The Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees open a weekend series on Friday night in Anaheim that the Angels certainly hope will be a playoff preview. The Angels are two and a half games behind the Texas Rangers with 19 games to play. With the wild card almost certainly coming from the AL East, the AL East winner would play the other division winner with the worst record, which is currently Texas.
Here are the pitching matchups for the weekend, which feature the Angels' three best on the mound:
Friday: Jered Weaver vs. Bartolo Colon
Weaver is 8-1 with a 1.87 ERA at home this season, while Colon returns to face the team with which he won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award.
Saturday: Dan Haren vs. CC Sabathia
Haren has a 6.03 strikeout-to-walk ratio this season, which is the highest ever by an Angels pitcher. Sabathia came within one out of a complete game in Anaheim on June 4, and is looking for his 20th win of the season.
Sunday: Ervin Santana vs. Freddy Garcia
Santana has pitched at least 6 1/3 innings in each of his last 14 starts, and is 8-2 with a 2.18 ERA during that span. Garcia is 8-1 in his career with a 2.91 ERA in Anaheim.
Friday's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information, be sure to read Halos Heaven.