Looking to build on recent offensive success, the Los Angeles Angels will aim to clinch their third straight series to begin the season when they host the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday afternoon in Anaheim, Calif.
The Angels snapped a two-game skid with Saturday’s 10-4 win over Cleveland.
Los Angeles, which is averaging 7.5 runs over its last four games, launched four home runs in Saturday’s victory — including a two-run homer in the fifth inning by both Logan O’Hoppe and Mike Trout.
Despite getting off to a slow start at the plate (5-for-29), Trout has homered in three straight games.
Trout has played in just 111 total games over the last two seasons due to injury, and the club is more than happy to see his return to the lineup.
“I keep hearing about what’s happened the last couple of years, but Mike Trout is Mike Trout,” Los Angeles manager Ron Washington said. “I’m not surprised by anything he does out there. On the defensive side, on the base paths, I am not surprised.”
As for the rest of the Angels, the lineup has taken off since mustering just two runs through the first two games of the season.
“Our offense has woken up,” Washington said. “They’ve really been swinging the bats since the second game of the season, and tonight we put it together the way we know we’re capable of. I’m very proud of the work they’re doing and where they are right now.”
Left-hander Tyler Anderson (0-0, 5.40 ERA) will start on Sunday after allowing three runs in five innings of a no-decision against the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday. Anderson is coming off his second All-Star appearance last year, in which he posted a 3.81 ERA in 31 starts.
Anderson is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in two career starts against Cleveland, which has lost four of its last five games.
Cleveland’s pitching has been pelted for 16 runs in the first two games of its weekend series, and the team will turn to right-hander Luis L. Ortiz (0-1, 13.50 ERA) in an effort to turn the tide on Sunday.
Ortiz, 26, allowed seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings the last time out, in a loss to the San Diego Padres on Monday. After four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League, Ortiz will make his first career start against the Angels on Sunday.
An area of concern so far, Cleveland hasn’t had a starting pitcher last longer than 5 2/3 innings this season, a trend it hopes to reverse in the series finale.
“You always want the starter to go deep in the game,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “We go into every game hoping and planning for our starter to go six, seven innings. That’s the way you sustain it for a full season. We know not every night can go like that, but in a perfect world, we want five to seven pitchers getting us through six innings. That’s the goal every single night.”
–Field Level Media
