Los Angeles @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jul 23, 2011 ) LA Angels 2, Baltimore 3
THE STORY: The Baltimore Orioles can close out a .500 homestand with a victory over the Los Angeles Angels in the finale of the three-game series Sunday. The Orioles broke a two-game losing streak on Saturday and improved to 4-5 on the homestand. The Angels had their three-game winning streak snapped.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Tyler Chatwood (5-6, 3.71 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Jeremy Guthrie (4-13, 4.35).
Chatwood has lost two in a row and hasn't pitched more than 5 1/3 innings in his last three starts. During that stretch, he has allowed 11 walks and 23 hits in 15 1/3 innings. The Angels are hopeful he can rediscover the form that enabled him to win back-to-back road games last month when he allowed one earned run over 14 innings. The rookie will be making his first career appearance against the Orioles. Guthrie snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Boston in his last start, giving up two runs in seven innings. Opponents are hitting .274 against Guthrie, who has allowed 17 home runs in 130 1/3 innings. Guthrie is 3-2 with a 4.21 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels. This is his first appearance against Los Angeles this season. Guthrie has had trouble with Vernon Wells (.314, two homers).
ABOUT THE ANGELS (54-47): Leadoff hitter Erick Aybar is 7-for-19 over the last three games - he was 3-for-4 on Saturday and has 26 multi-hit games. Vernon Wells is 4-for-9 against the Orioles and has hit a home run in consecutive games for the first time since June 25-26 against the Dodgers. Howie Kendrick is 5-for-11 over the last three games after going 1-for-15 in the previous four. Alberto Callaspo is 12-for-33 since the All-Star break. Horacio Ramirez became the 12th reliever to pitch for the Angels this season and threw two-thirds of a scoreless inning. The journeyman lefthander last pitched in the majors in 2009 for Kansas City.
ABOUT THE ORIOLES (40-57): After going 0-for-7 in the final two games against Boston, shortstop J.J. Hardy has gone 4-for-8 in the first two games against Los Angeles. Craig Tatum is 5-for-13 in four games since the All-Star break, with two multi-hit games. Nick Markakis got a hit Saturday to break a three-game hitless streak - he is batting only .125 (3-for-24) over his last five games. Kevin Gregg pitched a scoreless inning Saturday to earn his 16th save, his first since July 3. He allowed nine runs over 3 2/3 innings in his previous four appearances.
FINAL PITCH: The Angels activated outfielder Peter Bourjos and send infielder Alexi Amarista back to Triple A Salt Lake City. Bourjos spent two weeks on the disabled with a strained right hamstring, but showed no problems in a workout prior to his activation. Bourjos was hitless in his return, but had an assist in center field.