Los Angeles @ Oakland preview
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2010 ) LA Angels 1, Oakland 6
Joel Pineiro’s two-year, $16 million free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Angels didn’t receive much attention this past offseason.
His performance in the first half of the season, however, has made it look like one of the best moves. The struggling Angels could certainly use another vintage performance out of him Friday as they try to stop a five-game skid against the Oakland Athletics.
Pineiro has done a masterful job as the No. 2 starter behind Jered Weaver, who has replaced John Lackey as the Angels' ace.
Lackey’s signing with Boston, along with the New York Yankees’ acquisition of Curtis Granderson and the New York Mets’ signing of Jason Bay, overshadowed Pineiro’s arrival in Los Angeles. But Pineiro (9-6, 3.96 ERA), who spent the previous three season with the St. Louis Cardinals, is making it hard to overlook him now.
The 31-year-old right-hander has won six straight starts, posting a 2.08 ERA in that span. It his longest winning streak since 2003 with Seattle.
Pineiro tossed a four-hitter against the A’s on May 16, helping the Angels to a three-game home sweep. And with its offense scuffling, Los Angeles may need Pineiro to duplicate that performance.
The Angels matched a season-low with two hits in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox to fall 5 ½ games behind Texas in the American League West
Averaging 2.6 runs over their last eight contests, their slumping offense could have trouble in Oakland. The A’s have the lowest home ERA (3.03) in the American League.
On the other hand, Oakland hasn’t exactly been an offensive juggernaut lately. The Athletics scored just four runs while being swept by the New York Yankees earlier this week.
Kevin Kouzmanoff, who leads the team with 40 RBIs, is mired in a 4-for-39 skid. He is 2-for-12 with a homer and three RBIs against Pineiro.
Oakland sends Vin Mazzaro to the hill hoping to avoid losing four straight at home for the first time this season.
Mazzaro (4-2, 3.81) allowed one run and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings of a 3-1 win over Cleveland on Sunday. He is 1-1 with a 5.54 ERA in three starts vs. the Angels. He allowed one run and five hits in five innings of a 10-1 win over Los Angeles on June 8 – his first start in place of the injured Brett Anderson.