Angels try to make it two in a row against Reds

C.J. Wilson's first year with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim didn't exactly go as planned. He's hoping for better results in year two which gets underway Wednesday when the Angels play the middle test of a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.

Wilson, who signed a 5-year, $77.5 million deal with the Angels last winter after spending the first seven years of his career with the Texas Rangers, never got it going for the Halos last season and posted a 13-10 mark to go along with a 3.83 ERA.

The left-hander had actually pitched to a 2.43 ERA in the first half of last season, but struggled to 5.54 mark after the break.

"If last year's my down year, in a nine-year cycle, and it's the worst year I have, perspective-wise, I think a lot of pitchers would take those results," said Wilson, who pitched to a 2.94 ERA in his final season with Texas. "Not me. I'm not happy with that."

Los Angeles started its season on a winning note Monday, as Chris Iannetta delivered a two-run single in the top of the 13th inning to lift the Angels to a 3-1 win.

After Los Angeles had stranded two men in the 11th and wasted a one-out triple by Peter Bourjos in the next frame, Iannetta ripped a bases-loaded single off J.J. Hoover (0-1) past diving third baseman Todd Frazier to score high-priced free-agent acquisition Josh Hamilton and Howie Kendrick.

"It was a great at-bat," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Iannetta's efforts. "He got himself in a hole, worked himself back in, fouled a pitch off and then hit a rocket."

Ernesto Frieri worked around a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning to earn the save.

Reliever Mark Lowe (1-0) tossed two innings to pick up the win.

To make matters worse for the Reds outfielder Ryan Ludwick dislocated his right shoulder and will miss at least three months.

On Wednesday, Cincinnati will turn to righty Mat Latos, who was terrific last season in his first year with the Reds, going 14-4 with a 3.48 ERA.

Latos made five starts in spring training. He was 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA in 19 2/3 innings. In his last outing of the spring, Thursday against the Royals, he gave up five earned runs on nine hits in three innings.

"The spring was really good," Latos said. "The one thing I've been wanting to work is not letting the small things get to me. I controlled it for most of the spring, except for that last outing. I was a little aggravated with myself for letting it get to me. It���s a new day, and the season is just getting started."

He'll have to deal with Anaheim's "big three" of Hamilton, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, a trio that combined to go 1-for-14 in Monday's opener.

Los Angeles and the Reds have played each other in just two previous interleague series, with the Angels winning four of the six games.