News
Angels embark on crucial trip
Los Angeles (86-56) at New York (92-52), 4:05 p.m. PT
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
09/13/09 7:25 PM ET
ANAHEIM -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia might not admit it, but his club's upcoming seven-game road trip is crucial as it comes against three of the American League's best teams -- the Yankees, the Red Sox and the Rangers. The Angels first open in New York for one game in a makeup of a rainout on May 3 before traveling to Boston for three games and Texas for three more. It's a difficult trip, travel-wise, as the Angels have no days off before or after their road trip due to the makeup game with the Yankees on Monday. But Scioscia said his club should be fine despite playing 50 games in 52 days, going back to Aug. 14. "It's a road trip -- that's it," Scioscia said. "I think everyone here is used to road trips by now. The fact that there's no travel day back puts a little pizzazz in it because it's a little more hectic. But you just show up and play baseball." The Angels will try to start their road business on a good note with right-hander Jered Weaver taking the mound at Yankee Stadium against fellow right-hander Joba Chamberlain. It'll also mark right fielder Bobby Abreu's second trip to the new Yankee Stadium after spending 2 1/2 years playing for the Yankees. Abreu said he still has plenty of friends on the Yankees and enjoyed his first trip to the new stadium in May. "It's beautiful," Abreu said of the stadium. "But it plays much shorter than the old stadium." But the Angels will only see the stadium for one day as they continue their tough road trip against the Wild Card-leading Red Sox and the Rangers, who are right on their heels. The upcoming trip will say plenty as to whether or not the Angels will clinch their third straight AL West title to become the first team to do it since the A's won three straight from 1988-90. "It's going to be an interesting road trip for us," Abreu said. "We're going to have to battle. We have a good team and we know what to do, so we just have to go out there and win games." Scioscia, though, said the key to success on the road will be to just follow the old mantra of taking it one game at a time. "The best way to get through a schedule is to not look behind you and not look past today's game," Scioscia said. "I think that approach gets through the tough games in the schedule and that's the way we'll approach it." Pitching matchupLAA: RHP Jered Weaver (15-5, 3.76 ERA)
Two solo homers were all Weaver allowed across 6 1/3 innings against the Mariners at home on Wednesday night. The cross-firing right-hander reached the 50-win plateau in his career against only 24 losses by striking out eight men and walking none, yielding seven hits. Weaver, in his fourth season, has established career bests in wins (15), innings (186 2/3) and strikeouts (162). Weaver is 1-0 in two outings against the Yankees this season, with a no-decision at new Yankee Stadium (six innings, four earned runs) on May 1. He also went six innings, giving up four runs (three earned) in a win at home on July 11. He's 4-1 in six career starts against the Yankees with a 5.82 ERA. NYY: RHP Joba Chamberlain (8-5, 4.45 ERA)
Continuing on his stunted schedule, Chamberlain threw three innings and 55 pitches on Wednesday against the Rays, allowing two runs in the first inning but retiring the final eight batters he faced. The Yankees won't reveal Chamberlain's innings limit for his next start against the Angels, nor will they reveal whether he will be used as a starter or a reliever in the first round of the playoffs. Perhaps a start against the Angels, a possible playoff opponent, will be a good evaluation tool. In his lone outing against the Halos this season, Chamberlain allowed five runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Tidbits
Of the Angels' 35 players on their roster, 23 of those players are products of the club's farm system, including four of the five starters with Scott Kazmir being the lone exception. ... The Angels will play 14 of their last 21 games against the Yankees, Red Sox and Rangers. ... This season, the Angels are 4-2 against the Yankees, 4-2 against the Red Sox and 3-9 against Texas. Tickets
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• Tuesday: Angels (John Lackey, 10-7, 3.53) at Red Sox (Daisuke Matsuzaka, 1-5, 8.23), 4:10 p.m. PT
• Wednesday: Angels (Joe Saunders, 13-7, 4.81) at Red Sox (TBD), 4:10 p.m. PT
• Thursday: Angels (Ervin Santana, 7-8, 5.52) at Red Sox (Josh Beckett, 15-6, 3.82), 4:10 p.m. PT
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
