MLB Picks 4/27 – Oakland As @ LA Angels

MLB Picks 4/27 – Oakland As @ LA Angels

The Oakland A’s (5-20) face the Los Angeles Angels (13-12) this afternoon in the finale of a four-game series. Los Angeles won 2 of the first 3 in this series including an 11-3 win last night. Today’s starting pitchers are JP Spears (0-1, 4.98 ERA) for Oakland and the incomparable Shohei Ohtani (3-0, 0.64 ERA) for Los Angeles. Oakland is the 5th team in major league history to lose 20 games in April. 

GAME ODDS

Moneyline: Oakland + 270, Los Angeles – 330

Run Line: Oakland +1.5 (+122), Los Angeles -1.5 (-140)

Run Total: over 8.5 (-105)  under 8.5 (-115)

GAME STORYLINES

The Oakland A’s finished with the second worst record (60-102) in baseball last season, and the futility has continued this season as they are a major-league worst 5-20. Oakland has been outscored by 112 runs (92-204) in 25 games which is also a league worst. One of the few bright spots for Oakland this season is the play of outfielder Brent Rooker, he’s hitting .315 with 6 homers and 15 RBI in his first season with the team. 25-year-old catcher Shea Langeliers (the Atlanta Braves selected him 9th overall in the 2019 MLB draft) is also playing well in his second year with Oakland, he has 5 homers on the season. Langeliers was the top prospect in the Atlanta Braves minor league system and was a key piece in the trade package to Oakland for slugger Matt Olson in March 2022. 

Shohei Ohtani takes the mound for Los Angeles today, he’s having a magnificent start to the season with a 3-0 record and a 0.64 ERA in 5 starts, he’s also carrying a streak of 12 straight starts allowing two runs or fewer and has not allowed a homer this season. Ohtani hit his sixth homer and drove in three runs in last night’s 11-3 win. As a batter, Ohtani is hitting .261 with 6 homers and 16 RBI on the season. 

10-time All-Star Mike Trout is having another fine season hitting .311 with 5 homers and 13 RBI but it doesn’t appear as if he’ll have to carry the team offensively as he’s done for the past 11 seasons. Offseason acquisitions Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Drury have added power to the Angels lineup. Renfroe leads the team in homers (7) and RBI (19), while Drury has 4 homers and 14 RBI. 

Despite having two of baseball’s best players in Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani for the past six seasons, the Los Angeles Angels have not had a winning record since 2015 and have not made the postseason since 2014. Maybe things will change this year as the offense

THE PICK

Oakland has been outscored by 112 runs this year, take Los Angeles Angels on the money line or the run line!