Angels at Rangers
Superstar Mike Trout has done loads of damage against the Texas Rangers this season and the two-time Most Valuable Player will try to keep that trend alive when he leads his Los Angeles Angels into a four-game series in the Lone Star State beginning Monday. Trout is batting .349 with nine home runs, 16 RBIs and 16 walks in 13 games against the Rangers in 2019.
He had three homers and five RBIs in his last two games at Arlington last month and is a .332 hitter in 68 career games at Texas. Trout should also be well rested after sitting out the Angels' 9-2 win over the Chicago White Sox at home on Sunday, which moved Los Angeles a game ahead of the Rangers for third place in the American League West. Texas opened its eight-game homestand with four straight losses to the Minnesota Twins, capped by a 6-3 setback Sunday. The Rangers gave up 35 runs in the series and will hope for better results with Kolby Allard on the mound Monday against fellow lefty Dillon Peters for Los Angeles.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), FS Southwest (Texas)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Dillon Peters (3-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Kolby Allard (1-0, 4.50)
Peters opened the month with 7 2/3 innings of three-run ball in a standout relief effort before posting back-to-back quality starts. He limited Pittsburgh to two runs in six frames with six strikeouts last time out to improve to 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts this year. The University of Texas product gave up a run over 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in his only prior encounter with the Rangers.
Allard posted his first win as a Ranger after giving up three runs over 5 2/3 innings at Toronto on Wednesday. He has 12 strikeouts with no home runs allowed in his two starts for Texas since being acquired in a trade with Atlanta at the deadline. The former first-round selection will be making his home debut for the Rangers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Trout went 6-for-11 with two homers in the series against the White Sox before resting Sunday.
2. Rangers OF/DH Shin-Soo Choo reached the 20-homer mark for the seventh time in his career with a solo blast Sunday.
3. Texas is 17-10 at home against division opponents.