Los Angeles @ Detroit preview
Comerica Park
Last Meeting ( Jul 31, 2011 ) LA Angels 2, Detroit 3
The road hasn't been kind to the Los Angeles Angels, who will try to avoid their third straight series loss away from home when they begin a three-game set against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Los Angeles has lost six of nine on the road but salvaged the final game of its weekend series at Yankee Stadium by slamming four home runs. The Angels are five games behind first-place Texas in the American League West.
Inconsistent right-handers Ervin Santana and Rick Porcello will square off in the opener. Detroit sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are a combined 5-for-13 with two homers against Santana. Cabrera homered in a 4-0 win at Baltimore on Sunday - Detroit's seventh win in eight games - which kept the Tigers within 3 1/2 games of the White Sox and moved them into second place in the American League Central.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Detroit, ESPN, ESPN3.com
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Ervin Santana (4-9, 5.75 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Rick Porcello (6-5, 4.47)
Santana is winless since tossing a one-hit shutout June 16 against Arizona. In three starts since, he is 0-2 with a 9.42 ERA. In his most recent start, Santana was shelled for eight runs in 1 1/3 innings July 4 at Cleveland. Santana is 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in eight starts against the Tigers and has won his last four starts against them dating to 2007.
Porcello had a rough outing July 5 against Minnesota, allowing three runs on 12 hits over 3 2/3 innings to snap a streak of three straight quality starts. Nonetheless, he has a 2.28 ERA over his last four starts and will try to continue the turnaround against an Angels team against whom he is 3-1 with a 5.97 ERA in five starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels RF Torii Hunter has been out of the starting lineup for two straight games with tightness in his right groin. Hunter entered as a defensive replacement Sunday and hopes to return to the lineup Monday.
2. Tigers CF Austin Jackson has scored at least one run in 12 consecutive games, matching the longest streak by a Detroit player since Rocky Colavito scored in 12 straight games in 1961.
3. Angels INF Maicer Izturis, who hit his first home run in nearly a year Sunday, is 5-for-7 with a homer against Porcello.