Angels at White Sox
Since returning from a physically and emotionally challenging three-week stretch last month, Mike Trout had been held in check offensively - for the most part. He broke through with a performance befitting of a two-time MVP on Saturday and will attempt to power the Los Angeles Angels to a three-game sweep when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.
Trout entered Saturday batting .270 with one home run and three RBIs in 12 games after missing the previous 19 contests following a wrist injury that sent him to the disabled list and the death of his brother-in-law shortly thereafter. The seven-time All-Star needed only two at-bats to surpass that production in Saturday's 12-3 victory, following a two-run homer in his first at-bat with a three-run shot in the third inning as part of a 5-for-5, five-RBI effort. The Angels improved to 4-2 this season against the White Sox, who have dropped four straight after winning three of their previous four. Kevan Smith went 2-for-3 in the loss and is batting .500 over his last five games for Chicago, which has been outscored 35-10 during its slide.
TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), WGN (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Andrew Heaney (8-9, 4.16 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Reynaldo Lopez (5-9, 4.37)
Heaney was masterful at Houston on Aug. 30 as he worked six scoreless innings, but he was unable to repeat the effort Tuesday in a loss at Texas, where he yielded four runs and seven hits in six frames. The Oklahoma State product has struggled to the tune of a 1-6 record and 5.02 ERA in 14 road outings, as opposed to a 7-3 mark and 3.26 ERA in 12 turns at home. Heaney's only two career starts against Chicago came in 2015, when he settled for a pair of no-decisions after allowing three runs across 11 2/3 innings.
Lopez has been on point in each of his last two turns, permitting one run while striking out six over seven innings in a win against the New York Yankees on Aug. 29 and a no-decision versus Detroit on Monday. The 24-year-old Dominican is unbeaten over his last seven trips to the mound but has recorded only one win despite allowing fewer than three runs on five occasions. Kole Calhoun has belted a home run in three at-bats versus Lopez, who yielded four runs in six frames of a no-decision against the Angels last season.
WALK-OFFS
1. Trout has gone 10-for-16 with 11 walks, four homers, 11 RBIs and seven runs scored in six games against the White Sox this season.
2. Chicago SS Tim Anderson recorded his 26th stolen base in his 137th game of the season Saturday, eclipsing the total from his first 245 career games.
3. Los Angeles DH Shohei Ohtani failed to homer Saturday for the first time in four games this month, but he has plated exactly three runs in three straight contests.