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Carrie Stroup here with your New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels line for May 28, 2012 (Memorial Day). This is a night game. All baseball games can be bet on here at Sportsbook, offering eligible customers up to $250 in FREE CASH.
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Los Angeles -136 & 7.5 under -115
Two scorching hot teams begin a three-game series on Monday when the Yankees, winners of five in a row, visit the Angels, who are riding a six-game winning streak.<P>
Both clubs have gotten outstanding pitching during their surges as New York has outscored opponents 28-10 in the five games, while L.A. has won by a combined score of 26-10. However, Monday’s pitching matchup is rather lopsided with erratic Phil Hughes facing Jered Weaver, who remains one of the best pitchers in baseball. This is especially true at home, where Weaver is a perfect 4-0 with an 0.83 ERA and ridiculous 0.49 WHIP (32.2 IP, 14 H, 2 BB) this season. Hughes, on the other hand, has been horrendous on the road in 2012, carting a 5.12 ERA and 1.45 WHIP in 19.1 innings. Hughes was also bombed at home against these same Angels on April 14, allowing six runs in just 3.1 innings. Although the Yankees offense is clearly better, smart money is on Weaver and his moderately-favored <b>LOS ANGELES</b> squad to keep its win streak alive on Monday.<P>
Hughes has been absolutely shelled in four career starts against the Angels, going 1-2 with an 8.70 ERA and 1.98 WHIP. Hughes, who grew up close to Anaheim, has allowed five homers and 15 walks in these 19.2 innings. However, Hughes has pitched very well lately, going 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA and 1.21 WHIP in his past three starts. His last time out, he held the Royals to two runs and five hits in six effective innings. There are a few hitters he really needs to be careful of. Howie Kendrick went 3-for-3 with a home run off Hughes during the April 14 loss, Maicer Izturis is 3-for-3 with a homer and 4 RBI in his career against him, and Albert Pujols went 2-for-2 off Hughes the first time they faced each other. Pujols has been heating up during the second half of May with a .308 BA, 6 HR and 14 RBI in his past 13 games.<P>
After getting shelled at Texas on May 13 (3.1 IP, 10 H, 8 ER), Weaver has settled down in his past two outings. Although his opponents were the offensively-challenged Padres and A’s, Weaver held these two foes to just three runs and six hits in 15 innings. Like most pitchers, Weaver hasn’t been great versus the Yankees in his career (5-2, 4.84 ERA, 1.29 WHIP), but he posted a 1.80 ERA with 19 K’s in 15 IP in two starts against them last year. But there are two batters he might have trouble with for a change. Red-hot Mark Teixeira went 8-for-14 with three doubles, three homers and eight RBI in the just-completed, three-game sweep of Oakland, and Derek Jeter (.338 BA this season) has thrived against L.A. by batting .400 during a seven-game hit streak in this series. But Teixeira is just 3-for-16 against Weaver in the past five seasons and Jeter is just 3-for-23 against Weaver in his long career. However, three other Yankees have been able to take Weaver deep four times each in their careers -- Alex Rodriguez (4 HR in 20 AB), Curtis Granderson (4 HR in 21 AB) and Raul Ibanez (4 HR in 27 AB).
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
