The Los Angeles Angels have gathered steam over the past week. They’ll look to stay hot on a warm afternoon in Detroit on Thursday.
The Angels and Tigers will play a straight doubleheader to complete a three-game series. Their scheduled game on Wednesday was postponed due to inclement weather, but clear skies and temperatures in the upper 80s are expected for the doubleheader.
Los Angeles has won six of its last seven games, including the series opener on Tuesday. It didn’t come easy, as Detroit scored four unearned runs in the ninth to send the contest into extra innings.
Mickey Moniak, who misplayed Spencer Torkelson’s tying two-run double in center during the ninth, had the game-winning double in Los Angeles’ 7-6 victory.
“It was a roller coaster,” Moniak said.
Superstar Shohei Ohtani, the subject of endless trade rumors, didn’t have a hit on Tuesday but he walked twice, stole a base and scored two runs.
Patrick Sandoval and Chase Silseth are expected to be Los Angeles’ starters on Thursday.
Sandoval (5-7, 4.16 ERA) is coming off a strong performance, holding the New York Yankees to one run and two hits in 7 1/3 innings last Tuesday.
“This was my best outing,” Sandoval said. “I struggled early with the strike zone, but I did a good job slowing things down and attacking the zone.”
Sandoval struck out seven, one shy of his season best. The left-hander pitches to contact — he’s struck out 77 in 93 innings, but he’s only allowed seven homers, including a solo homer to the Yankees’ Gleyber Torres.
“He was in the zone,” manager Phil Nevin said.
Silseth will be making his third start and 11th appearance this season. He also pitched well against the Yankees, as he held them to one run and four hits while striking out 10 in 5 2/3 innings a week ago.
Silseth (2-1, 4.44) hadn’t pitched in a major league game since early June prior to that outing. The right-hander was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake last week.
“When I went down, I took it as an opportunity to continue to learn instead of getting down on myself,” Silseth said. “I recalibrated and got the pitch mix.”
Michael Lorenzen and Matt Manning will be Detroit’s starters.
Lorenzen was a surprise choice for the All-Star Game but has validated that status this month. He hasn’t given up an earned run in July.
In his last start on Thursday, Lorenzen (5-6, 3.49) limited Kansas City to three hits in seven innings.
He hasn’t allowed a run in his last 21 2/3 innings. That’s what makes him a candidate to be traded by the end of the month. Lorenzen will be a free agent at the end of the season.
“I have to get outs,” Lorenzen said. “My job is to put our team in the best position to win. That’s hard enough. If I have all that clutter in my mind (regarding the trade deadline) I’m not going to be successful. You have to be mentally tough enough to block that out.”
Manning (3-1, 3.19) had his last outing interrupted by a rain delay. He pitched two scoreless innings against San Diego on Saturday but manager A.J. Hinch opted to remove him after the delay lasted more than an hour. Manning has only allowed one earned run in his last three outings, spanning 14 1/3 innings.
–Field Level Media
