Angels' Sam Aldegheri Starting Against Rays In Place Of Injured Kochanowicz

The Los Angeles Angels are coming off a series win over its bitter division rival, the Houston Astros, and open up a three-game set to with the Tampa Bay Rays to decide the winner of the season series.

After dropping the series opener 5-4 in extra innings, the Angels came back with a 10-1 blowout win in Game 2 of the series behind an offensive onslaught by the middle of the lineup and a 3-2 walk-off win in extra innings in the series finale after Jose Siri singled home second baseman Nick Madrigal.

Los Angeles got excellent pitching performances from 22-year-old phenom right-hander Walbert Urena and left-hander Reid Detmers to take the series.

Urena didn’t have his best stuff, as he only pitched five innings and walked five batters, but he didn’t allow any runs and struck out seven to earn his fourth win. Detmers had another high-strikeout game and allowed just one run on one hit (Shay Whitcomb home run in the sixth inning) while punching out nine over seven innings of work.

The Angels now welcome in the Rays, which took two of three against the Halos in Tampa Bay in the final days of May. Los Angeles’ lone win in that series came in the form of a 14-3 mugging, but the pitching staff couldn’t keep the Rays off the board in the opener or finale.

Tonight’s matchup will feature a pair of left-handers, Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan and Los Angeles’ Sam Aldegheri, who is making just his second start and fifth appearance of the season.

McClanahan is having an outstanding season after battling injuries the last few seasons, as the veteran lefty is 6-3 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 59 strikeouts to 21 walks through 12 starts (60 innings). He last worked against the Miami Marlins and was hit hard, giving up four runs on eight hits and two walks while fanning six over five innings in a rare losing effort.

Aldegheri, who gained attention when he pitched for Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic earlier this year, steps into the starting rotation for right-hander Jack Kochanowicz after he tore his UCL.

Aldegheri is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and eight strikeouts to five walks in 12 innings. He pitched one inning in relief against the Astros when the team lost in extras, allowing one unearned run on one hit while striking out one.

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