(SportsNetwork.com) - The Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers clash in the second leg of a three-game series in an American league West contest at Globe Life Park in Arlington Saturday.
The Angels, in the midst of a 10-game road trip, will trot out Matt Shoemaker to the mound to tangle with the Rangers' Colby Lewis.
Shoemaker enters the contest with a 10-4 record on the season and a 3.89 earned run average. He's struck out 87 batters on the year, and has walked just 17 in 20 appearances, of which 13 have been starts.
Shoemaker went three innings against the Red Sox in his most recent trip to the mound, which was a relief stint in a game that went 19 innings. He pitched the final three innings that culminated in an Albert Pujols home run to lift the Angels over Boston. Shoemaker was credited with the win after tossing three hitless frames.
His career against Texas doesn't run too deep. Shoemaker has started one game against the Rangers in which he went 7 2/3 innings, allowed one run and struck out six.
Texas will send out California native and veteran righty Lewis to try and quell the Angels. Lewis is 8-9 on the season with a 5.42 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Lewis followed up an absolutely stunning outing against the White Sox Aug. 5 with a not-so-stunning performance Monday against the Rays. His Rangers tore apart Chicago, 16-0, behind a six-hit shutout from Lewis two starts ago, but the 35-year-old was rocked for five runs (two earned) in a loss to Tampa Monday.
Lewis has made 14 starts and 16 appearances against the Angels in his career, and has a 5-5 record to show for it with a 5.33 ERA in 81 innings pitched.
The Angels took a four-run lead in the seventh inning over the Rangers Friday night, but Texas made things interesting by staging a near comeback in the eighth. The Rangers fell short in the effort, and dropped the contest, 5-4.
Kole Calhoun was the hero for Los Angeles Friday after registering three hits and three RBI in four at-bats. Calhoun homered in the fifth inning which scored three, and grounded into a double play in the seventh that plated a run. Chris Iannetta also had three hits for the Angels in the contest.
"He kind of flies under the radar, but I don't know if there are too many leadoff men as dynamic as Kole has been," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Garrett Richards got the start and the win for L.A. after lasting 7 1/3 innings, in which he gave up two runs on seven hits and struck out seven batters. Nick Martinez was tagged with the loss for Texas.
Adrian Beltre went 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI to lead the Rangers, who have lost three in a row.
Los Angeles has now won nine of 11 games played against Texas this season, including eight in a row.
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