Angels at Twins
The Los Angeles Angels have stayed in the race for a playoff spot despite the absence of Mike Trout and hope to maintain their position in the final stretch before the reigning American League MVP returns after the All-Star break. The Angels look to pull out of their mini-slump and move back to .500 when they visit the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday afternoon for the second contest of their three-game series.
Trout (thumb), who will sit out the All-Star Game next week, is expected to play his first rehab contest in the next few days, and Los Angeles will need his presence in the lineup soon as it has dropped four of its last five games. The Twins also have struggled of late but won for the third time in nine contests Monday, posting a 9-5 victory in the series opener as Max Kepler went 4-for-4 with a homer to improve to 8-for-13 over his last four games. Minnesota, which has won five in a row against the Angels at home, could be without star second baseman Brian Dozier as he was a late scratch Monday due to lower back tightness. Twins scheduled starter Kyle Gibson will try to defeat JC Ramirez and the Angels for the second time this season after conquering them 11-5 on June 2 in Los Angeles.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN North (Minnesota)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH JC Ramirez (7-6, 4.60 ERA) vs. Twins RH Kyle Gibson (4-6, 6.11)
Ramirez has made it past the sixth inning just once in his last six outings, allowing 24 earned runs and nine homers over 30 2/3 innings in that span, which began with a turn against Minnesota on June 2. The 28-year-old Nicaraguan gave up seven runs over 4 1/3 frames in that outing and yielded six runs over 5 2/3 innings last time out against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Robbie Grossman is 2-for-2 with a homer versus Ramirez.
Gibson has gone 0-2 in his last three outings, permitting nine runs over 16 1/3 innings, after winning his previous four decisions over a five-start span. The 29-year-old native of Indiana, who is allowing opponents to bat .317, has worked at least six frames just three times - all in June - over 14 starts. Gibson limited the Angels to two runs and six hits with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in the victory on June 2, improving to 1-2 lifetime versus Los Angeles.
WALK-OFFS
1. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer is batting .342 with 53 RBIs in 83 career games against the Angels after homering among two hits Monday.
2. Los Angeles 3B Yunel Escobar has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, registering six multi-hit performances in that span.
3. Twins INF Eduardo Escobar owns a 10-game hitting streak at home (19-for-40) and has hit safely in six in a row overall.