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Angels, A's continue set at Coliseum

May 22, 2012 - 3:16 PM (Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hope that C.J. Wilson can find his control tonight as they continue a three-game series against an Oakland Athletics club looking to win three in a row.

Wilson has lost each of his past two decisions and lasted only 3 2/3 innings against the White Sox in a 6-1 defeat. Wilson was charged with four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and a career-high six walks.

The 31-year-old southpaw fell to 4-4 with a 3.35 earned run average in nine starts this season.

"We'll turn the page on this one," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "C.J. had trouble putting pitches in the zone. He started to feel a little under the weather as the game went on."

Wilson lost to the Athletics back on April 19, charged with four runs -- three earned -- on two hits and three walks while fanning eight over six innings. He went 2-2 in six starts against them last year with a 2.65 ERA while with Texas.

Oakland starter Graham Godfrey is expected to get a shot at redemption as well as his first victory of the season this evening.

Godfrey hasn't pitched in the majors since April 20, when he allowed four runs on three hits and five walks in five frames of a loss to the Indians. He fell to 0-3 in three starts this year with a 5.06 ERA.

"I just couldn't locate when I needed to," said Godfrey. "When you give them that many opportunities they are going to figure out a way to get some runs across."

The right-hander didn't get another opportunity in the rotation, optioned to Triple-A the following day. He's hit his stride since, going 3-0 with a 1.21 ERA while striking out 22 to only five walks in 29 2/3 innings.

Godfrey, 27, will face the Angels for the first time as he takes the spot of Brandon McCarthy, who was placed on the disabled list this past Sunday with a right shoulder injury. Godfrey is 1-5 with a 4.39 ERA in eight career major league appearances, all but one of those starts, and hasn't won since June 17 of last year versus the Giants.

Oakland won its second game in a row on Monday with a 2-1 win over Los Angeles. Tommy Milone hurled seven innings of one-run ball, scattering five hits to lower his home ERA to an impressive 0.60. Kila Ka'aihue had an RBI single and Seth Smith scored the other run on a double-play groundout by Kurt Suzuki for the A's.

"It's easy when our pitching staff keeps us in the game like that, especially when we have a bullpen like we do. When we get ahead we feel real confident and when we're tied we still feel like we have a really good chance," Ka'aihue said.

Mike Trout drove in the only run of the game with an RBI double for the Angels, losers in three straight games. Jerome Williams allowed two runs on five hits and five walks over 6 1/3 innings to absorb the loss.

"Even though his ball-strike ratio wasn't good, he was pitching into the seventh inning just giving up two runs. He definitely gave us a chance to win," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said about Williams.

While the A's got Coco Crisp back onto the roster prior to Monday's game -- he had been out since May 4 with an inner ear infection -- the Angels learned they had lost outfielder Vernon Wells due to a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb that will require surgery.

Wells isn't expected to resume baseball activities for 8-to-10 weeks and both he and Ryan Langerhans (shoulder) were placed on the disabled list. Los Angeles is also without Torii Hunter due to personal reasons, so it recalled outfielder Kole Calhoun from the minors for depth.

The A's have won five of seven so far over the Angels this season, making them 16-8 over the past 24 in this series. That includes a victory in seven of 10 at home over the Angels.