Angels at White Sox
Garrett Richards seeks his fifth consecutive victory when the Los Angeles Angels open a three-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox on Monday. The right-hander has allowed just four runs in 34 1/3 innings over five starts in June while enjoying the best stretch of his career. Los Angeles lost two of three to Kansas City over the weekend while Chicago won the final three contests of a four-game set in Toronto.
White Sox slugger Jose Abreu is on a tear with six homers and 13 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak. The Cuban import has a share of the major-league homer lead with 25 but struggled against Angels pitching earlier this season, going 1-for-12 with six strikeouts in a three-game set. Los Angeles acquired Jason Grilli from Pittsburgh to shore up the bullpen and he took the loss against the Royals on Sunday due to an unearned run prompted by Howie Kendrick’s muff of a throw on a double-play ball.
TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), WCIU (Chicago)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (8-2, 2.76 ERA) vs. White Sox RH Hector Noesi (2-5, 5.07)
Richards continued his strong June by giving up two runs and four hits over 7 1/3 innings in a win over Minnesota on Wednesday. He has struck out 99 batters in 101 innings while pitching at least seven innings on 10 occasions. Richards has never started against the White Sox and has a 7.50 ERA in six career relief appearances against them.
Noesi took a shutout into the eighth inning in his last start against Baltimore and ended up with a no-decision when reliever Javy Guerra allowed a game-tying grand slam to Nelson Cruz. The 27-year-old was charged with two runs and nine hits in one of his better efforts of the season. Noesi is 0-1 with a 7.65 ERA in six career appearances (two starts) against the Angels.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels RF Kole Calhoun is batting .346 with four homers and 13 RBIs in June.
2. Chicago DH Adam Dunn, who went 4-for-9 with two homers in a three-game set against the Angels earlier this month, is 4-for-9 with three walks over the last three games.
3. Los Angeles CF Mike Trout is 4-for-9 with three walks against Noesi.