Angels look to bounce back against Rangers Friday
The Texas Rangers took the first meeting of a four-game set against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim behind newly-acquired ace Cliff Lee 3-2 Thursday night. They meet again Friday at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and the Angels will surely be looking for revenge, and to regain the game they lost in the AL West race. The Rangers improved to 56-40 on the season and now lead the Angels by six games in the West. The Angels fell to 51-47.
Friday's game could make or break the series for Los Angeles
The Angels are in a precarious situation after dropping the first game of the series. There's no doubt the plan was to come in and gain ground in the race for the AL West, but if they lose Friday they'll have to win the following two games just to split the series and stay within the five games the entered the series behind. The Rangers haven't played this well since 1999, the last time they had a 56-40 record. No doubt the addition of Lee has propelled them into a top-tier team in not just the American League, but all of baseball.
"Each game with these guys now is important," Jered Weaver, Angels' ace and the losing pitcher, said. "Falling six back isn't where we want to be. We're not used to this, but we're not going to give up. They have a great club over there and if you make any mistakes, they make you pay for it."
They'll need a big performance from starting pitcher Joe Saunders, but it doesn't seem likely they'll get it. Saunders is 3-6 against the Rangers with a 7.19 ERA, and has lost his five starts at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington with a terrible ERA of 11.68. Meanwhile, the Rangers' starting pitcher, C.J. Wilson, is 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA and is looking to win his seventh game at home this year.
Angels make a move
The Angels traded right-handed pitcher Sean O'Sullivan and minor leaguer lefty Will Smith for a familiar face in Alberto Callaspo. Callaspo was with the Angels in his younger years until he was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and will be the everyday third baseman for the Angels. He's hitting .275 this season with eight homers and 43 RBI, but his batting average in eight games against the Rangers is .379. The Angels, meanwhile, are hitting just .227 against the Rangers.
Angels' manager Mike Scioscia said the trade made sense after Kendry Morales' injury.
"What he does in the batter's box has a chance to be something special," he said. "He brings us a lot of depth on some of the things we're looking at that Kendry's injury has created. He can hit in a lot of different areas, from the two hole to six or seven. He's good with guys in scoring position. He'll be a boost to our offense."
Rangers winning thanks to good hitting, pitching
Key additions to their roster have helped the Rangers all season. Lee is one of the hottest pitchers in the game right now, and Vladimir Guerrero is looking like one of the best off season moves, hitting .315 this season with 20 home runs and a team-leading 76 RBI. Guerrero is just one of four hitters that are above .300 this season, the leader being Josh Hamilton with a .353 average. He's also a team leader in home runs with 23, doubles with 31 and hits with 132.
And those are just the veterans. Shortstop Elvis Andrus is just 21 years old, but has proven he has some of the best range in the league. He's hitting .276 with 26 RBI and 24 stolen bases and just recently knocked in his 100th hit. He also has drawn 46 walks this season.
All of this is stacking up against Saunders, showing that Friday's game will really test his control.
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