Good teams can win on the road. By most accounts, the Angels are a good team, but they currently sit a .500 on the road. That isn’t bad, but that isn’t good either.
They actually started out quite well as an away team, but have fallen on hard times of late. They just dropped two of three in Atlanta. Before that, they dropped two of three in Houston. Before that, they got swept in Oakland.
It is now up to the Angels to reveal their true selves. Are they the team that started out red hot on the road or the team that can barely buy a road win of late? Whichever they prove to be could prove to be the difference between them making the playoffs and not.
HISTORY LESSON
The Angels and Indians met back at the end of April in what was arguably a turning point for the Halos. That was their first sweep of an opponent in 2014 and the first time that they got above .500 since eternity (I might have to fact check that last part).
MATCH-UP MASTERY
MONDAY, 6/16: Jered Weaver vs. Trevor Bauer
Weaver won his start against the Tribe back in April, but he got hit around pretty well. Weaver does well against guys like David Murphy, Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis, but he has been obliterated by Carlos Santana and Lonnie Chisenhall, who is apparently good now.
Bauer has never faced any Angel ever. He’s also never been in my kitchen.
TUESDAY, 6/17: Matt Shoemaker vs. Josh Tomlin
Matt Shoemaker has never faced any Indian ever, at least Cleveland Indians. I’m not sure if he has faced an ethnic Native American department. I’ll have our research department look into it and get back to you.
Tomlin has limited experience against the Angels, primarily against Erick Aybar who is 0-for-9 against him. Howie Kendrick has two hits in six plate appearances and then there isn’t much after that.
WEDNESDAY, 6/18: C.J. Wilson vs. Justin Masterson
Wilson carved up Cleveland back in April allowing two hits and striking out eight in eight innings. That makes sense because Cleveland has a lot of lefty bats, although Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher have given Wilson a lot of problems in the past.
Masterson obliterates Kendrick and Aybar, but he’s been hammered by Josh Hamilton. Mike Trout is starting to build a nice line against him too because Masterson likes to throw the ball down in the zone and we all know what happens when you throw the ball down in the zone against Trout. The Halos beat him last time out, but they are so GIDP prone that I worry about them pulling it off again.
THURSDAY, 6/19: Garrett Richards vs. T.J. House
Richards has barely faced any Cleveland players outside of David Murphy who has faced Garrett 15 times to modest success.
T.J. House will be making his sixth career start. His first five haven’t been all that great. In fact, there is a chance he may not even get the call come Thursday. That could go to Zach McAllister who the Angels knocked out early when he faced them in April.
OFFICIAL PREDICTION
Cleveland has improved since they last faced the Angels, so there isn’t likely to be a repeat sweep. They are also exceptionally good at home thus far this year. Add all that together with the Bullpen of Perpetual Sorrow starting to return and I think the best the Angels can do here is a come up with a split.
UNOFFICIAL PREDICTION (so don’t hold me to it)
The Angels will lose two games in this series and both losses will got a relievers, not starters.
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