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Angels-Rangers Preview

Apr 28, 2016 - 7:59 PM While attempting to sustain his recent success at the plate, Mike Trout will get to face a team he's shined against and a pitcher he has routinely battered.

Not surprisingly, scheduled starter Colby Lewis has often struggled versus the Los Angeles Angels.

Trout tries to help Hector Santiago maintain his perfect road record against the Texas Rangers when he starts opposite Lewis in Friday night's series opener.

Trout is batting .429 in his last eight games and has four of his five homers in his last seven after hitting a two-run shot in a 4-2 victory against Kansas City on Wednesday. Yunel Escobar and Andrelton Simmons also went deep as the Angels (11-11) completed a three-game sweep of the visiting Royals.

The victory, however, was marred a bit with closer Huston Street straining his left oblique muscle playing catch before the game and is likely headed to the disabled list.

"The focus of our club is good," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're doing a little more in some important areas to give ourselves a chance to win."

Trout has helped lead Los Angeles to 15 wins in its last 25 games against Texas (12-10), batting .402 with six homers, 18 RBIs, 24 runs and a 1.288 OPS. He went 4 for 12 in a four-game home series against the Rangers and drove in two runs in a 3-1 win April 10 to help the Angels earn a split.

Trout is batting .400 with four homers in 30 at-bats against Lewis - his highest average against any of the 12 pitchers he's faced at least 20 times. That is also the highest batting average by any of the 26 players that have faced Lewis at least 25 times.

Los Angeles right fielder Kole Calhoun is right behind Trout on that list, batting .393 in 28 at-bats versus Lewis.

The right-hander has regularly struggled against the Angels, going 1-7 with a 9.78 ERA in his last nine starts and 0-5 with an 11.01 ERA in his last seven home matchups.

Los Angeles is 16-4 at Texas since 2014, and Santiago has earned four of those wins. The left-hander is 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in seven career starts at Texas but wasn't at his sharpest in his most recent, allowing five runs in four-plus innings in an 11-10 victory Oct. 3.

Santiago (2-0, 2.70 ERA) gave up three runs in six-plus innings against the Rangers in his season debut April 7 but did not get a decision in a 4-3 win. He's 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA in his last seven overall matchups.

Santiago has allowed two runs over 13 innings in winning his past two starts while registering 17 of his 27 strikeouts. He fanned seven in six innings in Saturday's 4-2 win against Seattle, outdueling Felix Hernandez with Trout backing him with a two-run homer.

Lewis (1-0, 3.38) gave up one run in six innings Saturday at the Chicago White Sox in a 4-3, 11-inning defeat and has gone six in each of his four outings in his return from offseason surgery on his right knee.

"He obviously knows how to pitch, very similar to what we saw last year. He seems to feel a lot better, he is much healthier," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "His legs are allowing him to do more work, so his body seems to be in good shape. He's strong and still has a good feel for the baseball."