Angels at Rangers
Following a frustrating series at home, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
look to turn things around at Texas, where they open a
three-game set against the Rangers on Monday. The Angels lost three straight to Kansas
City over the weekend, a sweep capped by a 9-2 setback on Sunday in a contest that
featured a bench-clearing incident.
Albert Pujols provided one of the few highlights for Los Angeles with his 522nd career home run, which gave him sole possession of 18th place on the all-time list. The Angels, who have won nine of their last 10 games in Arlington, will be facing a Rangers squad that has alternated wins and losses all season. They rallied with four late runs to force extra innings Sunday against Houston before falling 6-4 in 14 frames. Texas stranded 12 runners and left the bases loaded to end the game as it dropped below .500 through seven games for the first time in six years.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Ross Detwiler (0-1, 10.38 ERA) vs. Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (1-0, 4.50)
Detwiler will be making his home debut with the Rangers, hoping for a better result than his first start with the team Wednesday in Oakland. The veteran, who was making his first start overall since 2013, was reached for eight runs (five earned) and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 10-0 loss to the Athletics. Despite the result, Detwiler still owns a 2.38 ERA in 19 career games before the month of May - including 10 starts.
Shoemaker followed his breakout 2014 campaign with a solid debut Wednesday in Seattle, where he allowed three earned runs over six frames in his first action since suffering an oblique injury late last year. He did some of his best work in 2014 against the Rangers as he posted a 3-0 record and an ERA of 1.80, with two of the wins coming at Globe Life Park. For his career, the 28-year-old has a 4.45 road ERA, compared to 1.98 at home.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Angels won nine straight over the Rangers from June 20-Aug. 16 of last year.
2. Texas 1B Prince Fielder is 11-for-25 with two doubles and a pair of walks in his last six games.
3. Pujols had been tied with Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas on the home run list. Jimmie Foxx ranks 17th with 534.