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Halos try to bounce back in Baltimore

Jul 24, 2011 - 2:30 PM (Sports Network) - The LA Angels of Anaheim try to keep the streaking Texas Rangers in their sights in the American League West, but right now the team needs to focus more on the Baltimore Orioles as the two squads finish up a three-game set at Camden Yards this afternoon.

Despite Texas being the hottest team in baseball right now, the Angels are still just four games out of first place in their division, thanks in part to a three-game win streak which was stopped on Saturday in a 3-2 final versus the O's.

Adam Jones knocked in two runs for the hosts yesterday, one of those coming on a solo home run, while J.J. Hardy finished up 3-for-4 and Nick Markakis knocked in a run en route to Baltimore's fourth win in seven games. Unfortunately, in the highly-competitive AL East, Baltimore is already chasing the pack and is 20 1/2 games out of contention with more than 60 games remaining.

Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen permitted two runs on six hits over six innings to earn his first win since beating Tampa Bay on May 14.

Vernon Wells hit a two-run homer and Erick Aybar collected three hits in four at-bats, but the Angels still fell to 10-35 on the season when being out-hit by their opponents.

Joel Pineiro was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs on 11 hits over 5 1/3 innings.

"I just have to get back to getting the ball down and in," Pineiro said. "I feel great, I feel good, it was just up. Everything, sliders, curveball and everything was up. It's just a matter of going back out there and working down in the zone really."

Rookie hurler Tyler Chatwood is set to make the start for the Angels this afternoon, his first-ever matchup against the Orioles. The right-hander is winless in the month of July, last logging a victory against the Dodgers back on June 25.

Most recently the California native clashed with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday and failed to get any run support in a 7-0 defeat at home. Chatwood lasted a total of five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks, striking out just one. In his three appearances this month Chatwood has logged 11 bases-on-balls and just five strikeouts.

As for the O's, they've got Jeremy Guthrie ready to take the hill this time around. The right-hander, already with a 3-2 career record against LA, took on Boston in his most recent effort on Tuesday, logging just his fourth win in 17 decisions in the process.

The Stanford product was rewarded with his first win in the month of July when he limited the Red Sox to just the two runs on eight hits, walking one and striking out four, over seven innings of action.

Making it a little tougher on themselves this season, the Orioles are second from the bottom in the AL in terms of walks earned, coming up with just 283. Once O's players get on base they more or less wait for teammates to move them around, as evidenced by the squad's mere 35 stolen bases which is tied for the fewest in the league.

Baltimore easily took care of the Angels last season, winning all six of the meetings between the clubs. The Angels are set to return to Camden Yards again in the middle of September, but not before hosting the O's in the Golden State in August.