LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:
LEADING OFF: Today, the Angels play the fifth (0-4) and final game of a road trip against the Padres (0-3) and Dodgers (0-1; July 7-8) to conclude the first half of the season…Halos went 3-4 on last homestand against the White Sox (2-2) and Diamondbacks (1-2).
THE INJURED LIST: Angels currently have 14 players on the injured list and have used the IL a total of 21 times this year for 20 different players…The 14 players currently on the IL are tied with the Red Sox for the second-most in the Majors…Only the Dodgers (15) have more currently on the injured list.
LEAGUE LEADER: As a hitter, Shohei Ohtani leads the Majors in home runs (31), total bases (218), XBH (51), slugging percentage (.647) and OPS (1.031) and is tied for the MLB lead in triples (5)…On the mound, he ranks second in the Majors in opponent batting average (.189) and is fourth in strikeouts (132).
.500 AGAIN: With a 45-45 record, the Angels are back to exactly .500 for a 12th time this season (previously 1-1, 5-5, 7-7, 8-8, 9-9, 10-10, 11-11, 12-12, 14-14, 2- 22 & 30-30)…LAA has not been below .500 since April 24 (11-12); one game under .500 is low water mark for year…Halos will finish the first half within one game of .500 for the fourth time in the last five full seasons (see list below):
RECENT ANGELS (FULL SEASON) FIRST HALF FINISHES
2022: 39-53 (.424)
2021: 45-44 (.506)
2019: 45-46 (.495)
2018: 49-48 (.505)
REID THIS: Reid Detmers enters tonight’s start with 8+ strikeouts and two-or-fewer runs allowed in each of his last five starts…The only other player in Angels history with such a streak was Nolan Ryan (seven games; his final three games in 1972 and first four in 1973).
WINS AND LOSSES: Angels have matched season-high with four straight losses…Halos have not had a five game losing streak since a six game streak from Aug. 20-25, 2022.
STARTING STRONG: Since June 13, the Angels rotation ranks fourth in the American League with a combined 3.86 ERA (121.1 IP – 52 ER).
FREEWAY SERIES: Dodgers lead the 2023 season series 3-0…LAA is looking to snap a nine game losing streak in Freeway Series action, which is the Angels longest
ever losing streak vs. Dodgers (previously lost eight straight from Aug. 5, 2014 – Sept. 8, 2015)…Halos lead the all-time Freeway Series 73-70…If Angels do not win tonight, it would mark the fourth time in last five years there would be a season series sweep in Freeway Series (Angels swept season series in 2019/Dodgers swept season series in 2020 & 2022).
INTERLEAGUE PLAY: LAA owns a 272-239 (.532) all-time Interleague record (11-16 in 2023)…The 272 Interleague wins are third most all time behind Red Sox (299) and Yankees (294).
DRAFT DAY: Tomorrow marks the first day of the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft…The Angels hold the #11 overall pick, which will be the Halos only pick of Day 1.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – LHP REID DETMERS
2-5, 3.72 ERA
In last five starts, is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA (31.2 IP – 5 ER) and 43 strikeouts
- TODAY’S GAME: Making 16th start of the season today and seventh on the road…Second start of 2023 vs. Dodgers…Made Opening Day roster for second straight year…Is in third Major League season with Angels.
- HISTORIC STRETCH: In each of last five starts, has had 8+ strikeouts and two-or-fewer runs allowed…The only other player in Angels history with such a streak was Nolan Ryan (seven games; his final three games in 1972 and first four in 1973)…Last MLB pitcher to have a streak of at least six games was Houston’s Gerrit Cole (Sept. 2-29, 2019).
- SUPPORT ME: Averaging 3.28 runs of support per nine innings this season, which is fifth-fewest in Majors (min. 80 IP).
- LAST TIME OUT: Earned the win in last start on Sunday vs. Arizona after tossing 6.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits with two walks and nine strikeouts.
- WINNING STREAK: With victory in last start, has won consecutive decisions for third time in career…Is looking to win three consecutive decisions for first time in career.
- STAY UNFAMILIAR: This season, opponents are batting .195 (48/246) the first two times through the order, but are batting .375 (24/64) the third time through the batting order.
- EARLY SUCCESS: Has a 2.80 ERA (45 IP – 14 ER) in the first three innings of games, compared with an 4.82ERA (37.1 IP – 20 ER) from the fourth inning on…20 of 39 runs allowed this year (51%) have come in 5th and 6th inning.
- GOING OFFSPEED: In 2023, is holding opponents to a .228 (44/193) average against off-speed pitches, including a .156 (7/45) clip on curveballs.
- VS. DODGERS: In three career games vs. Dodgers, is 0-2 with a 5.17 ERA (15.2 IP – 9 ER); this season took no-decision vs. Dodgers on June 20 at Angel Stadium, but worked 7.0 scoreless innings.
- AT DODGER STADIUM: Today marks third career start at Dodger Stadium…Is 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA (8.2 IP – 9 ER) and 11 strikeouts in the two previous starts.
- INTERLEAGUE PLAY: In eight career Interleague games, is 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA (41.2 IP – 19 ER) and 53 strikeouts…This season, is 2-2 with a 3.21 ERA (28 IP – 10 ER) in five home starts.
- 12K: Matched career high with 12 strikeouts on May 19 vs. Minnesota and carried a no-hitter through 5.2 innings…Previously tallied 12 strikeouts on July 31, 2022 vs. Texas.
