Rangers at Angels
The Texas Rangers are riding a season high-tying four-game winning streak as they kick off a six-game West Coast trip with three against the Los Angeles Angels beginning Friday. Texas swept three games from Seattle by a combined four runs earlier this week and has won seven of its last eight games behind an offense that has produced 53 runs during that span.
"We played some good baseball,'' Rangers outfielder Hunter Pence, who is 9-for-25 with three home runs and six RBIs in his last six games - all Texas wins, told reporters. "We’re just staying locked into the process. The preparation is a big reward and something we’re really proud of. In the good times and tough times, we’ve stayed on that preparation and trusted it and continuing to look to get better.” Los Angeles suffered its fourth straight loss, 16-7 to Minnesota on Thursday after its nine-game homestand began with a pair of victories over Kansas City. The Angels are struggling with the worst starters' ERA in baseball at 5.85 after Matt Harvey was torched for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings Thursday, allowing four of the eight home runs hit by the Twins. Los Angeles rookie Griffin Canning starts Friday after recording the best outing of his brief career and opposes Drew Smyly, who has pitched better since returning from the injured list.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network; FS Southwest (Texas), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Drew Smyly (0-3, 6.51 ERA) vs. Angels RH Griffin Canning (2-1, 3.80)
Smyly allowed two runs, three hits and four walks with four strikeouts in four innings of Texas' 5-4 victory over St. Louis on Sunday. The 29-year-old Arkansas native is 0-1 with a 4.97 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and .191 batting average against in three games (two starts) since missing more than two weeks with left mid-arm nerve tightness. Los Angeles' Mike Trout is 4-for-15 with two home runs, seven RBIs and four strikeouts versus Smyly, who is 0-4 with a 5.59 ERA in seven games (five starts) against the Angels.
Canning yielded three hits and one walk while striking out five in seven scoreless innings of a 6-3 victory over Kansas City on Saturday. "I wasn't being super tentative and let my stuff work in the zone," the 23-year-old Californian told reporters. Canning has permitted 16 hits with 24 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings over four career starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. Rangers RHP Jesse Chavez hasn't allowed a run in his last eight appearances covering 11 1/3 innings, lowering his ERA from 8.79 to 4.91.
2. Los Angeles INF Tommy La Stella belted his team-leading 12th home run Thursday after hitting 10 in his first five seasons covering 396 games.
3. Texas outscored Los Angeles 22-11 in a three-game series sweep last month after the Angels took three of four from the Rangers at home earlier in April.