The Angels begin a six-game road trip Tuesday night in New York, facing the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Dan Haren starts the opener for the Halos, facing A.J. Burnett for New York. The Yankees have lost their last two games after winning eight straight contests. This is the first trip to The Bronx for the Angels since last July.
Haren has given up one run in each of his last three starts, spanning 24 2/3 innings, with three walks and 17 strikeouts during that time. Haren in his career is 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA in eight starts against the Yankees, but he hasn't pitched in The Bronx since July 1, 2007, when he was with Oakland.
Burnett hasn't picked up a win since June 29, and has allowed at least three runs in each of his last six starts. During that span, Burnett is 0-3 with a 6.00 ERA and has allowed seven home runs in 36 innings, though he does also have 38 strikeouts against 18 walks during that span, suggesting a bit of bad luck.
Fun with selective endpoints: since June 13, the two best records in the American League belong to the Angels (32-16) and Yankees (33-17). The Angels are 13-1-1 in their last 15 series. If the playoffs began today, first of all that would be weird. But secondly, the Angels would be on the outside looking in. The Angels open play Tuesday a game and a half behind Texas in the American League West.
The Angels lost two of three games to the Yankees in Anaheim from June 3-5. The Angels have not lost a season series to New York since 2003. These two teams battle again in Anaheim from September 9-11.
Tuesday's 4:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, or on Tuesday night's game, be sure to read Halos Heaven.