The Angels look to get back on track Monday night as they continue their homestand with the start of a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays in Anaheim. Rookie Tyler Chatwood gets the call for the Angels in the series opener. However, the Angels have their work cut out for them, facing David Price.
Chatwood has had a rather remarkable run through his first 11 starts. Among the 114 major league pitchers with enough innings to qualify for the ERA title, Chatwood has the worst strikeout-to-walk ratio, with 34 walks and 29 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings. Yet, the rookie is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA and the Angels are 6-5 in his starts. The 21-year old is still learning on the job, but the results have been positive so far.
Price is 6-5 with a 3.52 ERA this season, and is one of just 11 starters in baseball to average at least seven innings per start this season (Dan Haren and Jered Weaver are two of the other 10). The Angels were able to hang a loss on Price on April 29, as he allowed five runs on 12 hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Rays are 7-14 in their last 21 games, but are 16-13 on the road this season. The Angels are 14-15 at home, and 30-31 on the season, the first time they have been under .500 since May 21.
Tonight's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on tonight's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog Halos Heaven.