LOS ANGELES ANGELS NOTES:
VS. PHILADELPHIA: Angels lead the all-time series 12-4 and had won 12 straight against the Phillies between the 2003-17 seasons, before Philadelphia swept a three-game series last year at Citizens Bank Park from June 3-5, 2022.
O-M-GIOLITO: Lucas Giolito makes his second career start vs. Philadelphia today…Earlier this season, he pitched 6.0 scoreless, no-hit innings vs. Phillies for the
White Sox on April 18 (Game 2) at Guaranteed Rate Field, allowing just one walk with seven strikeouts.
THE INJURED LIST: Angels currently have 16 players on the injured list and have used the IL a total of 31 times this year for 26 different players.
SETTING THE TONE: The Angels are tied (with the Phillies) for second in the Majors with eight leadoff home runs this season (four by Mickey Moniak and two each from Taylor Ward and Luis Rengifo)…Only the Dodgers (11 – all by Mookie Betts) have hit more this year…The eight leadoff homers are tied for the third-most in a season in Halos history (LAA had 10 leadoff HR in 1986 and nine in 2021).
UNEARNED: The Angels lead the Majors this season with 68 unearned runs allowed…Patrick Sandoval leads all MLB players with 13 unearned runs allowed in 2023…
Halos have committed 80 errors this year, which are fifth-most in the Majors.
TODAY’S STARTING PITCHER – RHP LUCAS GIOLITO
7-8, 4.44 ERA
Has allowed two-or-fewer earned runs in eight of 14 starts since June 6
- TODAY’S GAME: Making 27th start of the season and 15th on the road…Making sixth start as an Angel since being acquired via trade from Chicago (A.L.) on July 26…Is in eighth Major League season. • LAST TIME OUT: Took the loss on August 22 vs. Reds, pitching 6.0 innings and surrendering four runs (one earned) on five hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. • VS. PHILLIES: Made first career start vs. Phillies earlier this year with White Sox on April 18 in the second game of a doubleheader…Picked up first win of the season with 6.0 hitless innings on one walk and seven strikeouts. • AT CITIZENS BANK PARK: Making first career appearance at Citizens Bank Park. • INTERLEAGUE PLAY: Is 8-11 with a 5.29 ERA (156.2 IP – 92 ER) and 170 strikeouts in 28 career Interleague starts…Is 2-3 with a 6.44 ERA (43.1 IP – 31 ER) and 46 strikeouts in eight Interleague starts in 2023. • FOUR SCORE: This season, 29 of 78 (37%) of runs allowed have come in the 4th inning. • IN THE ARSENAL: This season, has thrown changeups 24.5% of the time and is holding opponents to a .219 (33/151) average with 47 strikeouts…Throws sliders 30.1% of the time, with opponents batting .241 (42/185) with 47 strikeouts against the pitch.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES NOTES:
GAME #130 RECAP: The Phillies shut out the Cardinals, 3-0 and swept a 3-game series at CBP … Starter Aaron Nola (W, 12-8) tossed 7.0 scoreless innings and allowed only 1 hit (first batter of the game) with 9 strikeouts to 1 walk … Kyle Schwarber blasted a leadoff home run and Craig Kimbrel picked up his 20th save.
ARMS RACE: In their just completed 3-game sweep of the Cardinals, the Phillies held St. Louis to 3 runs in 27.0 innings (1.00 ERA) with 34 strikeouts to 3 walks (11.33 SO/BB ratio) – St. Louis hitters went 10-91 at the plate (.110 AVG) and posted a .358 OPS … It marked the first time the Phillies held an opponent to 13 or fewer base runners in a 3-game series since September of 1909 when they held the Brooklyn Superbas to 12 (9 H, 3 BB) … The last time a major league team limited an opponent to 13 or fewer base runners in a 3-game series was in May of 2016 when the Dodgers held the Reds to 13.
BALL GO BOOM: The Phillies have hit an MLB-best 49 home runs in the month of August (next: ATL, 44 HR) and have set a franchise record for home runs in any single calendar month (previous: 46 in Sept. of 2019) … The Phillies have 3 games remaining in August and they are averaging 2.04 home runs per game this month … In August, the Phils are slashing .283/.352/.533 with an .885 OPS – among all clubs in MLB, their .533 SLG during the month ranks 1st in MLB (next: ATL, .511) and their .885 OPS ranks 1st (next: ATL, .876) … Philadelphia’s .533 SLG this month would set a record for any calendar month in franchise history (previous: .526 SLG in July of 2007) and their .885 OPS would be the highest during any month since they posted a .911 OPS that same July … The Phils lead MLB with 106 extra-base hits during August which are their most in a month since May of 2009 (114 XBH).
