Angels at Indians
The Cleveland Indians look to get back in the groove again after losing three of their last four contests when they host the fading Los Angeles Angels on Friday night to open a three-game series. The Indians managed just six hits - one each from Franmil Reyes and Yasiel Puig in their debut with the team - in a 7-1 loss to Houston on Thursday to miss a chance to trim their three-game deficit in the American League Central.
Puig had a double, a walk and a stolen base after coming over from Cincinnati and Reyes - acquired from San Diego in the same three-way deal - extended his hitting streak to six games Thursday for Cleveland, which owns the top wild card spot in the AL. Right-hander Mike Clevinger, who boasts an impressive 72-to-15 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 49 1/3 innings this year, gets the ball for the Indians in the series opener and the Angels turn to lefty Dillon Peters. Los Angeles missed a golden chance to move closer in the AL wild-card chase, dropping five of the last seven games at home against Baltimore and Detroit - the teams with the worst two records in the majors - before heading out to start a nine-game road swing. “We don’t like it. But it’s on us,” Angels manager Brad Ausmus told reporters. “We have to right the ship. We have some pretty good teams coming up on this trip. We’ve got to right it, quick.”
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FS West (Los Angeles), WKYC 3, STO (Cleveland)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Dillon Peters (2-0, 3.06 ERA) vs. Indians RH Mike Clevinger (5-2, 3.28)
Peters gave up five runs (two earned) on seven hits and a pair of walks in his second straight start Saturday for a no-decision against Baltimore. The 26-year-old Indiana native was outstanding in his first start this year on July 21, yielding just four hits and two walks across five scoreless innings to beat Seattle. Peters was 2-2 with a 7.16 ERA in seven appearances (five starts) with Miami in 2018 before being traded to the Angels in the offseason.
Clevinger won his last three outings and all four of his decisions in July, boasting a 1.74 ERA in five starts with 41 strikeouts across 31 total innings. The 28-year-old Florida native is 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA in four home starts during 2019 and allowed one run or fewer in six of his nine appearances this season. Shohei Ohtani is 2-for-3 with a pair of homers against Clevinger, who is 3-0 with a 3.29 ERA in five career starts versus the Angels.
WALK-OFFS
1. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor had a pair of hits Thursday after batting .330 in July with six homers and 16 RBIs.
2. Los Angeles C Jonathan Lucroy went 2-for-4 with a double Wednesday after missing 18 games with a nose fracture.
3. Indians manager Terry Francona missed Thursday’s game after undergoing eye surgery, but he could return Friday.