Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels WATCH FREE Live Streaming Online Major League Baseball from Angels Stadium at 10:05 PM ET
For the slumping Rangers, a matchup with the Angels may be exactly what they need. After dominating last season's series, they'll again look to make the Angels their punching bag Friday night in Anaheim.
Texas (15-13) has dropped four in a row after being swept in three games at home by Oakland. The Rangers were outscored 25-4 by the Athletics and totaled only 15 hits in the series.
They're homerless in six straight and Prince Fielder, batting .206 with just two home runs, is without an extra-base hit in eight consecutive contests.
"I have no choice but to stay patient until it comes," Fielder told the team's website. "I feel good so I'll keep playing hard and see what happens. I'm just up there trying to drive the ball. I haven't done it that much, that's obvious."
The Rangers may find some solace in their first matchup with Los Angeles, against which they won a club-record 15 games in 19 meetings in 2013. They had never previously beaten the Angels more than 12 times in a single year.
Texas averaged 6.1 runs in last season's series while batting .302 with 26 home runs, including Andrus hitting .475 in nine games at Anaheim. Andrus has batted .409 with 15 runs in his last 16 matchups with the Angels, while Beltre owns a 1.034 OPS with seven homers and 18 RBIs over his past 23.
The Angels are now looking for Hector Santiago (0-4, 4.44 ERA) to bounce back from a rough outing. He gave up four runs, six hits and a bases-loaded balk in 4 1/3 innings of a 4-3 road loss to the Yankees on Saturday.
Santiago is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four games -- two starts -- against the Rangers, though they have been significantly better against lefties this season. Texas has a .777 OPS against southpaws compared to .676 against right-handers. Beltre is 7 for 19 against left-handers, while Fielder is 5 for 12 lifetime off Santiago.
The game will be live streaming online at gofirstrowus.eu/sport/baseball.html
