Los Angeles @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( May 2, 2010 ) LA Angels 1, Detroit 5
A pair of teams struggling to keep their playoff chances alive will meet Friday when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim visit the Detroit Tigers for a three-game set.
The Angels took two of three from the American League West-leading Texas Rangers at home and then figured to get a chance to make up some ground with three games against the worst team in the majors - the Baltimore Orioles. It didn't happen.
Anaheim was promptly swept at Camden Yards and has been dismal of late, going 3-11 in its last 14 games. Playing on the road is no remedy for what ails them, as the Angels are on a 3-14 skid away from home.
Manager Mike Scioscia went so far as to have a closed-door meeting after his team's latest setback, a 5-4 loss to the Orioles, who won the game in the ninth off closer Francisco Rodriguez.
The Angels enter the weekend series with the Tigers trailing the Rangers by 10 games in the American League West. They have dropped to third in the standings, behind the Oakland Athletics.
Looking to turn things around for Anaheim will be starter Jered Weaver (10-7, 3.04 ERA), who has allowed three runs or less in his last four starts but is only 2-2 in that span. Weaver has a lifetime record of 2-3 with a bloated ERA of 6.51 in seven starts against the Tigers.
Detroit comes into the series on a downturn as well after a home series against the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox went from being a chance to pick up some ground and momentum to adding another two games to its deficit.
The Tigers dropped three of four games to the White Sox, including Thursday's encounter 6-4 in 11 innings.
Detroit is third in the AL Central, behind the Minnesota Twins and nine games back of the front-running White Sox.
Justin Verlander (12-6, 3.74 ERA) starts for Detroit and has been pitching well lately, going 6-2 in his last 10 starts and allowing three runs or less in his last six.
In eight career starts against the Angels, Verlander is 3-2 with a 4.44 ERA. He held them to one run and three hits in 8 1/3 innings back on May 2 in a 5-1 Detroit victory.
The Tigers, who are 14-14 against the AL West this season, have only recently started to fall out of the race in the division, going 2-8 in their last 10 while the White Sox and Twins have gone on 8-2 runs.