MLB Preview: Los Angeles Angels (38-32) at Texas Rangers (42-25)

LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:

LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the fourth (2-1) of seven games on a road trip against the Texas Rangers (2-1; June 12-15) and Kansas City Royals (June 16-18)… Halos went 5-1 on last homestand against the Chicago Cubs (3-0) and Seattle Mariners (2-1)…LAA was 3-4 on last road trip against the Chicago White Sox (2-1) and Houston Astros (1-3).

TODAY’S TRANSACTIONS: Today the Angels recalled LHP Kolton Ingram from Double-A Rocket City and recalled INF Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Salt Lake…Ingram’s first appearance would mark his MLB debut…In corresponding moves, INF Zach Neto (left oblique strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list and RHP Jimmy Herget was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake following last night’s game.

LEAGUE LEADER: Shohei Ohtani, leads the Majors in opponent batting average (.172) and ranks third in pitching strikeouts (102)…With the bat, he also leads the Majors in total bases (161) and slugging percentage (.610), ranks second in home runs (21) and OPS (.987), is tied for second in XBH (37), third in OPS (.973) and is fifth in RBI (52).

SHO OFF: Today, Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to start for the Angels on the mound and also currently leads the American League with 21 home runs as a batter… This will be his first start of 2023 while leading the league in homers…In 2021 he made 14 pitching starts with at least a share of the MLB home run lead, and became the first player with multiple pitching starts in a season while leading Majors in homers since Babe Ruth in 1919.

HEATING UP: Angels have won eight of last 10 games… The stretch includes a five game win streak from June 4-9, which matched the longest win streak of season (also won five straight from April 30-May 5).

WINS AND LOSSES: With a win today, Angels would match season-high at seven games over .500 (were 38-31 following Tuesday night’s game at Texas). IT HAS HAPPENED!: Tuesday night, Zach Neto recorded the Angels first sacrifice bunt since the penultimate game of the 2022 season (Max Stassi – Oct. 4, 2022 at Oakland)…The streak of 69 games without a sacrifice set a new franchise record (previous was a 66-game streak from May 30 – Aug. 13, 2019).

ROBBED: Mickey Moniak robbed Ezequiel Duran of a home run in Tuesday night’s game…According to Sports Info Solutions, the Angels lead the Majors with five HR robberies this season…Moniak is tied with Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Luis Robert Jr. for the individual lead in HR robbing catches this year, with two each.

‘PEN PALS: Angels bullpen was charged with five runs (four earned runs) in last night’s game…Over the previous nine games, Halos bullpen had worked 37.0 innings, allowing two earned runs (0.49 ERA).

SHORTHANDED: Today, Brandon Drury will serve his one game suspension, which was issued by MLB following his actions in Monday’s game at Texas.

VS. TEXAS: Angels season series vs. Texas is tied 3-3… Rangers won two of three games at Angel Stadium from May 5-7 and Angels have won two of three games in current series in Arlington….Halos have won six of last nine games vs. Texas, dating back to last season… Last year, Texas won season series 10-9.

THE DRAGON: Over his last 10 games, Chris Devenski has tossed 12.0 scoreless innings and has stranded 15 of 16 (94%) inherited runners…In that span, he’s allowed two hits with two walks with 13 strikeouts.

MOST CAREER HOME RUNS vs. RANGERS
(since franchise moved to Texas in 1972)

1. Mike Trout – 44
2. Reggie Jackson – 43
3. José Canseco – 40
   *Trout ranks third in career HR vs. Senators/Rangers franchise all-time behind Reggie Jackson (54) and Harmon Killebrew (48).

CATCHING ON: This season, Angels catchers are tied for third in the Majors with 11 home runs and rank second with a .810 OPS.

PLAY FROM AHEAD: Halos have held leads in 56 of 70 games played this year.

ESTÉVEZ ENDING: This season, Carlos Estévez is pitching to a 1.50 ERA (30 IP – 5 ER) and has converted all 18 of his save opportunities (the 18 saves are a new career high)…He is the first Angels pitcher to convert his first 18 save opportunities of a season since Lee Smith set the Club record with 19 consecutive successful save chances to start the 1995 campaign.

