Not to dash any hopes here, but the Los Angeles Angels are going to have to strain real hard to see the light at the end of this tunnel. For starters, you have the Astros' rockstar, Yordan Alvarez, with his .337 batting average, who’s less of a batter, more of a soothsayer predicting the inevitable 'outta here' every time he steps on the plate. What's not helping the Angel's case is their starter Caden Dana, who’s been sporting a whopping 9.00 ERA this season. Not exactly a number one would flaunt at the annual pitcher's cocktail party.
Houston's Ronel Blanco, on the other hand, knows how to keep the cosmos in order with an impressive 3.08 ERA. Seriously, the guy throws shades instead of baseballs. While we're at it, let's not dismiss the phenomenal season Mauricio Dubon and Yainer Diaz are having, each of them effectively turning the diamond into their own personal stage.
As for their celestial counterparts, Angels' Taylor Ward’s .291 batting average and Nolan Schanuel’s .276 do add a little clout but aren't formidable enough to raise much dust. Angels have their backs to the wall, and the recent game history attests to that, with Astros stealing three of the last five matches.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Astros' regular season trump-card (80-68) clearly overshadows Angels' unflattering (60-88) performance. The recent results aren't favoring the Angels either, with the Astros shining high in three out of the last five games. Unless Angels got a juicy deal with the devil, this, my friends, seems like a challenge beyond redemption.
Angel Stadium, known for its ordinary favorability for the batsmen, won’t offer much reprieve, considering the teams' current state. To summarize? This my friends, is where the buck stops. Let's cut to the chase.
Albert’s Prediction: Houston Astros by 2