Los Angeles @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Aug 21, 2011 ) Baltimore 1, LA Angels 7
THE STORY: Time is running short for the Los Angeles Angels, who are trying to catch first-place Texas in the American League West. The Angels, sitting 3½ games behind the Rangers, begin a seven-game road trip with a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. On paper, it looks like a nice matchup for Los Angeles, but the Orioles just took two of three games from Tampa Bay - one of two teams (along with Boston) blocking the Angels’ path to a wild-card slot.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Dan Haren (15-8, 3.06 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Tommy Hunter (3-4, 5.32).
Haren has won his last two starts, including a four-hit shutout of the New York Yankees on Saturday. It was his third shutout and fourth complete game of the season. Haren will be looking to match his career high of 16 wins set with Arizona in 2008. He beat the Orioles on Aug. 19, allowing three runs on nine hits in seven innings, to improve to 5-2 with a 3.63 ERA in nine lifetime starts against them. It hasn't been a smooth transition to starter for Hunter since he was acquired from Texas. He has allowed at least four runs in seven of his eight starts and has lost his last two outings. He has been hurt by the long ball, surrendering 10 homers in his last five starts. The Angels have been a nemesis for Hunter, who sports a 1-4 record and 8.79 ERA in seven appearances (six starts) against them.
ABOUT THE ORIOLES (60-88): Baltimore showed it wasn’t ready to lay down by taking the final two games against the Rays. Catcher Matt Wieters homered in all three games of the series to reach 20 for the season. He is the fourth Oriole with 20 homers, joining Mark Reynolds, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones. Nine of Wieters’ homers have come in his last 20 games. Vlad Guerrero has seven multi-hit games and is batting .404 (21-for-52) in September. Jones, who has missed five games with a sore thumb, could return to the lineup Friday.
ABOUT THE ANGELS (82-67): Los Angeles has won nine of 13 games in September but has not been able to make up any ground on Texas. Rookie Mark Trumbo continued his stellar season with a go-ahead homer to help the Angels win the rubber game of their series against Oakland. Howie Kendrick has three homers and seven RBIs during a six-game hitting streak while Bobby Abreu, who is batting .303 lifetime against Baltimore, has hit safely in six of his last seven games. Los Angeles is 5-1 against the Orioles this season and has scored at least six runs in five of the games.
FINAL PITCH: Angels ace Jered Weaver won his career-high 17th game Wednesday and may be brought back on three days’ rest in Sunday’s series finale against the Orioles.