SINGLE HANDED: Gio Urshela has hit 53 singles this year plus 11 extra-base hits (eight doubles, one triple & two home runs)…Urshela ranks tied for second, behind Toronto’s Bo Bichette (67), for the American League lead in singles…Since May 5, Urshela ranks fourth in the American League with a .324 (35/108) batting average in that span.

NET-OW: Zach Neto has been hit by 11 pitches this season, which is tied for second-most in the Majors… Since 1901, he is tied for the fewest career games played (45) when reaching 11 career HBP (also, Tim Locastro for Dodgers/D-backs from 2017-19).

TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – RHP SHOHEI OHTANI
5-2, 3.32 ERA
Making 15th career pitching start while leading A.L. in home runs

• SHO TIME: Making 14th pitching start of the year and seventh on the road…Is in sixth Major League season with LAA.
• LEAGUE LEADER: Enters today’s start leading the Majors in opponent batting average (.172) and ranks third in strikeouts (102).
• LAST TIME ON THE MOUND: Took a no-decision in last start on Friday vs. Seattle after tossing 5.0 innings and allowing three earned runs on three hits with five walks and six strikeouts.
• HEY BABE: Babe Ruth and Ohtani are the only players with 500+ pitching strikeouts and 100+ home runs in a career… (according to ELIAS, Ruth had 501 career pitching strikeouts).
• 10 K: Since start of 2022 season, leads MLB with 14 games with 10+ strikeouts (has four this season – tied for second-most in MLB)…Recorded 10+ strikeouts in 10 starts last season, which was the most such games in the A.L; joined Nolan Ryan as the only pitchers in franchise history with 10+ strikeouts in at least six consecutive games.
• UNFAMILIAR: This season, is holding opponents to an .093 (9/97) average the first time through the order, a .261 (23/88) average the second time through the order and a .162 (12/74) average the third time through.
• VS. TEXAS: In seven career pitching starts vs. Texas, is 3-2 with a 4.06 ERA (37.2 IP – 17 ER) and 53 strikeouts…In 2021, went 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA (22 IP – 7 ER) and 30 strikeouts in four starts vs. Rangers.
• AT GLOBE LIFE FIELD: In four career starts at Globe Life Field, is 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA (20.2 IP – 13 ER).
• HOME SWEET HOME: Has a career 2.14 ERA (240 IP – 57 ER) in home games, which is the second lowest total of the last 100 years (min. 40 GS)…Only Miami’s José Fernández (1.49 ERA; 272.1 IP – 45 ER) has a lower home ERA.
• 500K: Reached 500 total MLB strikeouts for career with a 13 strikeout performance on May 3 at St. Louis…Fourth game in MLB history where a pitcher recorded 13+ strikeouts in 5.0-or-fewer innings (also, Jacob deGrom in 2022, Alex Cobb in 2013 and Zack Greinke in 2012).
• OFF THE BOARDS: Had franchise record streak of 12 straight pitching starts allowing two-or-fewer runs snapped on April 27 vs. Oakland (Nolan Ryan had previous record with nine game streak across the 1972-73 seasons)… Overall, has yielded two-or-fewer runs in 21 of last 26 starts and one-or-fewer runs in 18 of last 26 starts.
• CAN’T HIT THIS: Had streak of 10 straight pitching starts allowing three-or-fewer hits from Sept. 17, 2022 – April 27, 2023…The streak was snapped May 3 at St. Louis and finished tied with Jacob deGrom (10 game streak for Mets in 2021) for the longest streak all-time (excluding Openers).
• SCORELESS AT THE BIG A: Had streak of 35.0 consecutive scoreless innings pitched at Angel Stadium snapped April 27 by A’s…Finished as second longest streak in ballpark history, behind a 36.2 IP streak by Mark Clear in 1979.

TEXAS RANGERS NOTES:

WINS AND LOSSES: Texas defeated the Angels last night, 6-3, and team has a 1-2 record to open this 7-G, 7-day homestand against LAA (1-2 + 1 G) and TOR (3 G)…last night’s win snapped 3-G losing streak, 2nd-longest losing skid for TEX this season (0-4, 4/24-27)…Rangers have dropped 5 of 7 G (beg. 6/7), but are still 7-5 in June and have won 9 of 15, 13 of 20, 16 of 24, 19 of 29, and 24 of last 36 games…TEX has an MLB-best 28-14 (.667) record in last 42 G beg. 4/28, outscoring its opponents 259-168 (+91) over that span…TEX is 34-19 in last 53 G and 38-21 last 59 G beg. 4/9.

