Page’s Weekly LA Angels Predictions: Week Five

Wednesday, May 3 @ Mariners

Probables: Ricky Nolasco vs. Hisashi Iwakuma

In the second game of the series, Hisashi Iwakuma gets the call for the Mariners. He has been an extremely reliable pitcher for the Mariners over his career, only finishing the season with an ERA over 4.00 once. Iwakuma owns a 4.15 ERA on the season, but had a solid outing his last time out. He went 5.2 innings, and allowed only one unearned run. The only Angels batter with more than five at-bats a batting average above .300 against Iwakuma is Yunel Escobar. He owns a .348 average against Iwakuma. However, Escobar is going through an absolutely awful slump at the plate over the past couple weeks. Trout and Pujols, despite bad averages against Iwakuma, have both taken him deep before, as have four other Angels.

Local boy Ricky Nolasco will get the start for the Angels. He owns a 4.13 ERA on the season. However, he has earned his first two wins of the season in his last two starts. He has been extremely susceptible to the long ball this season. In his five starts, only his most recent one came without a home run for the opposing team. He has given up seven on the season, but last start could mean a change for Nolasco. He skipped a start to work on his mechanics beforehand, and had his best outing of the year.

However, Nolasco does not have great success against the Mariners. Cano (.400 average, two home runs) and Cruz (three home runs, four RBI’s) have been successful against Nolasco. As a unit, the current Mariners spot a .296 average against Nolasco.

If the Angels want to win this game, they will have to rough up Iwakuma early and often.

Prediction- Mariners 7, Angels 6 in extras