TONIGHT’S STARTER – TAIJUAN WALKER • RHP #99
2023: 13-5, 4.02 ERA Career: 67-55, 3.91 ERA
LAST START: 8/22 vs SF: ND, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO … Walker vs Harrison … The Phillies defeated the San Francisco Giants, 4-3, in walk-off fashion in front of 40,420 at Citizens Bank Park … Seranthony Dominguez (1.0 IP), Jose Alvarado (1.0 IP), Gregory Soto (1.0 IP) and Craig Kimbrel (W, 1.0 IP) combined for 4.0 scoreless innings and 5 strikeouts … Down 3-2 entering the 9th, Bryson Stott was hit by a pitch – Brandon Marsh singled and Stott advanced to 3rd – Marsh then stole second before Trea Turner laced a 104.0 MPH single up the middle that scored Stott and Marsh … It was Philadelphia’s 8th walk-off win this season, eclipsing their total of 7 from 2022 (12 walk-off wins in 2021)
TONIGHT’S START:
- Homebody: This season, Walker has posted a 3.14 ERA (25 ER, 71.2 IP) at CBP … His home ERA is 12th in the NL (min. 10 starts) and it’s currently the best home ERA he’s had in any season of his career (min. 10 starts) …He is also tied for 7th in the NL for wins at home • DR’S Note: Per Fielding Bible, Walker has accrued 3 Defensive Runs Saved this season, which is tied for the 8th most DRS by any ML pitcher this year … Since 2020, Walker’s 16 DRS is tied with Zack Greinke for the best among all ML pitchers • 2 or Fewer: Walker has 14 starts this year in which he’s allowed 2 or fewer ER … Walker is 10-0 in those starts and the Phillies are 13-1 … He has accomplished this in his 9 of his last 13 outings, allowing just 25 ER in that span • All I Do Is Win: On 8/6, Walker earned his career-high 13th win of the season, which is tied for 4th in the ML … He was the first ML pitcher this year to reach 12 wins … Walker is the first Phillies starter to earn at least 13 wins in his first 23 starts of the season since Cole Hamels did so in 2012 … From 6/6-8/6, he earned a win in 9 of his 11 starts, making him the first Phillies starter to earn at least 9 wins in an 11-game span since Roy Halladay (9/10/10-5/5/11) … It is the first time in his career he has recorded double-digit victories in consecutive seasons … Walker went 5-0 at CBP to start the year (8 games) and was the 1st starter since Zack Wheeler (2020-21) to begin ones Phillies career without a loss in their first 8+ starts at home; Wheeler was 7-0 through his first 13 starts at home for the Phillies • Much Better: Walker has used his splitter 33.3% of the time in 2023, the highest rate of his career (previous: 27.6% in 2022) … 52 of his 113 strikeouts have come via the splitter • Hold On: Walker’s 5 pickoffs in 2023 are tied for 2nd in MLB … His 23 successful pickoff attempts since the start of the 2015 season are 7th-most among active ML pitchers in that span and 3rd-most among active righties • Pitch Usage: Splitter (33.3%), Sinker (24.5%), Cutter (17.6%), 4-Seam Fastball (16.5%), Curveball (4.9%), Sweeper (3.2%)
- vs AL West: 14-12, 4.41 ERA (102 ER, 208.0 IP) in 40 games (37 starts)
HOME:
- 2023: 6-2, 3.14 ERA (25 ER, 71.2 IP) in 13 starts
- Career: 30-23, 3.72 ERA (212 ER, 513.0 IP) in 93 games (91 starts)
2023 SEASON:
- Quality Control: On 7/31, Walker earned his 10th quality start of the season … It is the 5th season in his career in which he earned 10 or more quality starts and the 3rd season in a row … The Phillies are 1 of 10 teams to have at least 3 pitchers with 10 or more quality starts • Reached 1,000 IP and 900 career strikeouts on 7/20 vs MIL • Registered a career-high 7-game winning streak from 6/6-7/15 and became the 9th Phillie in the modern era (since 1901) to win at least 7
straight starts in a single season (last, Cliff Lee, 7/30-9/5/11) • His 1.50 ERA in June was 6th -lowest among starters for the month, while he was the only ML pitcher to tally 5 wins. He is the 1st Phillies pitcher since Zach Eflin (5 in 2018) with 5 wins in the month of June • Allowed 1 run or less in a career-high 5 straight starts from 6/6-29. Tossed consecutive scoreless starts of at least 5.0 IP on 6/6 and 6/11 for the 1st time in his career • Threw a career-high 14.0 scoreless innings from 6/6-16, surpassing 2 scoreless 13.0-inning stretches from 7/4-16/22 and 6/26-7/7/15 … Completed 8.0 innings on 6/16 for the 1st time since 4/27/17 vs SD while with ARI • Made his Phillies debut on 4/3 at NYY after signing a 4-year contract with the club in December • Pitched for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, making 1 start in Pool Play against Great Britain … He threw 4.0 scoreless IP with 2 baserunners allowed and recorded 8 of his 12 outs via strikeout
