Rangers at Angels
The Texas Rangers attempt to extend their season-high winning streak to six games when they visit the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday for the middle contest of their three-game set. Texas improved to 8-1 in its last nine overall games when it rallied for a 4-3 triumph in the series opener on Friday.
Shin-Soo Choo led off the contest with his fourth home run in seven games and Hunter Pence delivered a two-run single in the seventh inning to erase a deficit for the Rangers, who have won three straight on the road following a five-game skid away from home. Pence finished with two hits on Friday to improve to 11-for-30 with three homers and eight RBIs on a seven-game hitting streak during which he has registered four two-hit performances. Jonathan Lucroy and Brian Goodwin homered during a three-run second inning for the Angels, who have lost five consecutive contests and seven of nine. Goodwin has gone deep in back-to-back games while Tommy La Stella has hit safely in 11 of his last 14 contests.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS Southwest (Texas), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Mike Minor (5-3, 2.64 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (4-4, 5.01)
Minor looks to win his third consecutive start after allowing three runs and registering 14 strikeouts over 11 innings in back-to-back triumphs over Kansas City on the road and Seattle at home. The 31-year-old Tennessean has given up more than two runs only three times in 10 turns this season and just once in his last five outings. Minor tossed his first career shutout on April 16 against the Angels, permitting three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in improving to 3-0 with a 2.39 ERA in four starts and two relief appearances versus the club.
After allowing fewer than three runs in four of his first five starts this season, Skaggs has yielded at least four in each of his last three turns. The 27-year-old Californian went 1-2 in those outings after suffering a loss to Kansas City on Sunday in which he surrendered four runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings. Skaggs improved to 5-2 with a 4.80 ERA in 11 career starts against Texas after giving up one run and five hits over 6 1/3 frames on April 6.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels RHP Luis Garcia (back) could be activated from the injured list on Saturday while LHP Andrew Heaney (elbow) is slated to make his season debut on Sunday, when he starts the series finale.
2. Texas is expected to activate SS Elvis Andrus (hamstring) from the IL on Saturday and likely will option OF Delino DeShields to Triple-A Nashville to open a spot on the roster.
3. Los Angeles recalled Jaime Barria from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday and optioned fellow RHP Taylor Cole to the Bees.