Angels at Tigers
Nicholas Castellanos has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games to finish the month of May with a flourish. Castellanos bids to follow up his three-hit performance with another stellar outing on Thursday afternoon as the Detroit Tigers (25-30) look for their third win versus the visiting Los Angeles Angels (30-26) in the finale of the four-game series.
Castellanos had an RBI single to cap a five-run sixth inning in Wednesday's 6-1 romp over Los Angeles to improve to 17-for-44 with six runs scored and five RBIs in his last 10 games. Fellow outfielder Leonys Martin had a pair of hits with an RBI and a run scored to improve to 4-for-13 in the series for Detroit, which has won five of its last seven. Los Angeles' Albert Pujols recorded his fifth hit of the set with an RBI single and has 11 hits and seven RBIs in his last nine games overall. Mike Trout has hit safely in each game of the series and owns 14 hits - including six homers - to go along with 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored in his last 12 contests for the Angels, who have dropped four of six to fall to 4-5 on their season-high 10-game road trip.
TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS West (Los Angeles), FS Detroit
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.09 ERA) vs. Tigers LH Ryan Carpenter (0-1, 8.31)
Heaney allowed just one run for the third time in his last five outings on Friday but was left with a no-decision against the New York Yankees. The 26-year-old has pitched well in five of his last six trips to the mound, sporting a 2-2 mark with a slim 1.45 ERA in that span. Heaney will make his 40th career appearance and first versus Detroit on Thursday.
Carpenter was summoned from Triple-A Toledo to get the nod in place of left-hander Francisco Liriano, who landed on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily with the Mud Hens by posting a 1-5 mark with a 5.72 ERA in nine starts, although he fared well by permitting just one unearned run in six innings on Saturday. Carpenter sputtered in his last start with Detroit on May 16, yielding six runs on seven hits in five innings of a 6-0 setback versus Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Los Angeles 3B Luis Valbuena is 5-for-9 with two homers, three RBIs and three runs scored in his last two games after going 0-for-19 in his previous eight contests.
2. Detroit 3B Jeimer Candelario has reached base in 24 consecutive contests, accounting for the longest active streak in the majors.
3. Angels 2B Ian Kinsler is 6-for-10 with one homer, three RBIs and three runs scored in the series against his former team.
PREDICTION: Angels 7, Tigers 4