The Los Angeles Angels dropped two of three to the Toronto Blue Jays towards the end of April and have the opportunity to exact revenge starting Friday.
The Los Angeles Angels are coming off a much-needed series win over the Chicago White Sox after dropping the series opener.
The Angels enjoyed an off-day Thursday but are set to begin a three-game road series with the Toronto Blue Jays Friday night. The Blue Jays, which had been struggling mightily coming into Los Angeles for the first series between these two teams a couple of weeks ago, won the first two games to take the series.
Toronto went on to win six of its next 10 games before getting swept by the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays this week. The series opener will feature a pitching matchup of Los Angeles’ left-hander Reid Detmers and Toronto’s right-hander Dylan Cease, a rematch from the last series.
Detmers is 1-2 with a 4.28 ERA and 1.15 WHIP through seven starts (40 innings). His last start came against the New York Mets on May 2 and the lefty pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on nine hits with eight strikeouts to earn the quality start.
Cease is 2-1 with a 3.05 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with 56 strikeouts (fourth) through seven starts (38.1 innings). The 30-year-old allowed eight runs (seven earned) over his last two starts, but against the Minnesota Twins, he pitched seven innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and one walk with seven punchouts his last time out.
Detmers was pitching well against the Blue Jays on April 20 but fizzled out in the sixth inning. He completed six, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts to earn the loss. After allowing a two-run home run to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the third inning, Detmers allowed a sacrifice fly in the sixth and walked the lone batter he faced in the seventh, who came around to score.
Cease threw 110 pitches through five innings but earned his first win in a Toronto uniform after allowing two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out 12. He was dominant and Los Angeles’ runs came on a Jorge Soler single in the first and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Nolan Schanuel in the third inning.
The Angels struck out 18 times during the game and logged just six hits en route to a 5-2 loss.
First pitch is 4:07 p.m. PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.