Dodgers at Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have had trouble keeping the ball in the park all season, and that trend figures to continue Monday as they begin a two-game interleague series against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers. The Angels’ pitching staff has allowed 111 homers in 66 games and faces an uphill battle versus the Dodgers, who possess one of the most powerful lineups in the major leagues.
Max Muncy went deep and Walker Buehler tossed seven strong innings in Sunday’s 1-0 triumph over San Francisco as the Dodgers won their 11th straight series. Muncy has reached base safely in 20 consecutive games for the Dodgers, who have won nine of their last 11 contests and rank first in the National League in runs scored (349) while sitting in third place in homers (101). The Angels have lost five of seven but have one of the most surprising players in the majors in Tommy La Stella, who hit his career-high 15th homer in Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Seattle. Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts after recording three home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs scored in his previous five games.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, SportsNet LA (Dodgers), FS West (Angels)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (9-1, 1.35 ERA) vs. Angels RH Griffin Canning (2-2, 3.52)
Ryu recorded his seventh straight victory on Tuesday, allowing three hits over seven innings in a combined shutout against Arizona. The National League Pitcher of the Month for May, Ryu is 7-0 with a 0.75 ERA, 48 strikeouts and three walks in his last eight turns. Mike Trout is 0-for-7 with two strikeouts against the 32-year-old South Korean, who is 2-0 with a 0.83 ERA in three career starts versus the Angels.
Canning registered a career-high eight strikeouts against Oakland on Tuesday but suffered the loss after yielding four runs in six innings. The 23-year-old rookie is one of four pitchers in American League history to fan at least five batters in each of his first seven career games. A second-round draft pick of the Angels in 2017, Canning owns an impressive 42-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first seven outings.
WALK-OFFS
1. Five of the last seven games between the teams have been decided by one run.
2. Dodgers OF Joc Pederson was unavailable Sunday due to a stiff back but is expected to return for the series opener.
3. Angels INF David Fletcher missed Sunday’s contest with a sore left shoulder and is listed as day-to-day.