The Los Angeles Angels need to bounce back from Monday night's 3-1 loss if they want to gain ground on the Oakland Athletics in a crowded A.L. Wild Card race, and they'll look to do so with struggling slugger Mark Trumbo on the bench for Tuesday night's game.
It's been a rough second half of the season for Trumbo. After posting an All-Star-worthy line of .306/27/57/.965 OPS in the first half of the 2012 season, he's struggled mightily in the second half, hitting .194 with 65 strikeouts and just three home runs in his last 43 games. Vernon Wells will get the start in left field in Trumbo's place.
The Angels will send right-hander Jerome Williams (6-7, 4.59 ERA) to the mound in a spot starters role, as their rotation has been in a state of flux since their ace Jered Weaver was struck by a line drive off the bat of Seattle Mariners second baseman Dustin Ackley. Weaver missed one scheduled start with biceps tendonitis and is slated to return to the mound on Thursday.
The As will counter with rookie Dan Straily, who is 1-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings for the As this season. The Halos roughed up Straily in his last start against the club, punishing him for five runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings.
The starting lineups for Tuesday night's game are as follows:
Los Angeles Angels
- Mike Trout CF
- Torii Hunter RF
- Albert Pujols DH
- Kendrys Morales 1B
- Howie Kendrick 2B
- Erick Aybar SS
- Vernon Wells LF
- Alberto Callaspo 3B
- Chris Iannetta C
- Coco Crisp CF
- Seth Smith LF
- Josh Reddick RF
- Yoenis Cespedes DH
- Brandon Moss 1B
- Josh Donaldson 3B
- George Kottaras C
- Stephen Drew SS
- Cliff Pennington 2B
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