Cleveland @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Last Meeting ( Mar 23, 2014 ) Cleveland 2, LA Angels 5
The Los Angeles Angels limp home from a long road trip to open a big nine-game homestand Monday against the Cleveland Indians. The Angels dropped three of their last four games on the 4-5 trek, with each of the three losses coming by one run - including Sunday's 3-2 setback at the New York Yankees. Los Angeles' struggling bullpen allowed the Yankees to score the decisive run without recording a hit in the bottom of the eighth.
Cleveland dropped three straight in San Francisco over the weekend to being a six-game excursion. The Indians produced three hits in a 5-1 loss Sunday and scored a total of five runs in the three-game set. Cleveland is 27-9 against American League West teams since the beginning of 2013 and has won four straight games against the Angels.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Justin Masterson (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (2-0, 3.21)
While the Indians are 3-2 in Masterson's five starts, he has yet to record a decision. Following a pair of rocky outings at the beginning of the month, he has allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in back-to-back starts, striking out 15 batters in the process. The 29-year-old Masterson is 4-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 12 career games (nine starts) against Los Angeles and 3-0 with a 2.14 mark at Angel Stadium.
Skaggs limited Washington to two runs and only three hits in seven solid innings of a 7-2 win on Tuesday, improving to 2-0 on the road. However, he has given up eight earned runs and 16 hits in 13 frames at home so far and is 3-6 with a 5.08 ERA at home in his career, which includes parts of two seasons with Arizona. Skaggs, who has seven strikeouts and seven walks in his last two outings, never has faced Cleveland.
WALK-OFFS
1. Indians CF Michael Bourn is 12-for-31 with two triples and a double during his seven-game hitting streak.
2. Angels SS Erick Aybar is 2-for-18 with seven strikeouts versus Masterson.
3. Los Angeles has homered in 19 of its 24 games.
PREDICTION: Angels 5, Indians 4