Pittsburgh @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 24, 2007 ) Pittsburgh 3, LA Angels 4

The top overall pick in the 2011 first-year player draft squares off against one of the top performers of the 2004 draft when the Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series against the host Los Angeles Angels on Friday. Pirates rookie Gerrit Cole, who grew up near Anaheim, has won his first two major-league starts and now faces off with perennial All-Star Jered Weaver. The struggling Weaver has just one victory this season and missed seven-plus weeks with a left elbow injury.

The Angels have won six of eight games and rallied from a 7-0 deficit against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez to post a 10-9 victory on Thursday. Outfielder Mike Trout went 4-for-4 and is 13-for-24 during a seven-game hitting streak. The Pirates also have a torrid hitter in third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who homered and had a season-best five RBIs in Thursday’s victory over the Cincinnati Reds to give him 10 RBIs over the last five games.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), Fox Sports West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (2-0, 2.75 ERA) vs. Angels RH Jered Weaver (1-3, 4.41)

Cole defeated the San Francisco Giants in his debut on June 11 when he gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings. He followed that up by beating the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. Cole has yet to issue a walk.

Weaver gave up five runs and seven hits in six innings while losing to the New York Yankees in his last start. He hasn’t pitched more than six innings in any of his six starts this season. Weaver is 20-7 lifetime in June, with two of the defeats occurring this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Angels and Pirates are playing for the first time since 2007, when Los Angeles swept a three-game set at Angel Stadium.

2. Los Angeles OF Peter Bourjos is 13-for-28 with eight runs scored over his last seven games.

3. Pirates OF Andrew McCutchen is batting just .228 with three homers on the road.

PREDICTION: Angels 5, Pirates 3