• At 42-25 (.621), TEX owns the T2nd-best record in MLB to only TB (49-22, .690)…club’s 42 wins rank T2nd in MLB (49- TB, 42-TEX/ATL/BAL).
• The 42-25 start ties the best 67-G start to a season in WSH/ TEX franchise history (see chart below), just 4th time in club history to have at least 40 wins at this point in a campaign.
• TEX is 17 G above .500, 3 shy of season high point of 20- over after win 6/6 vs. STL (40-20)…it was team’s most games above .500 since end of 2016 (95-67) and the earliest date/ fewest games (6/6 and 60 G) ever to reach that mark.

STANDINGS: Rangers hold a 3.5-game lead in the A.L. West over 2nd-place HOU, losing 1.5 G on the division lead after going 1-2 over last 3 G…TEX had a season-best 5.0-G lead over HOU for 4 straight days 6/8-11, team’s largest division lead since winning the A.L. West by 9.0 G in 2016…current 3.5-G lead is still T3rd-largest division lead in MLB (TB is +5.0 GA in A.L. East; ATL is +4.5 GA in N.L. East)…TEX has had sole possession of 1st place in the West for 39 straight, 46 of 47 and 59 of the last 61 days beg. 4/14.

• TEX has been alone or tied atop the division for 74 of the season’s first 75 days (exception: 4/8).

SERIES STUFF: The weekend series loss at TB ended a span of 6 consecutive series victories, longest span for team since club-record 10 straight series victories from 5/20- 6/20/16…it also ended a span in which TEX had won a franchise record 6 straight road series…the Rangers are 15-5-1 overall in series this year, going 7-2-1 at home and 8-3-0 on the road…after dropping 2 of 3 at TB, team is now 11-2-1 in last 14 series and 14-3-1 in last 18…TEX has gone 6-1-1 in last 8 series at GLF…club has dropped back-to-back series just once in 2023: 4/3-5 vs. BAL (1-2), 4/7-9 at CHC (1-2).

• The Rangers have gone 13-7 in series finales this season, including a 6-5 mark here in Arlington.

AT HOME: TEX is 22-11 (.667) at home, 2nd-best home record in MLB to only TB (.816, 31-7)…club is 1-4 in last 4 G at home, but has still won 9 of 12, 10 of 14, 14 of 20, and 19 of last 28 at GLF beg. 4/5…TEX is 108-117 all-time record at GLF (2020-23), 28-18 last 46 G here beg. 9/11/22.

• Texas leads MLB with 6.61 R/G at home in 2023, and 218 R are 2nd to TB (222), as Rays have played 5 more home games…TEX has hit 6 HR in this series vs. LAA, and 55 HR at home in 2023 are 3rd-most in MLB (62-TB, 61-NYY).

VS. LOS ANGELES-AL: TEX is 3-3 vs. LAA in ’23, losing 2 of last 3 G…TEX has won season series vs. Halos in 3 of last 4 years…TEX is 3-6 in last 9 G vs. LAA, but has won 9 of 17 and 12 of last 21 G vs. Halos…Rangers are 16-13 vs. LAA all-time at GLF, winning 6 of last 9 after a 5-10 span.

• TEX is 15-7 (.682) vs. A.L. West in ’23, winning 6 of 8, 8 of 11, and 11 of last 15 G.

JUNE SWOON: After pairing with Marcus Semien on decisive back-to-back home runs in the 7th inning of last night’s win, Corey Seager is now slashing .429/.491/.796/1.287 (21- 49) with 4 HR and 13 RBI thru 12 G in June…he ranks among A.L. leaders for the month in BA (1st), OPS (2nd), TB (2nd, 39), XBH (2nd, 10), H (2nd), RBI (T2nd), and HR (T3rd).

