After dropping two of three and their first series of the season at Camden Yards to the road-warrior Mariners, the O’s are set to make a cross-country trip to the west coast and take on the Los Angeles Angels for a three-game set that kicks off a nine-game road swing.
The Orioles (24-15) are stuck in a two-way deadlock for first place in the AL East with the Boston Red Sox (25-16) as we head into the latter half of May. Although the O’s have dropped three of four since their seven-game win streak came to a halt earlier this week, they still head into California with a 7-3 record over the past ten games and an even 7-7 record on the road in the 2016 campaign.
The Angels (19-22) have had a roller-coaster start to the season to say the least, and are set to host the Orioles currently in third place in the AL West and 4.5-games behind the Seattle Mariners (23-17) for first place. After going on a horrid stretch of dropping eight games out of nine, the Angels have bounced back nicely by taking six of their next seven and have racked up two wins in a row, both coming against their in-town rival Dodgers.
Now, let’s weigh in the starters:
Mike Wright (2-3, 5.20 ERA) is set the take the mound against southpaw Hector Santiago (3-2, 3.42 ERA) in Friday’s series opener.
Wright’s only start against the Angels was in his MLB debut on May 17th, 2015 in which the East Carolina alum allowed just four hits and zero walks over 7.1 outstanding shutout innings with six strikeouts in the Orioles 3-0 victory.
Santiago, 28, is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA over six appearances (three starts) against the Orioles in his career. In his last start versus Baltimore on July 22nd, 2014, the New Jersey native allowed only two hits over five scoreless innings with two strikeouts but received a no-decision in the Orioles 4-2 win.
Kevin Gausman (0-1, 3.00 ERA) will take on Matt Shoemaker (2-5, 8.49 ERA) in Saturday’s match-up. Gausman owns a 1-1 record with a 6.39 ERA over two starts versus Los Angeles, but will be hoping to erase the memory of his last start against them on August 7th, 2015, in which the 25-year-old allowed six runs on nine hits over 5.2 innings with two walks and four Ks.
Shoemaker,29, is just 1-2 with a Matusz-esque 11.12 ERA over his last three starts, but has posted a respectable 3.55 ERA over two starts in his career versus the O’s with a 1-1 record. In his last outing against Baltimore, the Eastern Michigan grad and Michigan native was absolutely superb, allowing just a single run on three hits over seven innings with seven Ks in the Angels 6-1 victory on May 16th, 2015.
Ubaldo Jimenez (2-4, 5.60 ERA) will square off against four-time All-Star Jered Weaver (3-3, 5.76 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale. Despite owning just a 1-5 record with a 4.28 ERA in six starts against the Angels, Jimenez completely dominated LA in his last outing against them on August 8th, 2015, by scattering a measly two hits over eight lights-out innings with one walk and six strikeouts in the Orioles five-to-nil triumph.
Weaver, 33, made his MLB debut versus Baltimore on May 27th, 2006, and allowed just three hits over seven shutout innings with five Ks in the Angels decisive 10-1 victory that day. It would go on to serve as a precedent to the success Weaver has had against the Birds. Over 14 career starts, the California native has registered a 8-4 record with a stout 3.29 ERA versus Baltimore and in 2015, the Long Beach State alum went 1-0 with a stellar 2.23 ERA in two starts against the O’s.
Despite struggling against the Mariners, the Orioles potent attack ranks seventh in the AL in runs per game (4.53) while placing second in batting average (.264), OBP (.328) and home runs (57). The good news is that the Angels pitching staff hasn’t been lighting it up this year and ranks eighth in the AL in team ERA (4.16), 10th in BAA (.260) & WHIP (1.36) and 11th in OBP (.328).
The Achilles heel of the Angels this season has been the starting rotation. Along with a 4.68 total ERA, they rank 13th in the AL in OBP (.343) and WHIP (1.48) while placing second-to-last in batting average against (.280).
Their bullpen, led by 32-year-old veteran Joe Smith (1-2, 5 Saves, 3.43 ERA), 24-year-old LSU alum Cam Bedrosian (13 games, 1-0, 0.82 ERA) and 30-year-old former Cardinal Fernando Salas (2-1, 2 saves, 2.18 ERA) boasts a rock-solid 3.33 ERA, .223 BAA and a .303 OBP coming into the clash against the Orioles. And that’s with All-Star closer Huston Street on the DL.
The Angels also don’t necessarily bring their thunder bats to the ballpark as they rank dead last in the AL in homers (36), but do rank a respectable sixth in batting average (.260) and OBP (.320) while being tied for ninth in runs per game (4.02).
But like any other time, they still have four-time All-Star Mike Trout (.327, 8 2B, 10 HR, 31 RBI) on their side and that makes the Angels attack as dangerous as ever. They also still have three-time MVP and ten-time All-Star Albert Pujols, who despite a lowly .224 batting average has recorded eight homers and 27 RBI on the year. 28-year-old Centerfielder Kole Calhoun (.291, 7 2B, 3 HR, 20 RBI) and 33-year-old infielder Yunel Escobar (.309, 10 2B, 3 HR, 10 RBI) highlight the Angels supporting cast in the line-up.
Although the Orioles own the fifth-best ERA in the AL (3.75), this ensemble could do some damage over the next three games.
Since 2011, the Orioles are just 16-21 against the hosting Angels, but are starting to turn the tide against them as they own an 11-8 record versus Los Angeles since the start of the 2013 season.
Here’s to the O’s kicking off the road trip on a high note, and here’s to the rest of us wishing that we were in California with the team…
