The Halos are terrible. Poor fielding, poor running the bases and a bullpen. Probably 4 true professional hitters in the Halos lineup these days. The Friars are 10-3 on the RL at home as a favorite and Michel King has a 2.22 ERA and should be able to slice through this lineup. SD has a massive advantage in the bullpen, too. Angels 4-11 on RL over last 15 games.

The Padres lost all three meetings in Anaheim last year, with all three staying under in close games, while the Padres won all three games in 2023. The Angels have lost six of eight starts by Yusei Kikuchi, but he has his best career ERA at 3.83. The Padres have won five of eight starts by Michael King, and he’s only allowed five runs in his last five starts. The Padres are one game behind the Dodgers in the NL West with a 25-14 record, but they're 14-4 at home. The Padres have all their bats healthy, except Jackson Merrill has an illness and may miss tonight. Padres run line.

A daunting week on tap for Ron Washington and his Halos, who must travel to face the Padres and Dodgers thru next weekend. Daunting because even the recent homestand at the Big A, which Angels fans were hoping could prop up the team, mostly fizzled, only winning 4 of 10, and now the skid reads 7-18 across the last 25 games. More bad habits at the plate in the weekend set vs. the Orioles, walking just twice while striking out 10 times in the 7-3 Sunday loss. Yusei Kikuchi has also yet to win a game for the Halos, and outdueling Michael King at Petco looks a big ask. King has a 1.71 ERA in his last seven starts. Play Padres on Run Line.

The Angels' Yusei Kikuchi is 0-4 with a 5.19 ERA in five road starts. I'm sure the Padres won't be flat in a return from a trip after getting embarrassed in Denver on Sunday. Stellar young outfielder Jackson Merrill, who is batting a cool .446 on the year, missed that with an illness but should be back in there Monday. Pitcher Michael King has a 1.32 ERA at home.