Giants at Angels
The Los Angeles Angels look to end a three-game slide when they host the San Francisco Giants on Friday in the opener of their three-game interleague series. The Angels were one of the hottest teams in baseball when they started 13-3, but they were outscored 27-3 while being swept of a three-game home set by the even hotter Boston Red Sox.
Los Angeles recorded just 14 hits while being dominated by Boston, including four in Thursday's 8-2 loss. Mike Trout was hitless in four at-bats in the finale after going 8-for-19 with two homers during a five-game hitting streak. Hunter Pence (thumb) is doubtful for the series opener after sitting out Thursday as San Francisco fell 3-1 to Arizona for its fifth loss in six contests. Jeff Samardzija will be activated by the Giants prior to the game and make his season debut after injuring a pectoral muscle on March 21.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, NBCS Bay Area (San Francisco), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Jeff Samardzija (2017: 9-15, 4.42 ERA) vs. Angels LH Andrew Heaney (0-0, 5.40)
Samardzija, who made 32 or more starts in each of the last four seasons, lasted just 2 2/3 innings in Saturday's rehab start at Single-A San Jose, but manager Bruce Bochy insists he is ready. "His last couple of innings were really good innings," Bochy told reporters. "Command was good, velocity was good. He came out of it fine and he took a very extended bullpen (at Arizona), so that's why we're convinced he's good to go." Samardzija is 1-3 with a 3.71 ERA in four career starts versus the Angels and struggles to retire Albert Pujols, who is 7-for-19 with three homers, nine RBIs and five walks against the 32-year-old.
Heaney escaped with a no-decision in his first start of the season after giving up four runs - three earned - and seven hits with seven strikeouts in five innings against Kansas City last Friday. The 26-year-old spent the first two weeks of the season on the disabled list due to elbow inflammation. Heaney, who never has faced the Giants, is 1-4 with a 5.16 ERA in five career interleague starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Giants are playing in Anaheim for the first time since 2012, when Pujols registered a homer and five RBIs in the series to help the Angels win two of three games.
2. San Francisco LHP Madison Bumgarner (broken left hand) had three pins removed on Thursday and is expected to start playing catch in early May.
3. Los Angeles pitchers were torched for 11 homers and eight doubles during the series with Boston.