Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels Prediction, 8/18/2023 MLB Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Tampa Bay Rays vs Los Angeles Angels

Date: Friday, August 18, 2023

Location: Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA

TV: Bally Sports SoCal

The Tampa Bay Rays (73-50) are headed to Angel Stadium on Friday where they will try to beat the Los Angeles Angels (60-62). The expected starting pitchers will be Erasmo Ramirez and Tyler Anderson.

As a team, the Tampa Bay Rays are compiling 5.2 runs/g, which has them at 4th in baseball. They have racked up 636 runs and hold an on-base percentage of .327. The Rays have accumulated 208 two-baggers as a unit and have hit 177 baseballs out of the park. They have 608 RBI's and 1,061 base knocks for the year, and their average at the plate sits at .256. Tampa Bay has a slugging rate of .444 and have struck out 1,067 times, while being walked on 386 occasions.

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They have earned a K/BB ratio of 3.11 and the pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.20. Rays pitchers have surrendered 129 home runs in addition to 491 runs in total (1st in the league). Tampa Bay has surrendered 953 hits (7.9 per 9 innings) as well as 466 earned runs. The Rays have an earned run average of 3.86 for the season (7th in the league), and the staff has struck out 1,087 batters. They have walked 350 opposing batters and their FIP comes in at 3.89 as a squad on the campaign.

Rays bullpen pitchers have gone to the mound with opponents on base 90 times and also have had 113 appearances in high leverage situations. The relievers have racked up 52 holds for the season (27th in baseball). The Rays relief pitchers have accumulated a save percentage of 62.7% and has entered the game in 104 save situations. They have 32 saves for the year and have blown 19 out of their 51 chances to save the game. The relievers have inherited 142 base runners so far this season with 25.4% of those runners crossed the plate. The Rays have dispatched 398 relief pitchers to the mound so far this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a total of 3,260 putouts this season, in addition to 1,117 assists and 54 errors. Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .988 which has them ranked 6th in professional baseball, and have 92 double plays. The Rays have turned 70.5% of balls hit into play into outs in their 9,780 innings, ranking them 4th in MLB.

Ramirez has taken the hill for 807 innings and has accumulated 608 strikeouts so far in his MLB career. Ramirez (39-45 career record) sits with a FIP of 4.49 while he has gone up against 3,386 opposing batters during his time in the majors. His earned run average is 4.28 (384 earned runs allowed) and he has a WHIP of 1.239. He has conceded 788 hits (8.8 hits per 9 innings) with 212 free passes.

Los Angeles has hit 180 home runs over the course of the season to go along with 560 runs batted in. They have recorded 191 doubles, while getting a free base 403 times as well as racking up 580 runs. The Los Angeles Angels have accounted for a team on-base percentage of .324 and a team batting average of .251 over the course of the season. The Angels have a slugging percentage of .437 and they earn 4.75 runs per game (10th in the league). They have been rung up on 1,132 instances (5th in the league) and have recorded 1,036 hits.

The Angels hold a team WHIP of 1.386 in addition to having a FIP of 4.53 as a team for the season. They currently have a strikeout to walk ratio of 9.30 (1,110 strikeouts against 468 bases on balls). They are sitting at 20th in baseball as a staff in total hits allowed with 1,026. They have relinquished 153 homers and they concede 4.99 runs per 9 innings (23rd in the league). The Los Angeles pitching staff have surrendered 598 runs on the year while holding an ERA of 4.54 (544 earned runs given up).

Los Angeles relievers hold an inherited score percentage of 41.1% out of their 158 inherited base runners. Their relief pitchers have come in 124 times in high leverage situations and also on 95 occasions with runners on base. Sitting with 137 save situations, the Angels have 80 holds and also 19 blown saves. They rank 10th in the league holding a save rate of 66.1%, and they have dispatched 359 bullpen pitchers to the hill on the campaign. Los Angeles has had bullpen pitchers step onto the mound in 56 save opportunities and they have recorded 37 saves.

In their 9,702 innings played, the Angels have accumulated a defensive efficiency of 68.4% (22nd in professional baseball). The Los Angeles Angels have gotten 93 double plays and have notched a fielding percentage of .983 (25th in pro baseball). The Angels have recorded 981 assists, 72 errors and are sitting with 3,234 putouts for the season.

In his MLB career, Anderson has allowed 897 base knocks while he has accumulated 772 K's in 911 innings pitched. He has allowed 435 ER's while holding a WHIP of 1.278 and a FIP of 4.2. He has a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.88 and he has gone up against 3,841 hitters so far in his MLB career. Anderson (49-47 career mark) has earned a 4.30 earned run average and has surrendered 8.9 hits per 9 innings.

Who will win tonight's MLB game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Los Angeles

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