Los Angeles @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 4, 2014 ) LA Angels 11, Houston 1

The Los Angeles Angels will try to build off the momentum of their first victory of the season when they visit the Houston Astros on Saturday in the second contest of a four-game series. After being outscored 26-8 during a three-game sweep by Seattle, Los Angeles rebounded with an 11-1 victory over Houston on Friday. The Angels flexed their muscles with home runs by Mike Trout, Josh Hamilton and Kole Calhoun, but Albert Pujols continues to struggle during a 3-for-17 start.

Trout, who signed a six-year, $144.5 million extension March 30, is already paying dividends by going 6-for-14 with two homers and five RBIs in his first four games.
After opening the season with two straight victories over the New York Yankees, Houston has dropped two in a row and with 12 runs in four games doesn't appear to have much more firepower than it did in 2013, when it tied for the fourth-fewest runs in the major leagues. Tyler Skaggs is back in the Angels' organization and begins what he hopes is a full-time job in the rotation when he takes on the Astros' Dallas Keuchel, who is brimming with confidence after a solid finish to the exhibition season.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West, CSN Houston

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (2013: 2-3, 5.12) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (2013: 6-10, 5.13)

Skaggs was drafted by Los Angeles with the 40th overall pick in 2009 before he was dealt to Arizona in the Dan Haren trade in 2010, only to return to the Angels as part of a three-team deal with the Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox in December. Skaggs compiled a 4.94 ERA in six spring starts while allowing 31 hits and 12 walks in 23 2/3 innings. The 22-year-old reached the mid-90s with his fastball during the exhibition season, but struggled with his command at times.

Keuchel gave up five runs and six hits while striking out five in 4 1/3 innings, but said he felt good despite seemingly poor numbers. "I felt like the ball is coming out a little bit better than it has,'' Keuchel told reporters. ''I'm definitely happy with that and going to try and move forward.'' The 26-year-old was 6-8 with a 4.90 ERA in 22 starts last season for a team that won only 51 games after going 3-8 with a 5.27 ERA in 16 starts in 2012.

WALK-OFFS

1. Houston C Jason Castro, who left Thursday's game against the Yankees after being hit by a pitch in the right ankle, did not play Friday and remains day-to-day. Astros CF Dexter Fowler also missed Friday's game with a stomach bug after going 6-for-12 with a home run and five runs scored in his first three games.

2. The three players who have hit the most home runs against the Astros are Los Angeles 1B Albert Pujols (48), and Hall of Famers Hank Aaron (46) and Willie McCovey (44). ... Pujols needs one RBI to become the 52nd player in major league history to reach 1,500, trailing only Alex Rodriguez (1,969) among active players.

3. The Astros have the youngest roster in the major leagues with an average age of 26.9 years.

PREDICTION: Angels 3, Astros 2