• Seager’s .357 BA (51-143) in 36 G this season would lead the A.L. and rank 2nd in MLB (.378-MIA’s Luis Arraez) if he qualified, and his 1.061 OPS figure would be the highest in the Majors by a wide margin (.993-ARI’s Corbin Carroll)… according to Stathead, Seager is the first Ranger to post an OPS that high over his first 36 G of a campaign (min. 150 PA) since Josh Hamilton in 2012 (1.278 OPS).

BUILT DIFFERENT: The Rangers have plated an MLB-leading 415 runs in 2023, setting a WSH/TEX franchise record for most runs scored through the first 67 G of a campaign (prev. 414 R in 1998)…Texas has outscored its opponents 415-270 (+145), good for the highest run differential in the Majors (Tampa Bay is 2nd at +141)…the 2023 Rangers are just the 4th team in the Expansion Era (beg. 1961) to boast a run differential of +145-or-higher over its first 67 G of a season (see chart)…it is also the highest run diff. over any single-season 67-G span in club history (prev. +129 from 7/1-9/14/11).

HIGHEST TEAM RUN DIFFERENTIAL IN FIRST 67 GAMES OF A SEASON
Expansion Era (beg. 1961)
Year/Team Run Diff. Season Outcome
2016 Chicago-NL +171 Won World Series
1969 Baltimore +153 Lost in World Series
2023 Texas +145 –
2022 New York-AL +145 Lost in ALCS

NASTY NATE: Nathan Eovaldi enters tonight’s outing undefeated (8-0) in his last 10 starts (beg. 4/18), the T6th-longest win streak in Rangers history and longest by a Texas pitcher since Martín Pérez from 5/10-7/29/22 (9-0)…he also entered the day ranked among qualified A.L. hurlers in HR/9 (2nd, 0.42), wins (2nd, 9), opp. OPS (4th, .600), innings (T4th, 86.2), WHIP (5th, 0.98), and ERA (6th, 2.49).

• With a win tonight, Eovaldi would become the first pitcher in WSH/TEX franchise history to reach the 10-win mark in his first 14 outings of a season…the last Ranger to record 10+ wins prior to the All-Star break was Lance Lynn in 2019 (11).

W.A.R. MACHINE: Marcus Semien went 2-for-5 with a go-ahead 2-run HR last night to bust out of an 0-for-15 skid… despite the recent slump, he still leads all Rangers in baseball-reference WAR (3.1) this season, ranking 4th in the A.L. behind only LAA’s Shohei Ohtani (4.2), TB’s Wander Franco (3.7), and TOR’s Bo Bichette (3.2)…the 32-year-old is already just the 12th position player (23rd instance) in club history to
post a 3.0+ WAR campaign in his age 32-or-older season (Stathead), 1st since 38-year-old Adrián Beltré in 2017 (3.8).

IT COMES IN SBORZ: Josh Sborz fired 2.0 shutout frames in relief over the 6th and 7th innings of a tie game last night, extending his season-best 9.2-inning scoreless streak…he has held opposing batters 1-for-29 (.034) with 2 BB/15 SO over the course of the streak, which is the longest active shutout streak among Rangers and longest by a TEX reliever in ’23.

SHOHEI STOPPERS: Two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani is scheduled to make his 8th career start vs. Texas as a pitcher tonight…he has gone 3-2, 4.06 ERA (17 ER/37.2 IP) in his previous 7 outings versus the Rangers, his highest lifetime ERA against any club he has faced at least 3 times…Nathan Eovaldi has started opposite Ohtani just once previously in his career on 7/6/21 at LAA w/ BOS (L, 5.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R-ER).

TONIGHT’S STARTING PITCHER – #17 Nathan Eovaldi, RHP
(9-2, 2.49)

