This matchup features a team vying for the best record in the AL and also vying for the AL East Division championship against a team that is unlikely to make the playoffs as the Baltimore Orioles travel to take on the Los Angeles Angels in game three of a three-game series in which the Orioles have won the first two games and will be going for the three-game series sweep. Will the Orioles complete the three-game series sweep or will the Angels end their five-game losing streak? Let’s take a closer look at how these teams are faring this season.

The Baltimore Orioles enter this game with the best record in the American League with a record of 87-61 and lead the Tampa Bay Rays by 3.5 games for 1^st place in the AL East and for the best record in the American League. Baltimore is on a four of their last five games and are on a four-game winning streak which includes a 5-4 win in game two of the series against the Los Angeles Angels with two of the five runs for the Orioles coming in the 3^rd inning which included Jorge Mateo scoring off a base hit from Adley Rutschman.

Los Angeles has not technically been eliminated from playoff contention, however, the Angels trail the Toronto Blue Jays by 13 games for the last Wild Card spot in the American League with a record of 64-75 and are on a five-game losing streak which includes a 4-5 loss in extra innings at home against the Baltimore Orioles. Two of the four runs for the Angels came in the 7^th inning which included Brandon Drury scoring off a base hit from Mike Moustakas. 

BookMaker has the Baltimore Orioles listed as -130 money line favorites on the road against the Los Angeles Angels for game one of the series on Wednesday. Baltimore has won eight of the last ten and two of the last three games while winning by an average margin of 1.4 runs per game over the last ten and 1 run per game over the last three games in the series.

Baltimore has the slight advantage at pitcher on Wednesday as the Orioles will send Kyle Gibson to the mound while the Angels will send Patrick Sandoval to the mound for game one of the series. Gibson is 13-8 this season with a 5.15 ERA while recording 137 strikeouts while Sandoval is 7-11 on the year with an ERA of 4.19 and has recorded 112 strikeouts.

Kyle Gibson is 0-2 with a no-decision in his last three starts against Los Angeles while allowing a total of 17 runs and striking out ten batters in those starts with the most recent start coming last season in which Gibson allowed five runs and struck out three batters in a no-decision.

Patrick Sandoval is 0-1 with a no-decision in his two starts against the Orioles while allowing a total of three runs and striking out 17 in those starts with the most recent start coming last season in which Sandoval allowed one run and struck ten batters in a loss.

Baltimore enters this game with a better record and has been the better team in the series, winning eight of the last ten and two of the last three games while winning by an average margin of 1.4 runs per game over the last ten and 1 run per game over the last three matchups. As a result, I am taking the money line for the Baltimore Orioles at -130 on BookMaker for this matchup on Wednesday night.