Angels vs Rays Preview: Clash of Hopeful Pitching

The Angels are rolling into Tampa Bay on a high. They just crushed the Rays 14-3 yesterday in an absolute offensive explosion. Mike Trout launched a 417-foot bomb to left. Then Angelo Adell and Oswald Peraza went back-to-back with homers in the ninth. The Angels are 23-36 on the season, so wins like this matter. They're riding momentum into Sunday's matchup. But they're banged up. Zach Neto got hurt Saturday in a home-plate collision. Jack Kochanowicz takes the mound for Los Angeles. Can he keep the magic alive against Tampa Bay's tough pitching staff?

Shane McClanahan is on the mound for Tampa Bay. This guy was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Right now he's 0-1 with a 4.29 ERA. He's not pitching like his old self yet. The Rays are 35-20 overall and 20-6 at home. That's elite. But yesterday's crushing loss stings. McClanahan needs to shut down the Angels' hot bats. He needs strikeouts. He needs control. The Rays' lineup showed some life against the Angels' pitchers earlier in the series. If McClanahan can deliver quality innings, Tampa Bay stays dangerous.

Look at yesterday's game. Mike Trout, Angelo Adell, and Oswald Peraza all went deep. The Angels' power came out swinging hard. But Zach Neto is day-to-day after that scary collision at home plate. Nolan Schanuel is on the injured list with ankle problems. Yoan Moncada is day-to-day too. The Angels have injuries piling up. They need their healthy bats to step up big. The Rays' pitchers will have a tough time keeping runs off the board. Sunday's game comes down to this: Can the Angels' offense stay hot? Or will McClanahan's arm cool them down?