Rays at Angels
Mike Trout is back in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup, but his much-ballyhooed return didn't result in a victory. Trout and the Angels look to rebound from a series-opening loss when they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set.
Trout went 1-for-5 in Friday's 10-inning, 2-1 loss - Los Angeles' eighth in 11 games - after missing 39 contests with a torn ligament in his left thumb. The Angels went 19-20 without the two-time American League MVP, who is 5-for-9 with two homers against scheduled Tampa Bay starter Alex Cobb. Brad Miller delivered the tiebreaking double in the 10th on Friday to give the Rays their seventh victory in 10 games. Evan Longoria halted a 12-game home-run drought with his 13th blast of the season.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.75 ERA) vs. Angels RH JC Ramirez (8-7, 4.46)
Cobb has delivered scoreless two-hit efforts in two of his last three starts - an eight-inning no-decision against Pittsburgh on June 27 and a 7 2/3-frame victory over Boston on July 8. The 29-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.38 ERA over his last six outings and gave up fewer than three earned runs in five of them. Cobb is 1-2 with a 6.51 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, including a loss on May 23 in which he gave up four runs and seven hits over 7 1/3 innings.
Ramirez never had started a major-league game prior to this season, but he is the team's leader in victories after making 17 starts prior to the All-Star break. The 28-year-old defeated Texas in his last turn as he allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings. Ramirez defeated Tampa Bay on May 22, when he allowed two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels DH Albert Pujols, who is 6-for-9 with a homer versus Cobb, belted his 605th career blast in the opener to move within four of Sammy Sosa for eighth place on the all-time list.
2. Tampa Bay RHP Brad Boxberger hasn't allowed a hit in five appearances (five innings) since returning from October's elbow injury.
3. Los Angeles RF Kole Calhoun is 0-for-15 with six strikeouts over his last four games.