News
O'Sullivan gets first taste of Toronto
Los Angeles (73-46) at Toronto (55-64), 4:07 p.m. PT
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
08/20/09 10:33 PM ET
TORONTO -- In a season of firsts, Sean O'Sullivan goes through customs and debuts in Canada, engaging Blue Jays southpaw Marc Rzepczynski in the first of three games at Rogers Centre on Friday. O'Sullivan, 21 and making his ninth Major League start, has been busy working with pitching coach Mike Butcher since a less-than-satisfying outing in Baltimore on Sunday, fine-tuning his delivery. "We've done a couple of things to get better direction," O'Sullivan said. "It's getting back to basics -- leg drive and direction. Sometimes you overthink it and get further away from where you need to be. Keep it simple, that's the idea." Since going seven innings in his brilliant debut on June 16 in San Francisco, O'Sullivan hasn't made it past six innings. His goal is to get deeper in games after going five innings, 4 2/3 and four in his past three outings respectively. He yielded six earned runs on seven hits in Baltimore. After sitting out the series finale in Cleveland, center fielder Torii Hunter is expected to be back in the Angels' lineup batting third, between Bobby Abreu and Vladimir Guerrero. Still not 100 percent in his recovery from a right adductor muscle strain, Hunter figures to sit out the middle game of the series against right-hander Scott Richmond, who faces Ervin Santana on Saturday. Another southpaw, Ricky Romero, goes for Toronto in Sunday's series finale against rookie right-hander Trevor Bell, making his third start. The Angels will not confront Roy Halladay, the ace they tried, in vain, to acquire at the non-waiver Trade Deadline. While Halladay has been somewhat less dominant since the passage of the Deadline, going 2-2 with a 3.30 ERA in four outings, the Angels have taken flight on the wings of a powerful attack. Their five-game winning streak was snapped by the Indians on Thursday night, but the Angels have been unleashing some thunder since the final day of July. They've averaged 6.8 runs per game, seizing the Major League lead in runs scored with a 5.8 average along with their .290 team batting average.With a 24-9 record since the All-Star break, the Angels also own the best road record in the American League at 37-24. Only the Phillies have a better road record.
There will be a family reunion at Rogers Centre when Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke greets nephew Josh Roenicke, a right-handed reliever with the Jays. The son of former Major League outfielder Gary Roenicke, Josh came to Toronto along with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion from Cincinnati in the deal that sent Scott Rolen to the Reds at the Trade Deadline.
Halladay has beaten them twice this season, but the Angels lead the season series, 3-2, taking two of three at Rogers Centre from June 2-4. The teams split two games in Anaheim from May 6-7.
The Angels were 6-3 last season against the Blue Jays, ending a run of five consecutive season series taken by Toronto, dating to the Angels' 2002 World Series championship campaign. Pitching matchupLAA: RHP Sean O'Sullivan (3-1, 5.91 ERA)
O'Sullivan struggled in his last start, lasting only four innings in a no-decision against the Orioles. The right-hander gave up six earned runs on seven hits -- three of them home runs -- and issued two walks in the outing. TOR: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-3, 3.98 ERA)
Rzepczynski has not notched a win for the Blue Jays since July 18, posting an 0-2 record with a 5.04 ERA in five outings since that start. On the road Sunday against the Rays, the rookie left-hander logged a decent performance against the reigning American League champs. Rzepczynski allowed one run on six hits over six innings and finished with three walks and one strikeout in a no-decision. Rzepczynski has never faced the Angels. Tidbits
Howard Kendrick, whose two-run single was the big blow in Jered Weaver's 3-0 shutout of the Tribe on Wednesday night, figures to be back at second base against the two Jays lefties. Maicer Izturis can move over to shortstop to spell Erick Aybar in one of the games. Kendrick is batting .353 since getting recalled on July 4 from Triple-A Salt Lake, raising his average from .231 to .274. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia has been pleased with Mike Napoli's improved work behind the plate in his outings with Bell and Weaver in Cleveland. Napoli had been pressing defensively lately, Scioscia said. ... The Blue Jays offense's primary power source comes from an unusual position -- second base. Aaron Hill has 28 homers, the most by a Toronto middle infielder in team history and most by an AL infielder since Alfonso Soriano launched 36 for Texas in 2005. ... Setting it straight: Angels reliever Jason Bulger didn't begin pitching competitively until late in his junior year at Valdosta State University in Georgia, not at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Ga., as previously reported. Enjoying a breakthrough season at age 30, Bulger was a left-side infielder in high school. Tickets
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• KLAA 830, KFWB, KWKW 1330 (Español) Up next
• Saturday: Angels (Ervin Santana, 6-6, 6.25) at Blue Jays (Scott Richmond, 6-6, 4.01), 10:07 a.m. PT
• Sunday: Angels (Trevor Bell, 1-0, 5.91) at Blue Jays (Ricky Romero, 10-5, 3.95), 10:07 a.m. PT
• Monday: Angels (Jered Weaver, 13-4, 3.89) vs. Tigers (Justin Verlander, 13-7, 3.29), 7:05 p.m. PT
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
