Rays at Angels
Star center fielder Mike Trout is heating up and that alone is enough to boost the hopes of the Los Angeles Angels as they return home from a 2-4 road trip. Trout looks to continue his red-hot tear when the Angels kick off a six-game homestand Friday with the first of three against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Trout was 8-for-18 with nine RBIs over the final four games of Los Angeles' trek and has six homers and 18 RBIs while hitting safely in 13 of the past 14 contests. "He's locked in, man," Angels pitcher Hector Santiago said of Trout. "He's unbelievable. And you can tell. He's hitting the ball over the wall, he's on base all the time, he's driving in guys. You can definitely tell when he's hot." Tampa Bay's sputtering offense produced four homers Wednesday to earn a two-game split with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Rays now begin a brutal stretch with 14 of their next 17 games on the road. Chris Archer gives Tampa Bay an edge on the mound in the series opener after the Angels scratched scheduled starter Garrett Richards.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (1-4, 5.01 ERA) vs. Angels RH Cory Rasmus (0-1, 4.40)
Richards did not throw his planned bullpen session in Milwaukee, saying he still felt "fatigued" after leaving his last start due to dehydration and cramping. Rasmus has made all eight appearances out of the bullpen, the longest being 3 2/3 innings, so Angels manager Mike Scioscia will likely be forced to also use fellow relievers A.J. Achter and Jose Alvarez. Rasmus, who made six starts in 2014, is 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in four relief appearances versus the Rays.
Archer is turning things around after losing his first four starts and failing to go beyond 5 1/3 innings in any of them. Although he walked four batters, he permitted only one hit - a two-run homer -- over six innings in a no-decision against Toronto on Saturday after striking out 10 over 6 2/3 innings versus Baltimore in his previous turn. Trout has four hits in 13 at-bats against Archer, who is 4-1 with a 2.97 ERA in five career starts against Los Angeles.
OVERTIME
1. Los Angeles' starting pitchers have failed to go at least six innings in seven straight games.
2. Rays 1B Steve Pearce was 4-for-8 with two homers versus the Dodgers, but DH Corey Dickerson is hitless in the last seven games (0-for-20).
3. The Angels on Friday are expected to activate OF Daniel Nava, who is 6-for-12 against Archer.