TONIGHT: The 33-year-old right-hander is scheduled to make his 14th start/appearance of the season in tonight’s series finale vs. LAA and opposing starter Shohei Ohtani…entered the day ranked among qualified A.L. hurlers in HR/9 (2nd, 0.42), wins (2nd, 9), opp. OPS (4th, .600), innings (T4th, 86.2), WHIP (5th, 0.98), ERA (6th, 2.49)… is undefeated (8-0) in his last 10 starts (beg. 4/18), T6th-longest in Rangers history and the longest win streak by a Ranger since Martín Pérez from 5/10-7/29/22 (9-0)… it is T5th-longest win streak in a single season in TEX history…has posted a 1.65 ERA (13 ER/71.0 IP) over that 10-start span, 2nd-lowest among MLB qualifiers in that period (1.39 – DET’s Eduardo Rodriguez), to drop his season ERA from 6.32…Eovaldi signed a 2-year free agent contract with the Rangers on 12/27/22…in 2022, his final season with Boston, went 6-3 with a 3.87 ERA (47 ER/109.1 IP) over 20 G/GS…was slowed by a pair of IL stints: 6/9-7/14 (low back inflammation) and 8/19-9/28 (right shoulder inflammation)…was an All-Star with the Red Sox in 2021 and finished 4th in A.L. Cy Young Award voting…his Red Sox stint also included a historic postseason stretch during the team’s 2018 World Series run…has pitched for 6 teams in his career: LAD (2011-12), MIA (2012-14), NYY (2015-16), TB (2018), BOS (2018-22) and TEX (2023)…joins Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan as the only graduates of Alvin (TX) High School to reach the Major Leagues…TEX is 9-4 in Eovaldi’s 13 starts in ’23, winning 4 straight and 7 of last 8.

AS OF LATE: Has gone 9-2, 2.49 in 13 starts this season…is just the 5th TEX pitcher (5th instance) with 9+ wins over his first 13 starts of the season, 1st since Tommy Hunter in 2010 (9-1)…will be attempting to become just the 2nd TEX pitcher since 2013 with 10+ wins prior to the AS break (also Lance Lynn, 11-4 in 2019).

• Has 83 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 2023, just the 2nd pitcher in franchise history w/ 83+ K’s and 17-or-fewer BB in his first 13 starts with the club (also Cliff Lee in 2010, 85 SO/10 BB).
• Remains the only MLB pitcher with multiple complete games in 2023, and his 2 CG’s this season are already the most by a Ranger since Mike Minor in 2019 (also 2).
• Eovaldi over his last 8 starts (beg. 4/29): 7-0, 1.22 ERA (8 ER/59.0 IP), 52 SO/\12 BB, .168 opp. BA (34-202)…in 7 starts from 4/29-6/4, was 6-0, 0.68 (4 ER/52.2 IP), the first 7-start span in Rangers history in which a pitcher has allowed 4-or-fewer runs with 50.0+ IP, and the first in MLB since LAD’s Hyun Jin Ryu from 5/7-6/10/19 (3 R-ER, 50.2 IP)…the last A.L. hurler to post such a stretch of 7 starts was KC’s Zack Greinke from 4/8-5/9/09 (4 R-3 ER, 53.0 IP).

LAST START: Earned his 4th win in as many starts in TEX’s 8-4 victory on Sat. at TB (W, 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R-ER, 3 BB, 6 SO, 1 HR, 102 pitches/62 strikes)…it was Rangers’ lone win in the weekend series, and he became just 5th opposing starter to earn a win at Tropicana Field in 2023…his 4 ER were 2nd-most in ’23 (6 ER on 4/12 vs. KC), and it was just his 3rd start in ’23 with a HR allowed.

VS. LOS ANGELES-AL: Has gone 4-2, 3.86 (24 ER/56.0 IP) in 12 G/10 GS in his career vs. LAA, including win in Rangers’ 10-1 victory on 5/6/23 at LAA (W, 8.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 SO) that began a 7-2 finish to that road trip…his 8.0 SHO IP in that outing was part of his career-best run of 29.2 consecutive scoreless innings.

AT HOME: Is 3-1 with a 3.38 ERA (12 ER/32.0 IP) over 5 home starts in 2023 thus far, including a CG SHO on 4/29 vs. NYY (3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 SO, 113 pitches/78 strikes)… enters this start having allowed one run in his last 11.0 IP at home…has seen better results this season in 8 GS on the road (6-1, 1.98 ERA), and is undefeated (6-0) w/ 1.84 ERA (10 ER/49.0 IP) in last 7 away starts…has fanned 33 compared to 4 walks at home in 2023 (8.25 SO/BB), marking the 4th-highest home SO/BB among qualifying A.L. hurlers.