Ten strikeouts from a number that counts
Taj Bradley takes the ball tonight in Anaheim sitting on 190 strikeouts. Ten more and he clears 200 for the first time in his career. The Minnesota Twins open a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels, the start of a final road trip that also takes them to San Francisco on Monday before three closing games at home against the Texas Rangers.
Bradley carries an 11-6 record and a 3.81 ERA into the outing. He has faced the Angels three times, all starts, and come away 1-0 with a 2.95 ERA. The win landed in Minneapolis on 12 July: seven innings, six hits, two runs, six strikeouts, solo home runs conceded to Josh Lowe and Denzer Guzman in a 4-2 Twins victory.
Try it for $0.99.
Urena has owned this ballpark
The Angels counter with rookie right-hander Walbert Urena, who touches 100 mph with a power sinker and has never faced Minnesota. He makes his 26th start at 9-10 with a 2.88 ERA, and the second half has been his best stretch: 4-3, a 2.89 ERA across 10 starts since the All-Star break, 53 strikeouts in 56 innings.
Angel Stadium suits him. Urena is 8-2 there with a 2.42 ERA in 14 starts. His last outing, on Saturday in Washington, ended in a no-decision after he allowed four runs over six innings in a 6-5 loss in 10 innings, only the second time in 12 starts since early July that he has given up that many.
Two teams arriving in opposite moods
Minnesota (71-81) flew west off a 5-4 win in 13 innings over the New York Yankees on Wednesday, the longest game of their season. Victor Caratini pinch-hit a ground ball up the middle that shortstop George Lombard Jr. could not glove, and automatic runner Luke Keaschall came home. Fifth walk-off of the year for the Twins. Only their second win in seven games.
The Angels (58-94) took two of three from Seattle, then let the sweep slip with a 7-2 defeat on Wednesday. Yusei Kikuchi walked five and gave up five runs in 4 1/3 innings. The lineup stranded 14 runners and went 2-for-12 with men in scoring position. Guzman, four hits and a run, was the exception.
Ten games remain for Los Angeles. Five wins keep the franchise clear of the first 100-loss season in its history.
Discover the rest of our MLB news on MathODDS!
in your pocket.
Real-time notifications & alerts
Leave a Reply