Win or lose, the Houston Astros (41-31) will still be the top team in the American League West at day’s end. They can’t afford to lose steam, though, not with teams like the Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels (36-35) in their rear view mirror. The Angels, on the other hand, can close the gap between them and the Astros in the standings when they send the rounding into form C.J. Wilson to the mound tonight.
Can’t decide if you like chicks or baseball more? Why not enjoy both at the same time when you click here for a top ten list of the hottest wives and girlfriends of Boston Red Sox players.
[sc:MLBArticles ]
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels Preview
Where: Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Los Angeles
When: Tuesday, June 23, 2015, 10:10 PM ET
Line: Houston Astros (+108) vs. Los Angeles Angels (-118); total: 7.5 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the Houston Astros
[sc:MLB240banner ]After recording his first win in three starts, Collin McHugh (7-3, 5.04 ERA) will look to build on his newfound momentum when he takes the mound at Angel Stadium later tonight.
In his most recent start, McHugh (7-3, 5.04 ERA) appeared to be on his way to suffering his second-straight loss when he allowed three runs in the first inning at Colorado last Wednesday. That proved to be the only lowlight of the night for McHugh, though, as he held the Rockies hitless from the third inning until his departure in the seventh frame.
McHugh plans to take up where he left off when he faces the Angels, a team he has pitched well against in his career. McHugh is 2-2 with a very solid 2.03 ERA and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings in five career starts against the Halos. That includes his brilliant outing at LA on May 7, when he yielded just two earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts in seven-plus innings of work in an Astros’ 3-2 victory.
That being said, McHugh is riding a six-start streak of three or more earned runs allowed, which means that the Astros’ offense will have to keep up its production. Houston is averaging 5.0 runs over its last six games.
Jose Altuve, who returned to action Monday night after an eight-game absence due to a hamstring injury, should be a man to watch against Angels’ starter C.J. Wilson. The diminutive leadoff hitter is 9-for-29 (.333) with two homers in his career against the lefty Wilson. Astros first baseman Chris Carter, meanwhile, is 9-for-26 (.346) with a pair of home runs in the same head-to-head situation.
The Astros are 3-1 in their last four games against a left-handed starter.
C.J. Wilson is just all right. After starting the month with a pair of disastrous outings, wherein he went 0-2 with 11 earned runs in 13 total innings, the lefty has regained his footing and has since played some exceptional baseball. Wilson is 2-0 over his last two starts, allowing just one run in 17 total innings.
Wilson’s (5-5, 3.39 ERA) latest success was at Arizona on Thursday, when he surrendered one run on eight hits while striking out nine batters across eight frames in the Angels’ crushing 7-1 win. The Angels can expect another solid outing from Wilson based on their recent record when he’s starting at Angel Stadium. Los Angeles carries a strong 8-2 record in Wilson’s last 10 home starts, which includes the team’s 1-0 win over Oakland on June 13. In that game, Wilson tossed seven scoreless innings, giving up just two hits and striking out eight.
Starring for the Angels’ offense, meanwhile, is Albert Pujols, who continues to defy father time. Pujols, who hit two homers in the Halos’ 4-3 win over Houston in the series opener Monday, leads the American League with 23 home runs. He is 4-for-13 (.357) with a homer in his career against McHugh. Mike Trout, on the other hand, isn’t as successful, as he has a lifetime line of 1-for-8 (.125) with three K’s opposite McHugh. Trout, however, is 7-for-23 (.304) over his last seven games.