- STREAKS SNAPPED: Victory on June 14 ended a career-high streak of five consecutive losing decisions…Also ended streak of 10 straight winless starts to begin a season, which finished tied for third-longest in Angels history (Rickey Clark – 12 starts in 1968 and Hector Santiago – 11 starts in 2014).
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
NEEDING CLOSURE: The Dodgers brought out the lumber last night, hitting five home runs on their way to clobbering the Angels, 11-4, for their third consecutive victory. Tonight, the Boys in Blue can finish the first half and their six-game homestand (4-1) in style as a victory will give them their 17th series win and a season sweep of the Halos for the second straight year. The Dodgers are now 28-16 (.636) at Dodger Stadium, which is the third best home record in the Major Leagues. The Dodgers will begin their All-Star break tomorrow and return to action next Friday, beginning a 10-day, nine-game road trip to New York-NL (July 14-16), Baltimore (July 17- 19) and Texas (July 21-23). The Dodgers are in second place in the National League West, just 0.5 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. Los Angeles has not had a share of first place since June 2. This evening the Dodgers are celebrating Japanese Heritage Night and those that purchased a special event ticket package will receive a one-of-a-kind Dodger jersey. In addition, there will be Taiko drummers and special recognitions pregame as well as a ceremonial first pitch by Lakers forward and Japanese native Rui Hachimura.
FRIDAY NIGHT ALL-STARS: The Dodger’s four position player All-Stars did their thing last night as Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and J.D. Martinez combined to go 9-for-17 with five home runs, two doubles, seven runs scored and nine RBI in the Dodgers’ 11-4 victory over the Angels. The hottest bat of the night belonged to Mookie Betts, who had three hits, including two homers and a double. Betts has now hit two homers in a game four times this season and owns 27 career multi-homer games. The Dodgers’ five home runs matched a season high (also May 28 at TB) and their eight extra-base hits was a new season best. The big bats overshadowed a solid performance from Tony Gonsolin, who gave up four runs in a season high 6.2 innings en route to his fifth win of the campaign (5-3). The Dodgers’ 144 home runs in the first half are the club’s second most ever before the break and tonight the Boys in Blue need three homers to eclipse the all-time franchise record for first half longballs, established by the 2019 squad (146). The 144 first-half homers currently rank 16th all-time in MLB history.
CALLING ALL ANGELS: The Dodgers swept the Angels in a two-game series June 20-21 at Angel Stadium and have now won nine consecutive games vs. the Halos, which is the longest in the series history between the two squads. The Dodgers are now three wins away from getting back to .500 lifetime against the Halos as they are 16-3 in their last 19 games vs. the Angels.
BIG BAT BETTS: Dodger All-Star starter Mookie Betts went 3-for-4 with two homers, a double and four RBI last night, raising his average to .277 – the highest it’s been since April 11. Betts reached 25 homers last night, which is the most he has hit in the first half in his career. He has hit 25 or more homers five times in his career (2016, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023). The outfielder/infielder is among the National League leaders in homers (25, 3rd), RBI (61, T-4th), OBP (.379, 10th), SLG (.581, 2nd), OPS (.959, 2nd), walks (53, T-5th), extra base hits (49, 1st), total bases (191, 4th) and runs (70, T-2nd). Betts ranks fourth in the National League, hitting .358 (24-for-67) with runners in scoring position and trailing just Luis Arraez (.453), Joey Meneses (.405) and Alec Bohm (.364). Freddie Freeman ranks fifth with a .351 mark (26-for-74).
STEADY FREDDIE: Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman went 1-for-5 with two runs scored and hit his 16th homer of the season last night. He is tied with Mookie Betts for second in the Major Leagues in runs scored (70), trailing only Ronald Acuña Jr. (78). Freeman leads the Major Leagues with 30 doubles, is tied for fourth with 47 extra-base hits, fourth in batting average (.318) and tied for third in total bases (192). On June 25, he became just the 98th player in Major League Baseball history to record 2,000 hits with 300+ homers.
PROVIDING THE POP: The Dodger offense continues to be at the top of the National League in various categories, as they rank second in walks (361), runs per game (5.50), extra-base hits (318), home runs (144), slugging percentage (.452) and OPS (.781).
RAZZLE DAZZLE: On this date in 1980, the Dodgers hosted the Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium. Dodger left-hander Jerry Reuss led the National League to 4-2 win in front of 56,088 and Ken Griffey Sr. was the game’s MVP. Last year on July 19, the AllStar Game returned to Los Angeles for the first time in more than 40 years.
GETTING DRAFTY: Major League Baseball will hold its annual amateur draft in Seattle starting tomorrow night through Tuesday, July 11. The Dodgers will make two selections tomorrow as they hold the 36th and 60th picks overall. The first round of the draft will be televised on both ESPN and MLB Network with the remaining rounds shown on MLB Network.
TONIGHT’S STARTER vs. ANGELS: RHP MICHAEL GROVE (0-2, 7.02 ERA in 10 G, 8 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- In his start on June 15 against the White Sox, he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, four home runs and one walk….tied his season high of seven strikeouts
- Spun a career-high 5.2 innings on April 15th against the Cubs…allowed just one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts
- Made his 2023 debut against the Rockies on April 3, where he hurled four innings, giving up three runs on two hits, two walks and punching out four
- Allowed career-highs in runs (9) and hits (12) in his start against the D-Backs on April 9
- Started six games during Spring Training, posting a 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA (10 ER/16.2 IP) and 17 strikeouts against just three walks…produced a 1.03 WHIP
- Named to his first Opening Day roster as a Major Leaguer after making his big league debut last season on May 15 against the Phillies
VS. ANGELS:
- Will face the Halos for the first time in his career
