Angels at Tigers
Kole Calhoun has put a disastrous May in his rear-view mirror and gone full speed ahead to begin the month of June. The 29-year-old carries a seven-game hitting streak into the Los Angeles Angels' second contest of a three-game series against the host Detroit Tigers on Wednesday when the teams reconvene at Comerica Park.
After hitting just .158 in all of May, Calhoun continued his torrid stretch with his fourth homer in five games this month in Tuesday's 5-3 victory in the series opener. Calhoun is 11-for-23 with seven RBIs and six runs scored during his hitting streak for the Angels, who have won nine of their last 13 at Comerica Park. The home tenants of that park saw their red-hot bats cooled after erupting for 38 runs during their previous four contests and will look to exact a bit of revenge for last month's loss against Wednesday starter Alex Meyer. J.D. Martinez, who had a sacrifice fly on Tuesday, has seven extra-base hits - including three homers - to go along with nine RBIs in his last seven games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Alex Meyer (2-2, 4.91 ERA) vs. Tigers RH Buck Farmer (1-0, 0.00)
Meyer will vie for his first win since defeating Detroit on May 14, when he allowed one run on three hits and matched a career high with seven strikeouts in a 4-1 triumph. The 27-year-old pitched well in his last outing on Thursday, yielding just a solo homer among his five hits over six innings in a no-decision versus Minnesota. Both of those outings were at home, where he has permitted four runs and 10 hits in three outings as opposed to 13 and 15, respectively, in three trips to the mound on the road this year.
Detroit is expected to recall Farmer from Triple-A Toledo to fill Matt Boyd's spot in the rotation while also giving second-year starter Michael Fulmer an additional day of rest. The 26-year-old certainly fared well in his previous outing with the Tigers, notching his first major-league win on May 27 after scattering three hits and striking out 11 over 6 1/3 scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. Farmer has not been as fortunate in two career encounters with the Angels, posting an 0-1 mark with a bloated 12.71 ERA.
WALK-OFFS
1. Detroit C Alex Avila has homered and notched two hits in each of his last two games.
2. Los Angeles 3B Yunel Escobar is 8-for-19 in five contests since returning from a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring.
3. Tigers 3B Nicholas Castellanos is 6-for-17 with a homer, two RBIs and five runs scored during his five-game hitting streak.