Angels 6 - 1 Orioles
Final
  for this game

O's aim to continue recent mastery of Halos

Jul 22, 2011 - 2:58 PM (Sports Network) The LA Angels of Anaheim will take on the Baltimore Orioles for the first time this season when the two clubs commence a three-game series tonight from Camden Yards.

The Orioles won all six meetings with Los Angeles a year ago, only after the Angels won eight of 10 matchups during the 2009 campaign.

Anaheim won the last two meetings with the Texas Rangers to take a three-game series at the Big A and is coming off Thursday's 1-0 victory in the series finale. Jered Weaver won his 13th game of the season (13-4) with seven shutout innings and six strikeouts, while Scott Downs tossed a scoreless eighth and Jordan Waldon collected his 23rd save in the ninth inning.

The Angels were outhit, 8-2, and scored the only run of the game when Howie Kendrick scored on a fielding error by Endy Chavez. Kendrick was hit by a pitch and took second on a wild pitch by Rangers starter C.J. Wilson. Mike Trout then reached safely when Chavez misplayed a ball in center field.

"Going up against C.J., you knew runs would be at a premium," Weaver admitted. "The difference in the game was the error. I wanted to eliminate early hits and the defense was incredible behind me."

Weaver has won his last seven decisions and lowered his MLB-best ERA to 1.81. He also improved to 7-0 with a 2.32 ERA against Texas in Anaheim.

The Angels will be kicking off a 10-game road trip tonight against the Orioles, Indians and Tigers, and sit three games behind Texas for the AL West lead.

They have won 17 of their last 24 contests.

Ervin Santana gets the call for Anaheim on Friday and he's 4-8 with a 3.84 ERA through 20 starts this season. He hasn't figured into the decision in back-to- back starts and is 1-4 in his previous five results. In a 4-3 loss at Oakland on Saturday, Santana allowed three runs - two earned - and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.

The right-hander, who is 1-3 in road starts this season, owns a career mark of 3-4 with a 5.84 ERA in 10 starts against Baltimore.

Baltimore has lost 16 of its last 20 games and just dropped two of three meetings with the Boston Red Sox. In Wednesday's 4-0 loss in the series finale, Jake Arrieta was saddled with the loss for allowing three runs and nine hits in seven innings. Derrek Lee and Craig Tatum had the only hits for the Orioles, who are 3-4 on a 10-game homestand.

"He went out there and battled his [rear end] off," Orioles outfielder Adam Jones said of Arrieta. "Threw six really good innings. It's frustrating for us."

Alfredo Simon draws the start for Baltimore tonight and he's 2-2 with a 4.36 earned run average in nine games, two of which have been starts. He defeated Cleveland on Saturday and threw seven innings of two-run ball to back a 6-5 win. Simon is 2-0 at home this season and 0-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two career relief outings against the Angels.






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