Monday, April 19

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

Detroit (6-5) at L.A. Angeles (6-7)

The Tigers continue a season-long 11-game road trip when they send Dontrelle Willis (1-0, 4.91 ERA) to the mound for the opener of a four-game series against Joel Pineiro (1-1, 2.77) and the Angels at Angel Stadium.

Detroit salvaged a three-game weekend series in Seattle with Sunday’s 4-2 victory, snapping a three-game losing skid that followed a 5-1 run. Still, the Tigers are mired in a slew of slumps, including 3-5 on the road, 3-5 against the A.L. West, 3-10 in series openers and 26-60 as a road underdog.

The Angels got a tremendous pitching performance from Ervin Santana on Sunday and knocked off the Blue Jays 3-1 to sweep the three-game series in Toronto. Los Angeles has followed a 1-6 slump by winning three of its last four (all on the road). Mike Scioscia’s club is also on positive runs of 4-0 on Monday, 15-6 as a favorite and 38-18 against left-handed starters, but it has lost five of its last six home games.

The Tigers scored a rare season-series win over Los Angeles last year, taking five of nine meetings (3-4 on the road). Still, the Angels have won 47 of the last 68 battles overall and 35 of the last 52 matchups in Anaheim.

Willis faced Kansas City in his first two outings of the season, giving up two runs on seven hits in six innings of a 7-3 road win and four runs on nine hits (two homers) over five innings on Tuesday, getting a no-decision as the Tigers rallied for a 6-5 home victory. Detroit had lost four of Willis’ final five starts in 2009, and it is just is 2-6 in his last eight road outings (all as an underdog).

Willis’ only start against the Angels came on June 18, 2005, when he was with the Marlins and he scattered 10 hits and a walk in seven shutout innings, but the Angels rallied for a 2-1 interleague home win.

Pineiro has delivered back-to-back quality starts in his debut season with the Angels, following up a three-run, five-hit, six-inning effort against the Twins (10-1 home loss) with Wednesday’s one-run, five-hit, seven-inning performance against the Yankees (5-3 road win). Pineiro – whose first eight big-league seasons were in the American League (Seattle and Boston) – remains just 1-2 with a 5.27 ERA in nine career games (six starts) at Angel Stadium.

Pineiro is 6-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 lifetime appearances (nine starts) against Detroit, the most recent coming in an interleague game last June when he was with St. Louis. In that contest, Pineiro allowed four runs (one earned) in seven innings of a 6-3 home loss.

The under is 18-7-2 in Detroit’s last 26 games against A.L. West foes, but otherwise it is on “over” streaks of 5-2 overall, 6-3 on the road, 5-0 as a road underdog, 5-1 against right-handed starters, 7-0 on Monday and 4-1-1 in series openers. Also, the over is 3-1 in Willis’ last four starts overall and 6-2 in his last eight road efforts.

The over is 3-0-1 in the Angels’ last four series openers, but from there the Halos are on “under” runs of 35-15-3 overall, 12-3-1 against the Central Division, 3-1-2 on Monday and 14-6-1 versus lefty starters. Also, the under is 7-3 in Pineiro’s last 10 starts against Detroit going back to 2001.

Finally, the under is 12-5-1 in the last 18 Tigers-Angels clashes.

ATS ADVANTAGE: L.A. ANGELS and UNDER

Al DeMarco, General Manager of PickNation.com, is a 25-year veteran of the handicapping industry who is also the featured handicapping analyst on Comcast Sports TV in Chicago and a regular contributor on Fox Sports and MSNBC. Read his Daily Blog for his gambling insight, tips and observations plus watch his Free Pick Daily Video report at PickNation.com