Philadelphia @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2023 ) LA Angels 10, Philadelphia 8
Bryson Stott acknowledged that the Philadelphia Phillies have a problem heading into Monday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif.,
After winning four games in a row and 11 of their past 13, Stott said he and his Phillies teammates simply could not identify one primary reason for all of the success.
Turns out, it's a good problem.
"Every day, every night, it's a new pitcher shutting down an inning," Stott said. "It's a new hitter driving guys in. That's what you need as a team, one through nine, and winning all types of different games. ... Learning how to win each type of game is huge."
The Phillies will open their final series of a 10-game road trip on Monday night. They have posted a 5-2 record against the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres on the road as they enter the final three games before returning home to Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, the Angels are hoping to break out of a slump that has lasted nearly two weeks. They have lost four games in a row and nine of their past 10.
Los Angeles is coming off a brutal series against the Minnesota Twins, who swept them in three games and outscored them 32-13 in the process.
Angels manager Ron Washington said he was concerned by his team's trajectory.
"The thing that was disheartening is to watch us just fall apart on the defensive side, fall apart on the offensive side, fall apart in the pitching department," Washington said. "The three things that are necessary to be successful, we fell apart this weekend doing."
Instead of pinpointing one player or a small group of players, Washington cited everyone.
"I'm not going to throw any of my players under the bus because I know how hard they work," he said. "But I'm disappointed, and I know they're disappointed, and we have to do better. We can do better, and we will do better."
Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (1-3, 2.96 ERA) will take the ball in the series opener for his sixth start of the season. He has 11 walks and 28 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings this season.
In his most recent outing, Sanchez gave up five runs (one earned) on four hits in three innings against the Reds on Tuesday. It was a bumpy follow-up to his best start of the season, when he held the Colorado Rockies to one run in six innings, walked one and struck out 10 as he got the win on April 17.
Sanchez is 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two games (one start) against the Angels in his career.
Los Angeles will counter with right-hander Griffin Canning (1-3, 7.50), who is set to make his sixth start of the season. The UCLA product is looking for back-to-back victories after limiting the Baltimore Orioles to three runs on five hits in five innings in his last start.
Canning never has faced the Phillies in his career.
The Angels are 3-9 at home this season. The Phillies are 9-4 on the road.
--Field Level Media