Chicago @ Los Angeles preview
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Last Meeting ( Mar 19, 2014 ) LA Angels 14, Chi. White Sox 10
Jered Weaver attempts to continue his career-long success against Chicago when the Los Angeles Angels open a three-game series against the visiting White Sox on Friday. Weaver is 7-2 with a 1.59 ERA in 10 career outings against Chicago, striking out 64 in 68 innings and holding White Sox batters to a collective .189 average. The White Sox took two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this week while the Angels have lost five of their last six.
Angels star Mike Trout, struggling with a back injury of late, could return to center field for the opener. Trout played just one inning over a four-game stretch before serving as the designated hitter in Thursday’s 8-5 loss to Houston and going 2-for-5 with a triple and a double. White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu (ankle) returned from a stint on the disabled list to go 4-for-11 with two homers, a double and five RBIs in the series against the Dodgers.
TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, CSN Chicago, FSN West (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Andre Rienzo (4-2, 4.26 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jered Weaver (6-4, 3.33)
Rienzo has lost back-to-back starts after winning his first four decisions. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings in his last turn and gave up three runs and seven hits while losing to the San Diego Padres. Rienzo has won all four of his night starts as opposed to being 0-2 in his four day outings.
Weaver will attempt to bounce back from a poor outing against Oakland in which he gave up six runs (five earned) and 11 hits in six innings to take the loss. He has allowed eight earned runs in 12 innings over his last two turns after giving up a total of nine earned runs over his previous seven starts. Weaver is 3-2 with a 2.76 ERA in six home outings this season.
WALK-OFFS
1. White Sox C Tyler Flowers is 2-for-26 with 13 strikeouts over the last eight games.
2. Angels OF Josh Hamilton went 1-for-11 with a homer in the series against the Astros in his return from a thumb injury that sidelined him for nearly two months.
3. Chicago DH-1B Paul Konerko is only 2-for-22 against Weaver.
PREDICTION: Angels 4, White Sox 2