We're staring down the barrel of a real humdinger of a game as the New York Mets take their travelling show to the Los Angeles Angels. Housed at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, known to have a bit of a friendlier disposition towards those swinging the bat, it gets interesting as both teams look to exploit this advantage.
Taking the mound for the Mets is the seasoned, Jose Quintana. With a respectable but not overly intimidating 4.00 ERA, his form has been reasonably steady this season with solid command on the strikes. His counterpart on the Angels, Griffin Canning, has been spinning a bit of a different tale with a 5.44 ERA. His tendency to allow more runners on base might give pause to even the most ardent Angels fan.
Looking at the batting lineup, the Mets boast some heavy hitters. Jose Iglesias and Jeff McNeil have been in real form with their respective batting averages of 0.324 and 0.312, illuminating their abilities to find the ball consistently. Francisco Lindor is equally a player to watch out for, his knack for home runs and impressive base-stolen numbers could prove vital.
On home turf, Nolan Schanuel and Zachary Neto lead the Angels' charge, though with somewhat lower batting averages. Though no one on their team has set the diamond on fire consistently, each of them has shown an ability to step up when needed.
Turning to history for a bit of inspiration, the Mets and Angels have had some well-contested showdowns in the past with both teams having their fair share of wins and losses. The same holds true for their recent form with both teams coming off mix-bag results. Their regular season records largely reflect this narrative, with the Mets leading marginally.
Taking all that into consideration, sometimes a camaraderie forms between a baseball and a bat, and a game can hinge on these romantic moments. However, in this case, I give the edge to the New York Mets, given the strength of their batting lineup and the recent pitching form of Quintana.
Albert’s Prediction: New York Mets by 3