The Los Angeles Angels look to salvage a split of their four-game series with the Kansas City Royals today at Kauffman Stadium, hoping that Scott Kazmir can get back on track. Kazmir gets the start today against Bruce Chen of the Royals. The Angels have lost each of the last two games in the Royals' final at-bat.
Kazmir struggled mightily in 2010, going 9-15 with a 5.94 ERA, and struggled again during the spring, with a 6.65 ERA and more walks than strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings of Cactus League play. The Angels hope that, at a salary of $12 million this season, Kazmir would succeed out of the fifth starter role. However, the Angels need him even more now that Joel Pineiro was scratched from his rehab start with shoulder pain, leaving his return unknown per Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times.
So far in Kansas City, the Angels have had three quality starts in three games, with their starters combining to give up just four runs in 20 innings, a 1.80 ERA. Today's 11:10 a.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West.
For more news and information on today's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.