Tampa Bay @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 29, 2012 ) Tampa Bay 2, LA Angels 0
Fresh off their first series win since late July, the Los Angeles Angels begin a four-game home set on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, who are anxious to get a baserunner. Tampa Bay fell victim to Seattle's Felix Hernandez, who tossed the first perfect game in Mariners history Wednesday afternoon. The Rays are the only team in history to have three perfect games pitched against them, with all three coming over the last four seasons.
Hernandez's gem resulted in the Rays' second straight loss following a seven-game winning streak. Tampa Bay fell to 4-2 on its 10-game road trip. The Angels topped Cleveland on Wednesday to capture their first series since taking two of three against Kansas City from July 23-25. They were 0-4-1 over their previous five sets. Los Angeles pulled within six games of Texas in the American League West and 1 1/2 of Tampa Bay for the second wild-card spot.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH David Price (15-4, 2.50 ERA) vs. Angels RH Dan Haren (8-9, 4.68)
Price is seeking his eighth consecutive victory and major league-leading 16th of the season. The 26-year-old, who has not lost since June 13 against the New York Mets, is coming off a win at Minnesota on Saturday in which he allowed two runs and seven hits over seven innings. Price improved to 3-2 lifetime against the Angels on April 24, when he tossed a five-hit shutout.
Haren lasted only 3 1/3 innings against Seattle on Saturday, surrendering seven runs - five earned - on five hits and three walks in his shortest start since 2003. The disappointing performance snapped a three-start run during which the 31-year-old went 2-0 while yielding only four runs over 18 frames. One of the victories came against the Rays on July 27, when Haren allowed two runs in six innings to improve to 7-2 lifetime versus Tampa Bay.
WALK-OFFS
1. Price, who is 8-2 at home, has allowed three earned runs or less in each of his last 10 starts.
2. Angels OF Mike Trout leads all major-league rookies with 22 home runs and 66 RBIs.
3. Tampa Bay has allowed three runs or less in 12 of its last 14 games.