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The Philadelphia Phillies will host the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. The Phillies fired Joe Girardi on Friday and then defeated the Angels in the series opener, 10-0. Sometimes teams get a spark after a managerial change, and that certainly seemed like the case Friday. Philadelphia was able to launch five home runs en route to their blowout victory. The loss was the ninth straight for the Angels, who are now just one game over .500 and 7 1/2 games back in the American League West title race.
The Phillies will send out Zack Wheeler for the second game of the weekend series, who is 3-3 with a 3.16 ERA through nine starts. His 10.2 Ks per nine rate is right in line with last season's when he led the National League in strikeouts with a whopping 247. He'll be facing an Angels team that is in a massive drought offensively, having scored only three total runs in their last four games and under three per game during the losing streak. The Angels have the fourth-highest strikeout rate in the MLB. With Wheeler's ability to rack up strikeouts in bunches, this could spell a long day for the Halos once again.
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"Your NL Pitcher of the Month: Zack Wheeler!" - @ Phillies
The Angels send righty Michael Lorenzen to the mound Saturday, who has been one of their better starters in 2022. Lorenzen is 5-2, with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.06 WHIP. He has a streak of three straight quality starts. The Phillies lineup that he'll face includes Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, who both went deep twice in Friday's win.
"Michael Lorenzen, Filthy 84mph Slider...and Sword." - @ Rob Friedman
The Philadelphia team overall ranks ninth in runs and ninth in OPS. For the 23-29 Phillies, the hitting hasn't been an issue so much as their awful bullpen that has the third-worst WHIP in the majors. Look for Lorenzen to try and stop his club's slide on Saturday.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels Match Details
Fixture: Los Angeles Angels @Philadelphia Phillies
Date & Time: Saturday, June 4, 7:15 p.m. EDT
Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels Betting Odds
The total has gone over in all of Lorenzen's last five starts, as well as three of Wheeler's previous four. The over has also hit in four of the Angels' last six, but with the way the Angels are hitting, the over has been hit due to their pitching staff imploding more so than their bats showing up.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels Best Picks
Bryce Harper hit his 11th and 12th home runs of the year on Friday, and on Saturday, he has a favorable matchup with Lorenzen on the bump. Expect the two-time MVP to continue seeing the ball well as his team looks to get back on track this season.
Pick: Bryce Harper Total Bases Over 1.5 Total Bases (-125)
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Angels Betting Prediction
The Phillies seem rejuvenated after what has been a very disappointing start to the year. The Angels are free-falling at the moment, and it seems that their confidence is completely shot. Los Angeles is 3-10 as underdogs this year, so expect the Phillies to ride this momentum to a victory Saturday.
Prediction: Philadelphia Phillies First 5 Innings -0.5 (-130) & First 5 Innings Over 4 Runs (-125)
