Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
The Los Angeles Angels have had a rough start to the 2013 season. They looked to be getting back on the right track with a three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers last weekend. The Angels fell back into a rut, losing 2-of-3 to their divisional rivals, the Texas Rangers this week. Additionally, they were shutout in their series opener against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
With the payroll and caliber of players on their roster, the Angels should be above .500 and contending in their division, but that just isn’t the case. Josh Hamilton, the Angels big offseason acquisition, is batting only .226 with two home runs and eight RBI over his first 21 games. Additionally, the Angels lost their ace starter Jered Weaver to the disabled list.
The Angels will send C.J. Wilson to the mound on Friday evening against the Mariners, in hopes he can help get the team back on the right track. Wilson has tossed six innings in each of his first four starts this season, but has walked at least three in each. In his last outing against the Tigers, the lefty threw 57 pitches in the first two innings, but was able to settle down a bit and threw just 54 in the final four.
This season Wilson is 1-0 with a 4.13 ERA over 24 innings, averaging 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The rough area for the 32-year-old is his walks, averaging 5.6 walks per nine innings. Against the Mariners, Wilson is 11-5 with a 3.88 ERA over his career, both with the Angels and Rangers.
Aaron Harang gets the start for the Mariners on Friday night. Harang was acquired in a trade from the Colorado Rockies on Apr. 11 and has had a rough first couple of games for his new club. The 34-year-old is 0-2 with a 10.24 ERA over his first 9.2 innings this season. A positive is his strikeouts, averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
Harang is 0-1 with a 4.30 ERA and seven strikeouts against the Angels in his career.
First pitch is set for 10:10 p.m. ET from Safeco Field in Seattle, Wash.
Justin Soderberg is a Boston Red Sox writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter, ”Like” him on Facebook and add him to your network on Google.
