Los Angeles @ Baltimore preview
Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2013 ) LA Angels 3, Baltimore 4
While the Baltimore Orioles contend in the most competitive division in Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Angels have become nearly irrelevant. The Orioles, who are 3 1/2 games behind Boston in the American League East, host the Angels on Tuesday in the middle contest of their three-game series. Los Angeles, which lost 4-3 to Baltimore on Monday, has dropped eight of its last 10 games and fallen into fourth place in the AL West, 11 1/2 games behind Texas.
The Angels' Josh Hamilton went 2-for-5 with a homer and two RBIs while raising his average to .215, but his fielding error in the sixth allowed the go-ahead run to score. Los Angeles gives the ball to Jason Vargas, who pitched a three-hit shutout against Baltimore and Miguel Gonzalez on May 3 and was 5-0 last month before struggling in his first June start. Gonzalez is coming off his best start of the season and first victory since April 23.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), MASN (Baltimore)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Jason Vargas (5-3, 3.71 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (3-2, 4.05)
Vargas matched a season high by allowing five runs and a season-worst 11 hits in five innings in Los Angeles' 8-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. The 30-year-old was not saddled with the loss, however, and hasn't dropped a decision since April 28 - a span of seven starts. Vargas is 2-2 with a 1.65 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in seven career starts against Baltimore and the Orioles' roster is hitting .218 against him.
Gonzalez allowed one run and five hits while matching a season high with seven strikeouts over six innings in Baltimore's 3-1 victory at Houston on Thursday. The 29-year-old was 0-1 in his previous five starts, with the loss coming against Los Angeles as he yielded three runs and six hits in six frames. Gonzalez, who is 1-0 with a 5.11 ERA in four home starts, has limited the Angels' roster to a .205 batting average.
WALK-OFFS
1. Hamilton is hitting .372 with 10 home runs and 28 RBIs in 21 games at Camden Yards.
2. Los Angeles CF Peter Bourjos returned to the lineup Monday after missing 38 games with a hamstring injury and went 2-for-4.
3. Baltimore is 10-5 against the AL West, with Monday's game its first at home.
PREDICTION: Orioles 3, Angels 2