Texas @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( May 3, 2014 ) Texas 3, LA Angels 5

Yu Darvish looks to recover from a rare poor start when he leads the Texas Rangers into the rubber game of a three-game set at the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. Darvish had allowed five runs in 28 innings through his first four starts before he was reached for four runs in 3 1/3 innings against Oakland on Monday. It was the shortest start of his career and snapped a club-record streak of 56 games with at least five innings.

Darvish will contend with an Angels offense that produced 14 hits in a 5-3 win Saturday night, which snapped the Rangers' six-game winning streak in the series. Texas still has won 17 of the past 22 meetings overall and nine of its last 13 games in Los Angeles. However, since sweeping first-place Oakland last month, the Rangers are 2-6.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (1-1, 2.59 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (2-0, 3.34)

Darvish has received just 2.2 runs of support, the fourth-lowest total in the American League entering Saturday. Still, the Rangers have won four of his five starts, with the rough outing against Oakland last week the lone blemish. Darvish is 4-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five career starts at Los Angeles.

The Angels have won each of Skaggs' five starts, including a solid outing against Cleveland on Monday, when he let up three runs and struck out a season-high six in seven innings. He has lasted at least six innings in each start while yielding four hits or fewer three times. Skaggs has three no-decisions and an ERA of 4.95 at home this year.

WALK-OFFS

1. Angels CF Mike Trout is 9-for-28 with four home runs and six walks against Darvish.

2. Los Angeles RH Joe Smith has thrown three scoreless innings while picking up three saves since being named closer late last month.

3. Rangers SS Elvis Andrus is 1-for-24 over a six-game span.

PREDICTION: Rangers 4, Angels 3