BIG AL'S PAID PLAY
At 10:05pm our American League Game of the Month is on the Los Angeles Angels over the Detroit Tigers. As the favorites to win their respective divisions, the Angels and Tigers have had somewhat disappointing starts to the season so far. Each of them has a record around .500, and their team hitting and pitching have been below par to this point. The Tigers were without lefthanded starter Mike Maroth for most of last season due to injury and so far in 2007 a healthy Maroth has been perhaps the worst undefeated pitcher in baseball. His record may be 2-0 and his team's record may be 3-0, but Maroth has a 5.40 ERA and he has given up 22 hits in 16 2/3 innings while opponents have hit .328 against him. He will need to step it up and cannot necessarily depend on a bullpen that has an overall ERA of 4.78 to bail him out. The Angels will turn to young stud Jered Weaver in what will be his 2nd start of the season. Although he lost his first start to the A's 4-1, he pitched very well in defeat. The Angels are without 2B Howie Kendrick, who is on the DL with a hand injury, but they just got back the services of their best hitter and all-star outfielder Vladimir Guerrero. Guerrero has not missed a beat since coming back from a minor wrist injury, hitting home runs in both games since his return. Guerrero and his Angels teammates are hitting a scorching .282 vs. lefties this season while the Tigers are batting a putrid .228 vs. righties. This is the first meeting of the season between these two squads and last year L.A. won 5 of the 8 contests between them. Take the Angels. As always, good luck...Al McMordie.