Los Angeles @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( May 15, 2015 ) LA Angels 3, Baltimore 1
The Los Angeles Angels have surged above .500 on the back of their pitching staff. Jered Weaver worked eight strong innings on Friday and Matt Shoemaker will try to match that effort when the Angels visit the Baltimore Orioles again on Saturday.
Los Angeles has allowed a total of five runs during its four-game winning streak and has taken seven of its last nine overall while surrendering an average of 2.3 runs. The pitching is helping to mask an offense that is scuffling and recorded only seven hits in Friday’s 3-1 triumph. The Orioles are losers of seven of their last 10 to drop three games below .500 and managed only J.J. Hardy’s solo home run on Friday. Baltimore began its homestand by taking two of three from Toronto and is 10-7 in its own park.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (2-3, 6.61 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (3-2, 2.41)
Shoemaker is struggling to find the form that made him a dominant starter for Los Angeles last season. The Michigan native’s velocity is down from 2014, and he was rocked for six runs on as many hits – three home runs – in three innings against Houston last Saturday. Shoemaker lost his only previous start against Baltimore while yielding four runs and striking out 10 in 5 2/3 innings.
Jimenez is stepping in to give scheduled starter Bud Norris an extra day to recover from an illness. Jimenez struck out a season-high nine and allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings to beat Toronto on Monday. The Venezuela native is looking for his first win against the Angels and owns a career record of 0-4 with a 6.12 ERA in four starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels RHP Huston Street, who signed a two-year contract extension on Wednesday, has allowed one hit in his last four appearances.
2. Norris or RHP Chris Tillman will start Sunday’s series finale for Baltimore.
3. Los Angeles CF Mike Trout is 1-for-11 in the last three games.
PREDICTION: Angels 3, Orioles 2