Angels at Orioles
Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout met one of his biggest fans before the series opener at the Baltimore Orioles on Friday and broke out of a power slump. Trout will try to lead the Angels to a second straight series win when they visit the Orioles for the second of a three-game series on Saturday.
Trout's fan requested a home run and the All-Star delivered, belting a two-run blast in the third inning to snap a five-game homer drought and find the seats for the second time in the last 18 contests. The Angels (18-20) are working their way toward .500 and improved to 9-4 over the last 13 contests with Friday's triumph, which also featured four hits and two RBIs from Andrelton Simmons. The Orioles are losers of three in a row and dropped to 5-14 at home but they have a bright spot in right fielder Trey Mancini, who homered on Friday to snap a 22-game drought and is batting .326 with a .572 slugging percentage. Trying to slow Mancini on Saturday will be Angels right-hander Matt Harvey while Baltimore's Dylan Bundy gets to face Trout, Simmons and company.
TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Matt Harvey (1-3, 6.94 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Dylan Bundy (1-4, 5.30)
Harvey had a run of two consecutive quality starts come to an end when he was knocked around for five runs on as many hits - one homer - over 4 2/3 innings against Houston on Sunday. The 30-year-old yielded a total of three runs and five hits over 13 innings in his two previous turns against the New York Yankees and Kansas City. Harvey is making his first career start against Baltimore and is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three road outings.
Bundy is coming off his best outing of the season after holding the Tampa Bay Rays to three hits over 7 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win last Saturday. The Oklahoma native owns 38 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings but surrendered nine home runs in that span. Bundy served up three homers over 4 1/3 innings during his lone start against the Angels last season and was charged with seven runs - five earned - in the loss.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels DH Shohei Ohtani (elbow) went 0-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts on Friday, dropping his average to .125.
2. Baltimore 1B Chris Davis belted his fourth home run in the series opener.
3. Los Angeles LHP Andrew Heaney (elbow) threw three innings in extended spring training on Friday.