Blue Jays at Angels
The Los Angeles Angels vie for their fifth win in six outings when they host the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday for the middle contest of their three-game series. The Angels squandered a two-run lead in Tuesday's opener before Brian Goodwin homered in the eighth inning to give the club a 4-3 victory.
Goodwin is riding a four-game hitting streak during which he has gone 5-for-14 and has recorded four two-hit performances in his last 10 contests. Tommy La Stella enters Wednesday with a streak of his own as he has driven in at least one run in each of his last four games, collecting six RBIs during the stretch. Toronto was denied its fourth straight triumph as it managed only five hits in the setback. Randal Grichuk notched two of them to improve to 7-for-18 during his four-game hitting streak.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, Sportsnet (Toronto), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Blue Jays RH Marcus Stroman (1-3, 1.43 ERA) vs. Angels RH Felix Pena (0-1, 3.63)
Stroman has lost three of his four decisions this season despite allowing only nine runs - six earned - over 37 2/3 innings in six starts. The 27-year-old New Yorker gave up one hit and two walks over seven scoreless frames against Oakland on Friday but did not factor in the decision. Stroman, who has permitted one earned run in his last three turns, is 1-1 with one complete game and a 4.26 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance versus the Angels in his career.
Pena made four straight starts to begin the year before giving way to an "opener" last Wednesday against the New York Yankees before yielding two runs - one earned - and four hits with a season-high eight strikeouts in five innings. It matched the longest appearance of the season by the 29-year-old Dominican, who also worked five frames in a start versus Seattle five days earlier that saw him allow three runs and two hits - both of which were home runs. Pena has given up three runs and eight hits with one walk and nine strikeouts over six innings in one start and one relief appearance against Toronto in his career.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels SS Andrelton Simmons has gone 11-for-28 during his seven-game hitting streak.
2. Toronto 3B Brandon Drury has homered in back-to-back contests and three of his last four, collecting six RBIs in that span.
3. Los Angeles purchased the contract of Griffin Canning, who allowed three runs over 4 1/3 innings in his major-league debut on Tuesday, from Triple-A Salt Lake and designated fellow RHP John Curtiss for assignment.