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Angels-Orioles Preview

Aug 17, 2009 - 12:14 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Los Angeles (69-45) at Baltimore (48-68), 7:05 p.m. EDT

The Los Angeles Angels will likely have to wait until at least Tuesday for Torii Hunter and Vladimir Guerrero to be back in the lineup together.

With the way the AL West leaders are hitting the ball up and down their lineup, though, they may not mind waiting another day.

Los Angeles tries to take three of four from the slumping Baltimore Orioles as the teams close out their season series Monday night at Camden Yards.

Returning from a 32-game stint on the disabled list due to a strained right groin muscle, Hunter went 2 for 6 with two RBIs in Sunday's 17-8, 13-inning victory over the Orioles (48-69), who fell to 8-21 since the All-Star break.

After lining into an inning-ending double play in the 11th, Hunter had a bases-loaded RBI single to spark a nine-run 13th inning.

"The last time, I just wanted to put the ball somewhere safe and get the run home," Hunter said.

Los Angeles, which is 19-6 on the road since June 15, will likely get Guerrero back in the lineup for the finale of the four-game set. Guerrero, batting .362 with six homers and 12 RBIs in his last 15 games, sat Sunday after getting hit by a pitch on his left knee in Saturday's 5-1 win.

Hunter, though, will likely not return to the lineup until Tuesday, according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

His absence for one game may not matter much if the Angels can maintain their overall hot hitting.

Los Angeles (70-45) scored its most runs Sunday since an 18-6 win at Baltimore on Sept. 12, 2007, and had the most runs by any team in a single extra inning since May 28, 1995, when San Diego scored nine in the 10th inning of a 13-5 win over Philadelphia.

Chone Figgins went 4 for 7, including his 1,000th career hit, while Bobby Abreu, Juan Rivera, Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar each had three hits Sunday. The Angels banged out 23 hits in all - their most since recording the same amount in a 16-3 win over Minnesota on June 4, 2007.

Los Angeles is hitting a major league-best .295 versus right-handers, which is not good news for Orioles rookie and Sunday starter David Hernandez (4-4, 3.81 ERA).

He had an 0-2 record and an 8.59 ERA in his previous two starts, but rebounded in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Oakland, yielding two runs and six hits over 6 2-3 innings.

"I knew I had to redeem myself because I didn't want to have three straight bad starts," Hernandez said.

In his fourth major league start July 3, Hernandez defeated the Angels as he went 6 2-3 innings, giving up three runs and six hits in a 6-4 win in Anaheim.

Ervin Santana (5-6, 6.38) allowed six runs and eight hits over five innings in that game and fell to 1-4 with a 7.43 ERA. Santana, though, will try to win his third straight for the Angels Monday after striking out six and tossing a three-hitter in Tuesday's 6-0 win over Tampa Bay.

He needed 97 pitches to earn his third career shutout.

"(Santana) had a lot of pitches working," Scioscia said. "He's a much better pitcher (now) than we saw all year."

Santana, who went 16-7 with a 3.49 ERA in 2008, when he was named an All-Star for the first time, is 4-1 with a 4.89 ERA in his last six outings.

He is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two career starts at Camden Yards.

Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts went 2 for 7 on Sunday with a two-run homer and his major league-leading 45th double. Roberts is 9 for 24 with two homers lifetime versus Santana.

Baltimore right fielder Nick Markakis reached base for the 36th straight game - extending his personal-best streak - with a two-run homer in the fifth inning.

Los Angeles is 36-17 against Baltimore since losing the final eight meetings in 2003.