It’s always noteworthy when dual-threat star Shohei Ohtani pitches for the Los Angeles Angels in addition to his hitting and that will be the case on Wednesday when the Angels visit the Seattle Mariners with the Halos as short favorites on the MLB odds.
Angels’ Shohei Ohtani On Mound vs. Mariners Wednesday | 2023 MLB Expert Analysis
How to Bet Angels at Mariners MLB Odds & TV Info
When: Wednesday, 4:10 PM ET
Where: T-Mobile Park
Probable pitchers (away/home): Shohei Ohtani/Chris Flexen
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/gameday audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/
Opening MLB Lines: Angels -135, Mariners +115 (total 7.5)
Why Bet on LA Angels?
Phil Nevin is in his first full season as Angels manager after serving as the interim manager for the final 106 games of the 2022 season.
Mike Trout is a career .324 hitter vs. Seattle and is the all-time leader in career home runs against the Mariners, with 54. His 142 career runs scored vs. Seattle are second all-time, behind Rickey Henderson (145).
The Halos remain without former All-Star third baseman Anthony Rendon as he is serving a four-game suspension – it was originally five due to an interaction with a fan last week but reduced to four on appeal and Rendon started serving Monday. Rendon, 32, is in his 11th MLB season and fourth with the Angels. A former All-Star with the Washington Nationals, he has been limited by injury during his Angels stint, having played 58 games or fewer in each of the past two seasons. The Angels will play with 25 active players during the suspension.
It’s ace Shohei Ohtani on the mound Wednesday. Last Thursday in Oakland, Ohtani made his second Opening Day start as a pitcher and tossed 6.0 scoreless innings in a no-decision, allowing two hits and three walks with 10 strikeouts. Ohtani began the 2023 season with a twist: calling his own pitches through a PitchCom device hidden underneath his jersey near his left shoulder.
“Shohei’s got so many pitches he can throw,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said before the game of the switch to PitchCom. “So for him to go through ’em and shake and shake and shake — time’s running out because that thing doesn’t say it quick enough sometimes.”
Ohtani was occasionally wild, walking three and throwing just 55 strikes in 93 pitches but became the fourth pitcher in Angels history with 10+ strikeouts on Opening Day, joining Nolan Ryan (12 SO; 1973 & 1975), Andy Messersmith (11 SO; 1970) and Jered Weaver (10 SO; 2012).
Ohtani previously was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He made three appearances (two starts) on the mound for Japan, going 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA and 11 strikeouts and earned the save in the Championship Game against the United States. At the plate, he hit .435 (10/23) with four doubles, one home run, eight RBI and nine runs scored. Ohtani has two homers in this regular season so far.
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MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
Why Bet on Seattle?
Not only are the Mariners struggling out of the game, they will be without 2021 Cy Young winner Robbie Ray (won it with Toronto) for a while. An MRI exam on the injured elbow of the left-hander revealed a Grade 1 flexor strain on Saturday. The Mariners plan to shut him down from throwing for the next two weeks before he’s reevaluated.
Ray told reporters that he felt his forearm start to get tight during the second inning on Friday vs. Cleveland. He initially thought it was due to the cold weather, but when it didn’t subside he knew something could be wrong. Offensively, Seattle has scored more than four runs only once.
“It’s been a struggle here early on. It’s not for lack of trying or lack of effort or preparation. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to get it done, and we haven’t done it here,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Offensively, it has been a challenge.”
Julio Rodriguez ranks second in Mariners history with 7 leadoff home runs, trailing only Ichiro Suzuki (37). Since the beginning of the 2022 season, Julio’s 7 leadoff HR rank tied for 3rd-most in MLB (also: Kyle Schwarber & Mookie Betts), trailing only Jose Altuve (12) and George Springer (9).
It’s Chris Flexen on the mound here as he will take Ray’s rotation spot. Flexen should be reasonably stretched out after pitching four innings of one-run ball in relief of the injured Ray in Friday’s game against the Guardians. Flexen doesn’t miss many bats and relies on quality defense behind him.
Flexen moved to the bullpen after the club acquired Luis Castillo ahead of last year’s Trade Deadline, and he pitched well, but sparingly. He had a 3.71 ERA in 26 2/3 innings over 13 outings (two starts) in the final two months of the season, holding hitters to a .217/.282/.392 (.674 OPS) slash line. A slider he developed midseason that yielded just three hits (singles) in the 183 times he threw it did help in the second half.
“That pitch was huge to kind of carry him through the second half,” Mariners pitching coach Pete Woodworth said, noting the majority of Flexen’s numbers in 2022 were not far off those in 2021. “Flex was motivated to get after it, push the velo button a little bit, push the weight room a little. He’s at a place we haven’t seen from him in two years.”
Flexen is entering his third season in Seattle, but based on the Mariners’ starting pitching depth and the fact that they shopped him and fellow starter Marco Gonzales ahead of last year’s Trade Deadline, he might be Seattle’s clearest trade candidate. Flexen believes that having a true breaking ball, something he lacked last season, will lead to more consistency.
Bet Mariners to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
Game Trends
- Angels are 4-1 in their last 5 during game 3 of a series.
- Angels are 9-4 in their last 13 vs. American League West.
- Angels are 1-4 in their last 5 Wednesday games.
- Mariners are 12-3 in their last 15 Wednesday games.
- Mariners are 1-5 in their last 6 games vs. a right-handed starter.
- Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
Expert Prediction
Angels 4, Mariners 3
Shohei Ohtani homers for the 2nd straight day!
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