The Baltimore Orioles will go for their third straight series win when they host the Los Angles Angels on Thursday afternoon.
With a 3-1 win on Wednesday night, the Orioles lead this series 2-1 after winning three-game sets against Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh.
The series finale features a matchup of Tylers. Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson (1-0, 5.26 ERA) opposes right-hander Tyler Wells (3-1, 2.68) in the matinee.
Anderson won his first start of the season, throwing six shutout innings against the A’s on April 2, but has had six no-decisions since. In those six games, his ERA is 6.25 and he has 17 walks to go along with 21 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings, though his ERA over his past three outings is 3.06.
Last time out, he allowed three runs on six hits in six innings against the Guardians.
Anderson has never faced the Orioles.
Wells, meanwhile, lost his first start of the season back on April 9. Since then, he is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA in six starts, with 31 strikeouts in 36 innings while walking nine.
In his last start, he tossed seven shutout innings in a win against the Pirates. Wells allowed just one hit while walking two and fanning eight. The eight strikeouts were a career high for the 28-year-old.
“I put my slider where I wanted it, put my changeup where I wanted it. My fastball was working as well,” Wells said. “Whenever you have three solid pitches working for you, outings like that happen.”
Wells is 0-0 with a 3.48 ERA in four appearances — one start — versus the Angels.
Austin Hays homered, Kyle Bradish pitched into the seventh inning and the Orioles won 3-1 on Wednesday night.
The Orioles have won 10 of their last 12 games versus the Angels overall.
Bradish allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings and left with a 3-1 lead.
“He didn’t throw anything in the middle of the plate,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “We didn’t hit a lot of balls hard but he didn’t give us many chances to either. Our guys did a good job grinding out at-bats but he was really good tonight.”
Any chance for a late Los Angeles rally was stifled by relievers Yennier Cano and Felix Bautista, who continue to excel.
Cano has not allowed a run or issued a walk in 21 2/3 innings this season, while striking out 25. Bautista earned his 11th save after walking a batter and striking out two in the ninth, including Shohei Ohtani as the tying run at the plate.
“Two large men,” manager Brandon Hyde said of the showdown. “Just guys who are at the top of their game and the top of their profession. … Not the matchup I’m looking for, the tying run at the plate, to be honest with you, but Felix did a great job pitching to him.”
Mike Trout hit a solo homer for the Angels, who managed only four hits in losing for the eighth time in 11 games.
It was Trout’s ninth homer of the season, but first since May 3, and he had only one extra-base hit during that time.
“It’s something to build off,” Trout said. “Obviously the last few weeks I’d been missing pitches.”
–Field Level Media
