Texas @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( May 4, 2014 ) Texas 14, LA Angels 3

The Texas Rangers look to continue their recent domination of Los Angeles when they open a three-game road series against the Angels on Friday. Texas scored 22 runs while winning two of three from Los Angeles in early May and is 17-5 against the Angels since the beginning of last season. Former Rangers star Josh Hamilton missed the earlier series with a thumb injury and batted .282 with one homer in 71 at-bats against his former club last season after departing as a free agent.

The Angels enter the series on a downer after blowing a two-run, 10th-inning lead on Thursday and falling 5-3 to Cleveland on Nick Swisher’s walk-off grand slam. The loss was the fifth in seven games for Los Angeles while Texas is 3-3 after making stops in Seattle and Oakland to begin a nine-game stretch of road games against American League West rivals. Adrian Beltre of the Rangers is five hits away from becoming the sixth third baseman in major-league history to reach 2,500 career hits.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, KTXA (Texas), FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Joe Saunders (0-2, 3.46 ERA) vs. Angels RH Garrett Richards (6-2, 2.87)

Saunders is winless in five starts despite giving up more than two runs just once. He received a no-decision in his last outing when he gave up two runs and eight hits in six innings against Seattle. Saunders is 1-3 with a 2.89 ERA in four career starts against Los Angeles, the team with which he compiled a 54-32 record from 2005-10.

Richards has been sensational in his last three outings by allowing one runs and 12 hits over 21 innings. He gave up four hits in each of the starts and struck out 23 against three walks. Richards is 3-1 with a 4.58 ERA in 11 career appearances (seven starts) versus the Rangers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rangers LF Shin-Soo Choo is just 7-for-53 in June but went 7-for-10 with a homer in May’s three games against Los Angeles.

2. Angels CF Mike Trout has a 13-game hitting streak but is just 2-for-12 against Saunders while 1B Albert Pujols (0-for-11) also struggles against the veteran left-hander.

3. Texas SS Elvis Andrus is 14-for-39 with seven runs scored during a nine-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Angels 3, Rangers 1