Mariners at Angels
Mike Trout routinely torments Seattle pitchers and will look to inflict more damage when the Los Angeles Angels open a three-game series against the visiting Mariners on Friday. Trout is batting .371 with three homers and nine RBIs in 10 games versus Seattle this season and has a career .323 average with 36 blasts and 94 RBIs in 146 contests against the club.
Trout went 8-for-14 with two homers and seven RBIs as the Angels took three of four in Seattle from May 30-June 2. The 27-year-old, who hit his 16th homer of the season in Thursday's 7-4 loss to Oakland, is 12-for-26 with two homers and three doubles against scheduled Seattle starter Marco Gonzales. The Mariners have lost 17 of their last 21 games as a 3-8 homestand ended with Thursday's 8-7, 14-inning loss to Houston. Gonzales endured the worst start of his career on Sunday, when the Angels torched him for 10 runs and nine hits over 4 2/3 innings of a 13-3 victory.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, ROOT Northwest (Seattle), FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Marco Gonzales (5-6, 4.89 ERA) vs. Angels LH Andrew Heaney (0-0, 4.09)
Gonzales opened the season with five straight victories, but the early success has disintegrated as he is 0-6 in his last seven outings. The 27-year-old has been reached for 18 runs - 16 earned - and 17 hits over 8 2/3 innings in his last two turns. Gonzales is 1-1 with a 6.30 ERA in three starts against the Angels this year and 4-1 with a 4.26 ERA in 11 career outings versus the team.
Heaney, who will be making his third start of the season, has served up two homers in each of his first two turns. The 28-year-old registered 10 strikeouts in six innings against Seattle on Saturday, when he allowed three runs and five hits during a no-decision. Heaney is 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA over eight career starts against the Mariners and has served up two homers to Edwin Encarnacion (3-for-5).
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels LF Justin Upton (toe) is slated to begin a rehab assignment on Friday and is expected to play in 10 to 15 games at multiple levels of the minors before being activated.
2. Seattle's Mitch Haniger (testicular contusion) departed Thursday's game and was slated to undergo further testing, while fellow OF Braden Bishop (spleen) remains hospitalized from the injury he suffered Tuesday.
3. Los Angeles C Kevan Smith is expected to be activated from the seven-day concussion list prior to Friday's game.