Seattle Mariners (43-45) AT Los Angeles Angels (47-42)
July 8th, 2011 at 10:05 PM EST
Opening Line:  LAA -150, SEA +130
Current Line:  LAA -163, SEA +145
Opening Total:  7
Current Total:  7

SP:  SEA- Blake Beavan; LAA- Ervin Santana

Ervin Santana has had great success against the Mariners, and should be licking his chops to face a team that he has gone 4-0 against with a 3.19 ERA in his last 9 starts against.  He’s given up 2 runs or fewer in 6 of those 9 games but took a loss against the Mariners on the 15th of June when he gave up 2 runs in 6 2/3rds IP of a 3-1 loss.

Santana is 4-8 on the year with a 3.89 ERA.  Sunday night against the Dodgers, he gave up one run in 7 2/3rds IP with 8 Ks, as the Angels won 3-1.  Over his last 4 starts, he has compiled a 2.30 ERA, but has only one victory to show for it.

“He’s pitched really well every time he’s been out there and we haven’t really gotten him much run support,” teammate infielder Howie Kendrick said.  Kendrick is batting .307 on the year and 20 of his 89 hits have been doubles.  He has a 16 game hitting streak going, a span over which he has hit .328 and the Angels have won 12 of those 16 games.  He is 12 of 33 over his last 9 games against the Mariners and batting .409 in 6 games so far this season.

Kendrick will be playing in his first All-Star game this year.  Also, Angels pitcher Jared Weaver may end up starting after throwing a 6 hitter last outing, gaining his 11th win.

“It would be cool, no doubt about it. It would be very gratifying, for sure,” Weaver said when asked how he would feel about getting the nod as a starter.

The Mariners have been able to stay afloat despite a .224 batting average this season.  The reason, of course, has been the solid pitching, but even with Doug Fister givnig up only 3 runs in 6 innings, they still managed to lose their fifth in seven road games.  Fister now has 10 losses.

Blake Beavan is throwing only his second major league game.  He won his debut and gave up only 1 run in 7 innings while striking out 4 and only walking two.  His WHIP for the outing was 0.71.

Beaven is a 6’7″ power pitcher who took over a spot vacated by Erik Bedard who is on the 15-day DL.  Beaven is expected to be a top of the rotation starter in time.  He was acquired in the deal that sent Cliff Lee to the Rangers.

“I was really impressed with the way he used his fastball, but also the way he mixed it in with the secondary stuff,” Mariners manager Eric Wedge beamed.  “He had to make some pitches at certain points in time in a tight ballgame, and he was very efficient. Can’t ask for anything more than that in a debut.”

Some betting trends:

The total has gone UNDER in 6 of the Mariners’ last 7 games and it has also gone UNDER in 8 of their last 9 on the road and UNDER again in 5 of their last 7 against the Angels.  The Mariners are 5-16 SU in their last 21 games against the Angels and the Mariners are 1-9 SU in their las 10 games against the Angels.

The Los Angeles Angels are 5-1 SU in their lats 6 games and they are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home.  The total has gone UNDER in 5 of the Angels’ last 7 games against the Mariners and the Angels are 16-5 SU in their last 21 against Seattle.  The Angels are 9-1 SU in their last 10 at home against the Mariners.

Given the fact that the Angels have won 4 straight and 13 of 15 at home against the Mariners, it would make sense that they win this one.  However, if Beaven is as good as he looked in his debut, the Mariners could have something to say about that.  However, given their lack of run production, a solid outing from Beaven might not be enough, anyway.