TST Best Bets: September 16, 2026
Nick Wire
Host · Writer
The Los Angeles Angels won last night against the Seattle Mariners, 2-1, at Angels Stadium. The Angels took the first two games of the series and now hope to earn their first series sweep since their May 22-24 series against the Texas Rangers.
Wade Meckler and Josh Lowe led the Angels in their win last night, each delivering a pair of hits and a run. One of Lowe's two hits was a solo home run in the sixth inning, which ended up being the winning run for the Halos.
Yusei Kikuchi will get the starting nod for the Angels tonight. Kikuchi is 1-5 with a 4.75 ERA in 53 innings. He's allowed three runs in his last 17 innings, which equals an ERA of 1.59. Since his return from the injured list, Kikuchi has made four starts with a 3.27 ERA in that span – giving up eight runs in 22 innings.
George Kirby will start tonight for the Mariners. Kirby has struggle of late – giving up 32 runs in his last 49.1 innings dating back to July 27. However, that's not the norm for Kirby. He has a 3.75 career ERA through five season in the majors and he's been a dependable arm for the Mariners.
First Pick: Mike Trout over 1.5 total bases
Rundown: The total bases bet is a risky one – but there's great value if this hits. Trout is 4-for-14 in his career against Kirby with a home run and two RBI. He also has three walks and a hit-by-pitch, making his on-base percentage against Kirby a whopping .444 through 18 at-bats.
In 202 games against the Mariners, Trout has a .307 average with 222 hits, 56 home runs, 138 RBIs and 152 runs.
Second Pick: Yusei Kikuchi over 1.5 walks
Rundown: Kikuchi has given up at-least two walks in five of his last 10 games. However, in his last two games he fave up a combined seven walks. In his last healthy season, 2025, he gave up 2.24 walks per game.
