• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Garland set to make Angels debut vs. Twins

Apr 1, 2008 - 2:01 PM LA Angels (0-1) at Minnesota (1-0) 8:10 pm EDT

MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) - With their vaunted pitching staff already in ruins, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are counting on Jon Garland to make a positive impact on the rotation.

Garland, a member of the Chicago White Sox last season, will make his first start with his new team Tuesday when the Angels visit the Minnesota Twins.

Anaheim's starting rotation is dealing with injuries to 18-game winner Kelvim Escobar - likely done for the season with a shoulder injury - and reigning American League ERA champ John Lackey, out for the first few weeks with arm trouble.

Those losses have made the Angels' decision to swap shortstop Orlando Cabrera for Garland in the offseason seem like a brilliant move.

Garland posted a 10-13 record with a 4.23 ERA last season, but was a combined 36-17 over the two previous seasons. An innings-eater with quality stuff, the righthander has pitched at least 191 innings in each of the past six seasons.

Anaheim will be looking to bounce back after suffering a 3-2 loss in the season opener for both teams on Monday.

Rookie Carlos Gomez was the star for the Twins, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. One of the main pieces in the Johan Santana trade in the offseason, Gomez outplayed the man he replaced in center field, Torii Hunter, who went 0-for-4 in his Angels debut.

Minnesota will send Boof Bonser to the mound on Tuesday. The righthander went 8-12 in his first full season in 2007, posting a 5.12 ERA.