MLB on Sling TV: Angels at Rangers on FS1; regional action on Fox Sports networks
Los Angeles Angels (Tropeano 2-2, 3.30) *at Texas Rangers *(Holland 3-3, 5.63), 8pm ET on FS1
Nick Tropeano’s last start was likely his best of 2016, as he went 7 innings, scattering 7 hits and 2 walks, while giving up just 1 run and striking out 4 in an 8-1 win over the Dodgers. It was the first time this season that Tropeano’s gotten into the 7th, to say nothing of finishing it. With Garrett Richards on the DL, and the Angels’ bullpen having worked the second-most innings in the AL, L.A. is gonna need Tropeano to continue pitching deeper into games. The Angels had been on pace to be the worst team in franchise history until a recent hot streak during which they won 6 of 7, thanks largely to Mike Trout posting a 1.383 OPS with 11 runs, 8 RBI and 3 homers over the that span. They’re currently 20-24 and find themselves in 3rd place, 6 ½ games out of first in the AL West.
After losing most of 2014 and 2015 to injuries (one of which was blamed on a dog), Derek Holland is finally healthy, but his WHIP of 1.43 is almost as high as his SO/BB ratio of 1.62. To be fair, if you discount back-to-back poundings he took at the hands of the Blue Jays and White Sox – totaling 5 IP, 19 H, 4 BB, 16 R – Holland’s been pretty good, with a 2.57 ERA, .971 WHIP and 2.1 WHIP over 35 innings. In his last start he appeared to right the ship, holding the A’s to 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk over 6 innings. Following Sunday’s 9-2 win over the Astros, the Rangers’ record is 25-19, good enough for 2nd place in the AL West, 1 ½ games behind Seattle.
Meanwhile, watch MLB games from across the country on your FOX Sports regional network:
Cleveland Indians (Clevinger 0-0, 6.75) at Chicago White Sox (Latos 5-1, 4.00)
Cleveland Indians (Anderson 0-3, 7.99) at Chicago White Sox (Johnson 0-1, 7.20), 5:10pm & 8:05pm ET on SportsTime Ohio
Philadelphia Phillies (Velasquez 5-1, 2.42) at Detroit Tigers (Pelfrey 0-4, 5.49), 7:10pm ET on FOX Sports Detroit
Tampa Bay Rays (Moore 1-3, 5.09) at Miami Marlins (Chen 3-2, 4.22), 7:10pm ET on FOX Sports Florida & Fox Sports Sun
Kansas City Royals (Kennedy 4-3, 3.24) at Minnesota Twins (Nolasco 1-2, 4.74), 8:10pm ET on FOX Sports Kansas City & FOX Sports North
Chicago Cubs (Lackey 4-2, 3.31) at St. Louis Cardinals (Wainwright 4-3, 5.92), 8:15pm ET on FOX Sports Midwest
Cincinnati Reds (Finnegan 1-2, 4.44) *at Los Angeles Dodgers *(Kershaw 6-1, 1.67), 10:10pm ET on FOX Sports Cincinnati
San Diego Padres (Pomeranz 4-4, 1.96) *at San Francisco Giants *(Cueto 6-1, 2.70), 10:15pm ET on FOX Sports San Diego
All stats courtesy of ESPN and Baseball Reference