home runs over his previous 52 at-bats, while Bryan De La Cruz is 18-for-48 with three dingers in his last 13 games. The Marlins are without Jazz Chisholm Jr. (toe), who’s been sidelined since May 13 and will miss a few more weeks.
"He is on another planet" @budweiserusa // #ThisBudsForYou x #MakeItMiami pic.twitter.com/AkVrMkBkLN
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 26, 2023
Edward Cabrera will take the mound Saturday. The 25-year-old right-hander is 3-4 with a pedestrian 5.05 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and a 61/31 K/BB ratio in ten starts (46.1 innings pitched) this season. Through his previous four starts this month, Cabrera has gone 1-2, surrendering 12 earned runs on 17 hits and six walks across 19.1 frames of work. He’s now in the 59th percentile in expected slugging percentage and the 29th percentile in hard-hit percentage.
The Halos aim for their third series win on the spin
The Los Angeles Angels fell to 28-24 after Friday night's loss to Miami. Prior to that loss, the Angels scored a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday. After winning two out of three against the Minnesota Twins, the Halos swept a three-game home set versus the Sawx. Los Angeles has only allowed 16 runs during that six-game stretch while notching 24 in return.
The Angels are scoring 4.94 runs per contest (9th in the MLB). They are hitting .241/.299/.462 with eight home runs and 11 doubles in the last seven days and 158 at-bats. Over the last couple of weeks, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have homered four times apiece, while Zach Neto has gone 14-for-43 with a pair of no-doubters and five doubles in his last 13 games.
Hook, line, and sinker 🎣#GoHalos pic.twitter.com/kZwUUdy2dF
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) May 25, 2023
Shohei Ohtani will be on the bump Saturday, and the 28-year-old righty is 5-1 with a 3.05 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, and 80/25 K/BB ratio in ten starts (59.0 IP) in 2023. After allowing just two runs through his first five starts of the season, Ohtani has yielded a thumping 18 runs across his next five turns. He pitched well last Sunday, tossing six innings of a one-run, two-hit ball in a no-decision against the Twins.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
Despite a rough patch in the first half of May, Shohei Ohtani ranks in the 96th percentile in expected batting average and the 90th percentile in expected slugging percentage. The current Marlins are just 10-for-43 with a pair of doubles and RBI against Ohtani, and I’m expecting the Angels to win this game behind their ace.Â
I’ve mentioned the Marlins’ excellent triple-slash in the last seven days, but keep in mind that Miami has played four games at Coors Field. The Marlins need a strong performance from Edward Cabrera, who’s allowed six dingers in his last six starts (28.2 IP), and the Halos heavily lean on a long ball.Â
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Angels have never seen Edward Cabrera before. I’m not expecting them to trounce the Marlins’ righty, though Cabrera has struggled with control so far this season and ranks in the 6th percentile in walk percentage. If Shohei Ohtani put on a strong performance, we won’t see a high-scoring affair.Â
The Halos’ bullpen has gone 4-0 with three saves, 3.77 ERA, and 4.99 FIP in the last ten days and 31.0 innings of work. The Marlins’ bullpen has tossed 31.0 frames in that span, too, posting a 2-1 record to go with three saves, 4.06 ERA, and 2.83 FIP.Â