Angels Looking To Salvage Series Against Rockies, Ditch Worst Record In MLB

The Los Angeles Angels now have sole possession of the worst record in Major League Baseball after dropping the first two of a three-game series to the Colorado Rockies.

The Angels were blown out 8-2 by the Rockies and Colorado dominated from the jump. The Angels went down 3-0 in the second inning and were losing 8-0 by the fourth inning. The 2-3-4 hitters for the Rockies, infielder Willi Castro, designated hitter TJ Rumfield and catcher Hunter Goodman, all went deep and put this game out of reach.

The two lone runs for Los Angeles scored in the fifth inning on a double off the bat of left fielder Wade Meckler, who has been excellent for the Halos in 11 games; the 26-year-old is slashing .323/.364/.581(.944 OPS) with two home runs and 10 RBI.

Rockies right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano outpitched Angels right-hander Grayson Rodriguez by a wide margin in this one. Sugano was solid, pitching five innings of two-run ball on five hits and two walks with five punchouts.

Rodriguez, who was expected to be a great piece of Los Angeles’ starting rotation after being acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in an offseason trade, took his second loss of the season after tossing 3.2 innings and allowing eight runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three.

Rodriguez had won his last two starts after a tough first outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is now 2-2 with a 10.00 ERA, 1.94 WHIP and 17 strikeouts through four starts (18 innings).

The Angels are looking to avoid being swept for the fifth time this season when 22-year-old rookie right-hander Walbert Urena takes the mound against Rockies veteran right-hander Michael Lorenzen in the series finale Wednesday night.

Urena is 2-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 41 strikeouts through 10 games (eight starts, 44.1 innings). Urena has stepped up in a major way since being elevated from the bullpen to the starting rotation. In six May starts, he allowed one run or less in five of them and allowed just two runs in the other.

Urena last worked against the Tampa Bay Rays and threw six one-run innings on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Lorenzen is having a rough season, posting a 2-7 record with a 7.22 ERA, 1.90 WHIP and 43 strikeouts in 13 appearances (12 starts, 57.1 innings). The 34-year-old last pitched against the San Francisco Giants and allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while fanning two over 3.2 innings of work.

First pitch is at 6:38 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.