Angels Looking To Stay Hot Against Diamondbacks, Rookie Phenom Urena Starting

After winning consecutive series against the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays, the Los Angeles Angels are in Arizona for a three-game series against the Diamondbacks, who were the best team in the American League prior to the series.

The Angels played great baseball against the Rays and have been hotting up, winning five of their last seven games. The Rays bested the Halos 8–3 in the series finale on Sunday, but it took until the eighth inning for Tampa Bay to pull away.

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Los Angeles jumped out to an early lead in the second inning after prospect infielder Danger Guzman singled home outfielder Joe Adel, but the Rays stormed back with a two-run single off the bat of outfielder Chandler Simpson in the third and Ben Williamson’s solo homer in the fourth to lead 3–1.

Designated hitter Donovan Walton clubbed a home run of his own and Adell drove in a run with a single in the fifth to tie the score. Rays third baseman Junior Caminero hit a two-run blast in the eighth inning, followed by an RBI single by catcher Hunter Feduccia and a two-run shot off the bat of right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. to put the game out of reach.

The Angels are more concerned about right-hander Grayson Rodriguez, who left the game after 2.1 innings of work because of lower back tightness. He allowed a hit by pitch while allowing two runs on three hits, two walks, and one strikeout.

Rodriguez was worried he missed the game but is not too concerned about the severity of the injury. He told beat writer Jeff Fletcher that it was something he would have to manage over the next few days.

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The Halos will now face the D-Backs, who are one game above .500 and in the National League wild card race. Los Angeles will field freshman right-hander Walbert Urena against Arizona’s Ryne Nelson, who has had a tough season this year.

Urena is 4-4 with a 2.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 55 strikeouts with 33 walks in 12 games (10 starts, 55.1 innings). Since being elevated into the starting rotation, Urena has been difficult to hit. The 22-year-old is coming off a scoreless outing against the Astros, a start in which he threw five innings of three-hit ball but walked five with seven strikeouts.

Nelson is 2-5 with a 5.19 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 22 walks with 57 strikeouts over 14 starts (76.1 innings). The home-run ball has gone to Nelson this season, as he has allowed 17. The right-hander has allowed eight in his last five innings; Nelson allowed seven runs on eight hits (two HRs) and a walk while fanning two in his last outing against the Miami Marlins.

First pitch is at 6:40 pm PDT on MLB.TV and regional sports networks.