Walbert Urena gets the ball for athletics vs angels after the Angels were swept in three games by their crosstown rivals. The assignment puts him in position to steady a rotation that needs a clean start while the bullpen comes off a heavy weekend.
Urena, Ginn, and the 1046th meeting
The matchup sends Urena against J.T. Ginn, and it comes in the 1046th meeting between the teams. The Athletics hold a 545-500 edge in the rivalry, and the clubs had not played each other this season before this series.
Urena has handled his recent work well. He has gone at least 5 innings while allowing 2 or fewer runs in three consecutive starts, and he enters with a 3.29 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 27.1 innings.
J.T. Ginn’s recent run
Ginn has worked 43.1 innings across 7 starts and 3 relief appearances. In his last two starts, he covered 14 innings and allowed 1 earned run, with those outings coming against Philadelphia and St. Louis.
The Athletics arrive at 23-23 after losing their Rivalry Weekend set against the Dodgers and carrying a 2-game losing streak. Sacramento has been 5-5 over its last 10 games and 13-11 on the road, so the start gives them a chance to stop the slide against an Angels club trying to recover from a sweep.
Mike Trout against Sacramento
Mike Trout adds a familiar threat for the Athletics. In 141 games against them, he has posted a.293/.407/.569 line with 41 home runs and 141 hits, giving the Angels one hitter who has repeatedly changed this matchup.
For the Angels, the practical move is simple: Urena has to turn three straight solid outings into a sharper rebound against a division opponent that has already played cleaner baseball over the weekend. If he holds the Athletics down early, the Angels can keep the game from becoming another long night for a taxed staff.
