First Pitch: Monday, 10:05 p.m. EDT
Line: Oakland -130, Los Angeles +120, Total: 6.5

Joel Pineiro will look to continue his hot start against an Athletics team in which he has dominated in the past.

After missing the first month of the season due to a sore shoulder, Pineiro (2-0, 1.33 ERA) has been fantastic by only letting up 15 hits and three runs in 20.1 innings. Pineiro should keep the great start going when he faces Oakland on Monday night. Last year against the A's, Pineiro went 1-0 with a 1.57 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in three starts and the Angels wound up winning all three outings. For the Angels to get Pineiro another win, they will have to improve on their timely hitting. Los Angeles dropped two of three over the weekend to the Rangers and went 3-for-31 with men in scoring position. The Angels need their leader Torii Hunter (.234 BA on the season, .179 BA in past eight games), to pick up his play in the middle of the lineup.

The Athletics will send Brett Anderson (2-3, 3.21 ERA) to the mound Monday. Anderson had a short outing on Tuesday against the Rangers when he gave up four runs, six hits, and four walks in only 4.2 innings. Anderson has not had success against the Angels in the past where he is 0-2 with a 4.68 ERA in four career starts, all Oakland losses. The A’s need Coco Crisp to be that spark at the top of the lineup. Crisp (.258 BA) is batting .167 in his past 10 games and only has a .285 on-base percentage this year.

The Angels are 22-19 on the year but a solid 13-9 on the road. Los Angeles has been good coming back from losses where they are 11-7. An eye-opening stat is that the Angels are 11-2 in Pineiro’s past 13 starts on grass. Meanwhile, Oakland is 20-20 on the year and only 9-10 in home games. The Athletics have had no success at night where they are 9-15, but have been very good after a loss (12-7). Oakland is also a terrible 11-17 against right-handed pitchers. With Pineiro’s history of success against Oakland, and Oakland’s struggles against right-handed pitching, I like Los Angeles to win this one as a slight underdog.

More FoxSheets trends leaning towards the Angels include:

Play On - All teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (L.A. ANGELS) - poor AL offensive team (<=4.5 runs/game) against a team with a very good bullpen (ERA<=3.33), with a decent bullpen whose WHIP is 1.350 to 1.450 on the season. (58-34 over the last 5 seasons.) (63%, +25.9 units. Rating = 2*).

MIKE SCIOSCIA is 58-46 (55.8%, +22.2 Units) against the money line in road games vs. AL teams allowing 4.2 or less runs/game on the season as the manager of L.A. ANGELS. The average score was L.A. ANGELS 4.4, OPPONENT 4.2 - (Rating = 2*).