White Sox at Angels
Mike Trout ended his four-game hitless streak with authority as the Los Angeles Angels held on for a victory in their series opener against the Chicago White Sox. The superstar hopes for a repeat performance when the Angels host the White Sox on Friday in the second contest of a four-game set..
Trout matched his season high with four hits and scored four times as Los Angeles built a six-run lead before escaping with an 8-7 win. One of the hits was the 28-year-old's 40th homer of the season, tying him with Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers for the major-league lead and making him the fastest player in team history to reach the plateau (123 games) as he broke the record set in 2000 by Troy Glaus (136). Trout is one blast away from tying the career high he established in 2015. Justin Upton homered and drove in four runs for the Angels while Jose Abreu went deep twice for Chicago to give him 172 career shots, moving him past Robin Ventura for sixth place on the franchise list.
TV: 10:07 p.m. ET, NBCS Chicago, FS West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (12-6, 3.42 ERA) vs. Angels LH Patrick Sandoval (0-0, 5.59)
Giolito is coming off his fourth loss in five decisions, a setback against Oakland on Sunday in which he registered a career-high 13 strikeouts while allowing just two runs and five hits over six innings. The 25-year-old Californian has given up three runs or fewer in five of his last six outings but has just one victory to show for his efforts. Giolito made his only career start against the Angels on the road on July 23, 2018, when he recorded the win after permitting three runs on five hits and four walks in six innings.
Sandoval will be pitching in his first game at home after beginning his major-league career earlier this month with a pair of appearances on the road. The 22-year-old, who also hails from the Golden State, allowed two runs in five innings of relief at Cincinnati on Aug. 5 and yielded four over 4 2/3 frames in a start at Boston six days later. Sandoval split the season between Double-A Mobile and Triple-A Salt Lake before being recalled, going 4-7 with a 5.71 ERA in 20 games (19 starts).
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox OF Leury Garcia went 0-for-4 on Thursday as he returned from a four-game absence due to a bruised right index finger and made his first start of the year at third base.
2. Los Angeles activated LHP Adalberto Mejia from the restricted list and sent RHP JC Ramirez outright to Salt Lake.
3. Chicago INF Yoan Moncada (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday.