Two teams that have flourished this month due to interleague play are set to battle in a three-game series.
Colorado Rockies at Los Angeles Angels
Colorado finished its recent six-game home stand with a 4-2 record, after suffering a 13-11 loss to the Boston Red Sox last night. The Rockies now have a 8-4 interleague mark heading to face the red-hot Los Angeles Angels (+440). “That’s a real good team that’s generating some steam for itself, and doing it in a similar fashion that we’re doing it in that they’re not at full strength right now,” manager Jim Tracy said. He’s referring to the fact that the Angels have been playing without 1B Kendry Morales and his club has been missing star SS Troy Tulowitzki to a broken wrist since June 17. Colorado has lost 14 of their past 18 meetings with the Halos.
Rockies SP Jeff Francis is 2-2 with a 3.43 ERA in seven starts this season (-100), after missing the entire 2009 campaign. The left-hander has an even 1-1 mark and 3.00 ERA in two outings away from Coors Field in 2010 and looks to move his record to .500 in his career on the road (24-25, 4.90 ERA). Francis has faced the Angels just once his career, allowing two runs and nine hits over 6.2 innings of work in a no-decision effort.
Los Angeles failed to complete a sweep of its crosstown rivals, dropping a 10-6 contest to the Dodgers on Thursday night. The Angels 20-8 record since May 26th is tops in all of baseball, outscoring opponents 102-35 in those wins. The club is a solid 9-6 versus the National League in 2010 (+300), after holding the top mark last season with a 14-4 record against the Senior Circuit. OF Bobby Abreu has been a key part of the offense recently, going 10-for-24 with six RBIs in his last seven games. The lineup is hitting .280 with 117 runs scored in 22 games this month overall.
Angels SP Jeff Weaver is 7-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 15 starts this season (+200) and will be making his first home start since May 29. He has produced a 2-1 record and 1.85 ERA in six starts at Angel Stadium (+120), managing to issue just 11 walks while striking out 44. The right-hander has won two straight starts, including seven shutout innings in a 12-0 road victory over the Chicago Cubs. In June, he owns a 15-5 career record with a 2.89 ERA. Weaver is scheduled to make his first career start against the Colorado Rockies, but is 8-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 14 career interleague appearances.
Both teams have been successful when the total has been placed at 8 to 8.5, with the Rockies being 12-6 (+720) and the Angels standing at 19-8 (+1,290). The total may be the best way of wagering on this contest, standing at 11-4 O/U in Angels’ interleague games.
