Tampa Bay @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 26, 2012 ) LA Angels 3, Tampa Bay 4
The Tampa Bay Rays continue their road trip Friday when they begin a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. Tampa Bay opened its nine-game trek with a pair of wins in Baltimore before dropping the series finale on Thursday. The Rays, who have lost three of five overall, have won six consecutive contests against the Angels.
Tampa Bay enters the series 2 1/2 games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot in the American League. Los Angeles sits atop the wild-card standings and trails AL West-leading Texas by five games. The Angels, who are 4-2 on their nine-game homestand, hope to have Albert Pujols back in the lineup. The slugger, who is hitting .359 (14-for-39) with four home runs and nine RBIs over his last 10 games, sat out Wednesday's win over Kansas City after getting hit on the right elbow by a pitch a day earlier.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (4-7, 5.05 ERA) vs. Angels RH Dan Haren (7-8, 4.76)
Cobb worked only two innings in a loss to Seattle on Saturday, allowing two runs and three hits before getting hit in the lower leg by a grounder off the bat of Ichiro Suzuki. Cobb got to the ball and helped record an out on the play but needed to be helped off the field afterward. The 24-year-old, who has lost four of his last five starts and seven of nine, is 1-0 in two career outings against the Angels.
Haren was moved up a day in the rotation as Los Angeles elected to skip the struggling Ervin Santana but will be pitching on his normal rest. The 31-year-old made a successful return from a back injury on Sunday, when he yielded two runs and three hits over six innings in a victory over American League West-leading Texas. Haren, who is just 3-5 at home this season, owns a 6-3 record and a 2.69 ERA in 11 career starts against Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Haren surrendered four or more earned runs in each of his five starts prior to his stint on the disabled list.
2. Angels SS Erick Aybar has not played since fouling a ball off the big toe on his right foot Saturday against Texas.
3. The Rays have lost 35 of their last 48 road games against the Angels.