Los Angeles @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 26, 2015 ) Texas 5, LA Angels 4

The Los Angeles Angels are going through some turmoil in the front office but are trending in the right direction on the field. The Angels try for their fifth win in six games when they kick off a nine-game road trip that will take them through the All-Star break at the Texas Rangers on Friday.

The Angels are winning of late thanks to their pitching staff while they wait for the offense to come around. Los Angeles pitchers have allowed a total of 13 runs in the last seven games while the offense failed to score more than four in any of the last 11 games. The Rangers are coming on strong as well and grabbed a 2-0 win at Baltimore on Thursday to close out a 4-3 road trip and pull two games above .500 at 41-39. Texas right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez will try to end a four-start winless streak on Friday while the Angels counter with Garret Richards.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Southwest (Texas)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (8-5, 3.54 ERA) vs. Rangers RH Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-3, 2.59)

Richards is enjoying a run of four straight quality starts and is 3-1 in that span. The Oklahoma product allowed two runs and seven hits over 7 2/3 innings while striking out six to earn a win over Seattle on Saturday. Richards earned a win over Texas on Apr. 24 and is 7-1 with a 3.34 ERA in 15 career games – 11 starts – against the division rivals.

Gonzalez did not allow more than two earned runs in any of his first four starts but ran into some trouble over the last two. The 23-year-old rookie was hammered for eight runs against Oakland on June 23 and suffered the loss at Toronto on Sunday while allowing three runs in six frames. Gonzalez walked four against the Blue Jays and has 17 walks and 14 strikeouts on the season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Angels brought back former GM Bill Stoneman to take over the position on an interim basis.

2. Texas reinstated RHP Neftali Feliz (right side) from the 15-day DL and optioned RHP Nick Martinez to Triple-A on Thursday.

3. Los Angeles 1B Albert Pujols, who was named the AL Player of the Month for June, is 3-for-25 over his last seven games.

PREDICTION: Angels 4, Rangers 2