Kansas City @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jul 4, 2010 ) Kansas City 0, LA Angels 11
When the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim drafted Sean O’Sullivan in the third round of the 2005 draft, they envisioned him developing into a good major-league starting pitcher. They will get a close look at his progress on Monday night.
The difference is that the Angels will be facing O’Sullivan, who was recently traded to the Kansas City Royals. The 22-year-old right-hander draws the start in the opening game of a three-game series in Anaheim.
O’Sullivan reached the majors last season and made 10 starts for the Angels. He spent most of this season in the minors before being shipped to the Royals as part of the package to acquire third baseman Alberto Callaspo.
Prior to the trade to Kansas City, O’Sullivan beat the New York Yankees with six innings of two-hit ball on June 20. Since joining the Royals, O’Sullivan is 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA.
O’Sullivan figures to get a long look with the rebuilding Royals over the final third of the season. Kansas City coveted O’Sullivan in one of those trades that could someday prove to be a steal.
Callaspo is not a bad player but hitters of his ilk - 19 career homers in five seasons - don’t normally cost an organization one of its top pitching prospects either.
Callaspo is batting .291 (16-for-55) since joining the Angels, but has just two extra-base hits (both doubles). He was hitting .275 for the Royals at the time of the trade.
Los Angeles still fancies itself as a contender in the AL West, but the Angels have fallen nine games behind the first-place Texas Rangers after going 6-13 over the past three weeks.
The Angels have fallen into third place, 1.5 games behind the Oakland Athletics.
With Torii Hunter serving a four-game suspension (Monday’s contest will be the third he’ll miss) and Hideki Matsui slumping (3-for-27 over his last eight games), the Angels batted Macier Izturis in the clean-up spot during Sunday’s loss to Detroit.
Izturis responded with his fourth multi-hit game in five days. He has gone 9-for-20 (.450) during the streak to raise his average from .219 to .247.
Howie Kendrick has hit in 10 straight games for the Angels, who send right-hander Ervin Santana to the mound against O’Sullivan.
Santana was roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles in his last outing, allowing nine runs and 12 hits in 3 2/3 innings. He has given up 16 runs over 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts.
Santana (10-8, 4.11 ERA) is 4-4 with a 4.47 ERA in nine career starts against Kansas City. He is 1-1 in two starts against the Royals this season.
Kansas City has struggled to score runs during the first six games of a nine-game West Coast road trip. The Royals scored 11 runs against Oakland and the Seattle Mariners – losing two of three to both teams – and haven’t scored more than three in any game.
Outfielder Alex Gordon has been Kansas City’s hot hitter of late with four homers since July 30.