Angels return home to host Orioles

Baseball Betting Lines

07/02/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels return home from a six-day road trip in first place in the American League West. The two-time defending division champions will try to stay on top when they start up a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles tonight at Angel Stadium.

The Angels started their six-game trek trailing Texas by a half-game for the West's top spot, but moved 2 1/2 games in front of the reeling Rangers after winning the first four tests of the jaunt. That lead has since dwindled to a half-game after losing twice to Texas over the past two days.

The Rangers closed the gap with a wild 9-7 victory on Wednesday, with Hank Blalock's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning accounting for the winning margin.

Anaheim fought back from an early six-run deficit and had tied the contest at 7-7 on Juan Rivera's three-run blast with two outs in the top of the ninth. However, Justin Speier (3-2) allowed a leadoff single to Michael Young in the bottom of the frame before serving up Blalock's walkoff blast three batters later.

Torii Hunter came through with a two-run double in the seventh inning to aid the Angels' comeback, while Vladimir Guerrero finished 3-for-4 with a run scored in the loss.

Baltimore is also coming off a frustrating defeat on Wednesday. The Orioles coughed up a four-run ninth-inning lead against Boston, then wound up on the wrong end of a 6-5 decision when the Red Sox' Julio Lugo singled home a run in the top of the 11th inning.

Boston's rally capped a wacky three-game series between the teams. Baltimore lost two of those matchups, but orchestrated the greatest comeback in franchise history on Tuesday. The Orioles overcame a nine-run deficit by scoring 10 times over the seventh and eighth innings for an 11-10 win.

On Wednesday, Baltimore carried a 5-1 lead into the ninth inning before faltering. Reliever Jim Johnson gave up a two-run homer to Kevin Youkilis that pulled Boston within two, then the Red Sox loaded the bases on closer George Sherrill before Rocco Baldelli delivered a game-tying two-RBI single.

The loss spoiled an outstanding start from Orioles rookie Brad Bergesen, who gave up just one run and four hits and struck out six over the first eight innings.

Nick Markakis had a two-run double for Baltimore, which received solo homers from Luke Scott and Ty Wigginton as well.

The Orioles will try to put Wednesday's disappointment behind them as they begin a seven-game West Coast trip tonight. They'll tab Jeremy Guthrie, a winner in his last two starts, to pitch this evening's opener.

Guthrie ended a string of three straight losing starts after yielding one run and three hits over seven innings to down Philadelphia on June 21. He wasn't as effective in Saturday's encounter with Washington, but still managed a victory after giving up three runs over five innings in Baltimore's 5-3 ousting of the Nationals.

For the season, Guthrie is 6-7 with a 5.11 earned run average in 16 starts. Much of the right-hander's troubles have come on the road, where's he compiled a 2-3 record with a subpar 6.96 ERA in six starts.

Guthrie has made four previous appearances, three of which have been starts, against Anaheim and is 1-1 with a 3.47 ERA in those games. He's 1-0 in two visits to Angel Stadium, though, and allowed just four runs (3 earned) over 15 innings pitched there.

John Lackey takes the mound for the Angels and hopes to build off a very encouraging last start. The burly right-hander limited Arizona to one unearned run and struck out nine Diamondbacks over seven innings this past Saturday, although he wound up with a no-decision in an eventual 2-1 Anaheim win.

Lackey has won at least 12 games for the Angels in each of the past six seasons, but is only 2-3 in nine starts this year while missing some time due to an elbow issue. He's also posted a career-worst 5.06 ERA thus far and opponents are hitting .317 against him.

The 30-year-old does own a 6-3 career record with a 3.46 ERA over 10 starts against Baltimore, although he last pitched against the Orioles in 2007.

The Angels swept a two-game series from the Orioles at Camden Yards back in April and went 6-3 against Baltimore last season. The O's are just 4-12 in Anaheim since the start of the 2006 campaign.