Top Rated AL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
(MLB) Seattle vs. LA Angels,
Money Line: 106.00 Seattle (Away)
Result: Loss
Play: Seattle Mariners
Rating: 10*

On one side we have the reeling Los Angeles Angels with just one win in their last 13 games. On the other we have the red hot Seattle Mariners, winners of 10 of their past 12 contests. No need to overthink this, we're backing the hotter team with the better pitcher.

Hisashi Iwakuma (14-7, 3.84 ERA) takes the ball for Seattle. He's 8-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 16 career games (15 starts) against the Angels and he has their current roster limited to a .226 batting average over 199 at bats. Iwakuma has won three straight starts while allowing just a total of thee runs through 19 2/3 innings of work.

The Halos turn to Matt Shoemaker (6-13, 4.22). He's 3-4 with a 3.91 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) versus Seattle and he has been tagged with 10 runs (nine earned) on 13 hits in 10 innings against the Mariners on the season. Shoemaker conceded five runs on 12 hits in six innings of a 5-1 loss at Cleveland his last time out, and the Angels are 1-4 in Shoemaker's last five starts.

The Mariners' recent run has them back into playoff contention and yesterday's 4-3 win here at Anaheim saw the club pull within just two games of Baltimore for the second wild card in the American League. I don't see them slowing down just yet, and this looks like an excellent price on the visitors.