Los Angeles @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Jun 4, 2010 ) LA Angels 7, Seattle 1
Back above .500 for the first time since April 28, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will send red-hot Ervin Santana to the mound on Saturday against winless Seattle Mariners left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith in the second of a three-game set.
The Angels (29-28) have won six of seven to move above .500 again. The Angels are 21-12 in Seattle since 2007 and have not lost a series to their division rival since 2003.
Rowland-Smith (0-4, 7.24 ERA) steps into an emergency start as right-hander Doug Fister will rest with tightness and a fatigued shoulder. Fister had discomfort in his throwing shoulder after his pitches were considerably slower in his last start.
Fister, who might miss more than one start, has the third-lowest ERA (2.45) in the American League.
Saturday’s game marks Rowland-Smith's first start since May 17, as he posted a 7.62 ERA in eight outings to begin the season and was sent to the bullpen. He will be limited to no more than 90 pitches on Saturday.
For the second consecutive game, the Mariners will send a winless pitcher against the Angels.
Ian Snell fell to 0-4 after allowing four runs on three hits and walking four - two of which scored - in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-1 loss Friday night, The loss snapped Seattle’s three-game winning streak.
Snell now has 22 walks and 22 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings of work this season. His position in the rotation seems to be iffy, but the Mariners have few options. A solid outing by Rowland-Smith might keep him in the rotation even when Fister pitches again.
Santana is 4-0 with a 1.86 ERA in his last four starts. The hurler picked up his fourth consecutive victory against the Kansas City Royals on Monday, allowing seven hits and one run in seven innings. He also struck out six and had no walks.
In addition to Santana, one of the key reasons for the Angels' recent success is designated hitter Hideki Matsui.
Matsui was 3-for-3 and hit a two-run homer off Snell on Friday. He has reached safely in 10 consecutive plate appearances and is batting .391 (18-for-46) in his past 13 games. Consider Matsui hit just .184 in May.
The Mariners tried to save their regular relievers and inserted Chad Cordero for his first appearance a day after recalling him from Triple-A Tacoma.
Cordero, who had 47 saves with the Washington Nationals five years ago, made his first major-league appearance since April 29, 2008, after battling side, arm and shoulder problems the past two seasons. Cordero allowed back-to-back doubles, including Howie Kendrick’s two-run smash to deep center field in one inning of work.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia will miss the next two games as he attends his daughter's graduation from Louisville High School in Woodland Hills, Calif.
Bench coach Ron Roenicke will take over in Scioscia’s absence.