Tampa Bay @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Last Meeting ( Sep 5, 2013 ) Tampa Bay 2, LA Angels 6
Tampa Bay second baseman Ben Zobrist will be sidelined and could be headed to the disabled list as the visiting Rays open a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. Zobrist dislocated his left thumb while sliding headfirst into second base when he was caught stealing in Wednesday’s victory over the Seattle Mariners. Rays manager Joe Maddon said the club will decide Zobrist’s fate on Thursday but X-rays ruled out a fracture.
Losing Zobrist put a damper on Tampa Bay’s first set of consecutive victories since winning three straight to start the month. “I guess best-case scenario is it heals very quickly and I can get back on the field, maybe within a week,” Zobrist told reporters. “That’s unlikely, I think, and I think they’re trying to decide whether I need to go on the DL or not.” The Angels completed a 5-1 road trip by defeating the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), Prime Ticket (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays LH Erik Bedard (2-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Angels LH Tyler Skaggs (3-1, 4.14)
Bedard defeated Cleveland with six innings of one-hit shutout ball in his last start. He has put together three consecutive strong outings, giving up two runs and 11 hits in 17 innings during the stretch. Bedard is 4-5 with a 4.45 ERA in 10 career starts against the Angels.
Skaggs won his last start when he gave up three runs (two earned) and four hits in eight innings against Toronto. He retired 21 straight in one stretch against the Blue Jays and has allowed four or fewer hits in four of his seven outings. The 22-year-old Skaggs has worked at least seven innings five times this season while holding hitters to a .228 average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Angels OF Mike Trout has 42 hits and 21 of them have gone for extra bases.
2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is batting .377 with six homers and 17 RBIs in 21 career games at Angel Stadium.
3. Los Angeles 1B Albert Pujols had two hits on Wednesday after going 1-for-25 over his previous six games.
PREDICTION: Angels 3, Rays 1