Los Angeles Angels vs Baltimore Orioles Picks and Predictions May 9th 2025

Early-Season Struggles Defined the Cellar Race

Both clubs enter Anaheim mired in the AL basement, with only the White Sox trailing their records. Baltimore has dropped six straight and endured a sweep at Minnesota, a bitter follow-up to last year’s 91-win, playoff-qualifying campaign. The Angels, meanwhile, have yet to string together consistent offense or pitching, leaving both teams desperate for a spark and an early morale boost.

Pitching Preview: Sugano’s Steady Hand vs. Hendricks’ Deception

Tomoyuki Sugano (3–2, 3.00 ERA) looks to rebound after yielding two runs and four hits over six innings in his last start. The veteran lefty, new to the majors after 12 seasons in Japan, brings craftiness and ground-ball propensity to the mound in his first outing against Los Angeles. Opposing him, Kyle Hendricks (1–3, 5.28 ERA) aims to build on his 7⅔-inning gem last Saturday, when his low-90s fastball and late-breaking off-speed offerings baffled Detroit hitters. Deception and sequencing will be their shared blueprint for success.

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Offensive Holdups and Underlying Metrics

Run production has been scarce for both lineups. Baltimore’s offense has struggled to drive in runners, as outfielder Heston Kjerstad lamented, “going home with a loss is never the funnest way to go home.” The Angels have similarly been undone by weak contact and sub-par on-base rates, leaving these clubs to search for timely hits and capitalize on opponent mistakes if they hope to reverse course.

Managerial Adjustments and Clubhouse Morale

Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer emphasized the need to stay positive, saying “we’re taking it one day at a time” despite the slump. Manager Brandon Hyde must shake up his lineup and defensive alignments to spark energy. Across the diamond, Angels skipper Ron Washington praised Hendricks’s mechanical tweaks and sequencing, underscoring the importance of execution over raw velocity. Both dugouts will be laser-focused on fundamentals to prevent further slide.

Wagering Outlook and Key Angles

With veteran pitchers who excel at inducing weak contact, early under on total runs presents value before the bullpens enter. For deeper series-long strategies and prop breakdowns, check out our MLB Best Bets.

Scoreline Prediction

Expect a tightly contested duel through five innings before a late-game rally from one of these desperate squads.