Los Angeles @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( May 1, 2016 ) LA Angels 9, Texas 6

The Los Angeles Angels cruised to the American League West title in 2014 in part due to their domination of the Texas Rangers, who claimed the division last year despite further struggles against their West Coast counterpart. The Rangers are off to an early lead in the rivalry this season, however, and eye their fourth straight victory overall Monday when they host the first of three games against the Angels.

Texas dropped 14 of 19 against Los Angeles en route to a last-place finish in 2014 and improved only incrementally during its AL West title run a season ago, going 7-12 while getting outscored 114-76 in the season series. The Rangers have done a much better job at keeping the Angels' bats in check this time around, holding Los Angeles to three runs or fewer five times while taking four of the seven meetings. Texas bounced back from getting swept at Oakland early last week by taking three straight from Houston over the weekend, riding an 11-strikeout performance from Cole Hamels en route to Sunday's 9-2 win, wrapping up a series in which the Rangers allowed only four runs. The Angels avoided a sweep at home against Baltimore with a 10-2 victory on Sunday and have scored at least seven runs six times while winning seven of their last 10.
TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Nick Tropeano (2-2, 3.30 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (3-3, 5.63)
Tropeano ended a six-game winless drought and worked past the sixth inning for the first time this season Wednesday, yielding only one run on seven hits over as many innings to get the decision in an 8-1 victory over the Dodgers. The 25-year-old Stony Brook product did not allow a homer after surrendering seven over his previous four turns and has given up more than three runs only once in 2016. Tropeano has lost both of his previous starts against the Rangers, surrendering a total of eight runs in 12 2/3 innings.
Holland bounced back with a quality start after getting pounded for 16 runs (15 earned) across five innings over his previous two turns, but he still took the loss after yielding two runs in six frames at Oakland last Monday. The Ohio native has fanned only four hitters over his last 17 innings, resulting in a minuscule 4.7 strikeouts per nine innings - more than a full strikeout below his previous career low. Holland shut down the Angels in his last start against them on April 30, allowing only four hits over six scoreless innings.

WALK-OFFS
1. Angels DH Albert Pujols enters the series with 568 career home runs and needs one more to tie Rafael Palmeiro for 12th all-time.
2. Texas LF Ian Desmond is hitting .340 with three homers and 13 RBIs over his last 12 games.
3. The Rangers have scored at least five runs in an inning 10 times this season, the most in the majors.

PREDICTION: Angels 5, Rangers 4