This is two teams in different kinds of trouble meeting up at Angel Stadium. The A's are hanging around .500 at 23-24 but have dropped 4 of their last 5. The Angels are 17-31 and have lost 4 straight before scratching out a win to stop the bleeding. Somebody has to feel better tomorrow morning.
The pitching matchup is the kind of thing that makes a 9.0 total look low. Lopez carries a 5.80 ERA and has walked at least 3 in every start he's made this year, per RotoWire — control problems against an Angels lineup that will happily take a free pass and then trot home a couple batters later. He was even bumped to a bullpen cameo recently, which doesn't scream rotation lock.
Detmers is the wild card. He's 1-4 with a 4.20 ERA, but the last time out he managed 3.2 innings and 6 walks in a 2-0 loss to Toronto. When he locates he's a legitimate big-league lefty. When he doesn't, the inning ends with the bullpen jogging in early. Pick a side.
The board lines up about how you'd expect. Pinnacle has the Angels at -127, DraftKings has them at +107, and the EV on the Halos moneyline is the ugliest number on the screen at -6.74%. The total sits at 9.0 with the under getting 89% of the DK handle but only 52% of the bets — sharper money leaning under, public split. Neither side here looks like a free square.
Health-wise, both clubs are limping. The A's are still missing Jacob Wilson at short and Max Muncy at third, and Denzel Clarke is doing his rehab work in Single-A Stockton. The Angels are without Travis d'Arnaud, Yusei Kikuchi, and Anthony Rendon (shocker), plus a bullpen that just lost Robert Stephenson to season-ending elbow surgery. It is not a strong week to be an Angels reliever named on a depth chart.
- Day-To-DayWei-En Lin P — Double-A Midland placed Lin on the 7-day injured list May 13 with a left quad strain.
- 10-Day-ILJacob Wilson SS — Wilson (shoulder) remains in the strengthening and stabilization portion of his rehab, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMax Muncy 3B — Muncy (hand) has begun a swinging progression, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILDenzel Clarke CF — Clarke (foot) started at designated hitter and went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and an additional run scored with Single-A Stockton on Sunday.
- 15-Day-ILBrooks Kriske RP — Kriske (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for at least three weeks, Jason Burke of SI.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund SP — Hoglund (knee/back) was given a cortisone injection in his left hip May 1, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILTravis d'Arnaud C — D'Arnaud (foot) told reporters Saturday that he does not have a timetable for his return from the 10-day injured list, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILDrew Pomeranz RP — Pomeranz (elbow) said Friday that he doesn't expect to need more than a minimum-length stay on the injured list, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILYusei Kikuchi SP — Kikuchi (shoulder) will be shut down from throwing for 3-to-4 weeks, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILBen Joyce RP — Imaging on Joyce's right shoulder came back negative Friday, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILRobert Stephenson RP — The Angels announced that Stephenson underwent ligament and flexor repair surgery on his right elbow Wednesday and is likely to miss the remainder of the season, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILAnthony Rendon 3B — The Angels placed Rendon (hip) on the 60-day injured list Tuesday.
Bottom line: two messy rosters, two starters with command questions, and a home team that has spent the last 6 weeks getting steamrolled. If Detmers walks the yard again early, the A's will take what's given and the Angels crowd will be quiet by the 5th. If he settles in, the Halos have a real shot to scrape out the kind of low-event win their season has been begging for.