Final
Angels-Rangers Preview
Jul 22, 2010 - 3:26 AMVideo
Los Angeles (51-45) at Texas (55-39), 8:05 p.m. EDT
Matchups with staff aces don't seem to faze Jered Weaver, who is set to try and keep pace with Cliff Lee. At Texas, though, Weaver has had trouble regardless of who is pitching for the Rangers.
With a marquee pitching matchup opening a key AL West series, the Los Angeles Angels look to avoid losing their seventh straight game started by Weaver at Texas as they face Lee and the first-place Rangers on Thursday night.
This four-game series gives three-time reigning division champion Los Angeles (51-46) a chance to cut into Texas' five-game lead.
"It's huge," Weaver (9-5, 3.16 ERA) told the Angels' official website. "We've been sitting four, five games back for a while now. ... When you're playing those guys, you pick up a game or lose one. Simple as that."
Weaver will take part in a matchup of All-Star pitchers, with Lee (8-4, 2.59) making his third start for Texas (55-40) since being acquired in a trade with Seattle.
Weaver outdueled Mariners ace Felix Hernandez in his last start, allowing two runs in seven innings of a 3-2 victory Friday night. Weaver has matched up with Hernandez three times this year, going 2-0 with a 0.84 ERA.
"I take the same approach no matter who I'm facing," Weaver said. "I trust my game and I trust what I'm throwing up there."
But Los Angeles has lost the last six games that Weaver has started at Texas. The right-hander has a 6.17 ERA during that stretch, surrendering seven runs in two of his last three outings.
Lee, meanwhile, has won four straight starts versus the Angels, posting a 1.91 ERA, and is 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA in nine outings against them all-time.
The veteran left-hander fell just short of earning his seventh complete game of the season Saturday night, giving up two runs in nine innings of a 3-2, 11-inning loss to Boston. Lee allowed a game-tying double in the ninth.
Lee is facing an Angels team that is hitting .329 while averaging 5.8 runs over its last six games. Los Angeles had 15 hits against New York on Wednesday, but still lost 10-6.
Angels designated hitter Hideki Matsui has homered in two straight games after connecting once in his previous 32 contests. Matsui, though, is 1 for 17 with six strikeouts versus the Rangers this season.
Texas went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position in a 4-1 loss at Detroit on Wednesday night, losing for the first time in four games. The Rangers had 32 hits and 16 runs in their previous two contests.
Vladimir Guerrero went 0 for 3 and is 1 for 12 in his last three games. Guerrero is in his first season with the Rangers after six years with the Angels.
The nine-time All-Star is 10 for 19 (.526) with four homers and nine RBIs in Texas' five games against Los Angeles this year. The Rangers won three of those contests.
- Rangers 3, Angels 2 - FINAL
LA ANGELS ab r h rbi bb so lob avg
E Aybar ss 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 .285
H Kendrick 2b 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .275
B Abreu rf 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 .256
T Hunter cf 4 0 0 0 0 2 1 .290
M Napoli 1b 4 1 2 1 0 0 0 .261
H Matsui dh 3 1 1 0 0 0 1 .249
J Rivera
Jul 22 10:52 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY MIKE NAPOLI (18) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 7TH OFF CLIFF LEE.
CURRENT SCORE: LA ANGELS 2, TEXAS 3
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: H MATSUI (.250, 1-FOR-2)
Angels 2, Rangers 3 Top 7, 0 OutsJul 22 10:11 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SACRIFICE FLY BY BENGIE MOLINA SCORED JOSH HAMILTON
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, N CRUZ ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA ANGELS 1
TEXAS 3 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: C DAVIS (.186, 1-FOR-2)
Angels 1, Rangers 3 Bot 6, 0 OutsJul 22 10:04 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY JOSH HAMILTON SCORED VLADIMIR GUERRERO
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, J HAMILTON ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: LA ANGELS 1
TEXAS 2 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: N CRUZ (.322, 1-FOR-2)
Angels 1, Rangers 2 Bot 6, 0 OutsJul 22 10:00 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MAICER IZTURIS SCORED HIDEKI MATSUI
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, M IZTURIS ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: LA ANGELS 1
TEXAS 1 TOP,5TH
DUE UP FOR LA ANGELS: J MATHIS (.231, 0-FOR-1)
Angels 1, Rangers 1 Top 5, 0 OutsJul 22 9:25 PM - AL
AT TEXAS - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO INSIDE-THE-PARK HOME RUN BY MICHAEL YOUNG (13) TO RIGHT
CENTER WITH 1 OUT IN THE 1ST OFF JERED WEAVER.
CURRENT SCORE: LA ANGELS 0, TEXAS 1
DUE UP FOR TEXAS: I KINSLER (.305, 6 HR, 38 RBI)
Angels 0, Rangers 1 Bot 1, 0 OutsJul 22 8:16 PM
Related News
- Anthony Rendon's Apathy Doesn't Bode Well for Angels Feb 21
- Tuesday Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 26
- Christmas Morning Texas Rangers Update Dec 25
- Garver to the M’s, per reports Dec 24
- Christmas Eve Rangers things Dec 24
- Saturday morning Rangers things Dec 23
- LSB Offseason Community Prospect Rankings — #15 Dec 22
- Friday morning Rangers stuff Dec 22
- Yamamoto to Dodgers, per reports Dec 21
- MLB adopts new rules for 2024 Dec 21
- LSB Offseason Community Prospect Rankings — #14 Dec 21
- Thursday Morning Links Dec 21