Walbert Urena Starts as Athletics Vs Angels Opens With Sweep Pressure

Walbert Urena gets the ball for athletics vs angels after the Angels were swept in three games by their crosstown rivals. The assignment puts him in position to steady a rotation that needs a clean start while the bullpen comes off a heavy weekend.

Urena, Ginn, and the 1046th meeting

The matchup sends Urena against J.T. Ginn, and it comes in the 1046th meeting between the teams. The Athletics hold a 545-500 edge in the rivalry, and the clubs had not played each other this season before this series.

Urena has handled his recent work well. He has gone at least 5 innings while allowing 2 or fewer runs in three consecutive starts, and he enters with a 3.29 ERA, 26 strikeouts, and 27.1 innings.

J.T. Ginn’s recent run

Ginn has worked 43.1 innings across 7 starts and 3 relief appearances. In his last two starts, he covered 14 innings and allowed 1 earned run, with those outings coming against Philadelphia and St. Louis.

The Athletics arrive at 23-23 after losing their Rivalry Weekend set against the Dodgers and carrying a 2-game losing streak. Sacramento has been 5-5 over its last 10 games and 13-11 on the road, so the start gives them a chance to stop the slide against an Angels club trying to recover from a sweep.

Mike Trout against Sacramento

Mike Trout adds a familiar threat for the Athletics. In 141 games against them, he has posted a.293/.407/.569 line with 41 home runs and 141 hits, giving the Angels one hitter who has repeatedly changed this matchup.

For the Angels, the practical move is simple: Urena has to turn three straight solid outings into a sharper rebound against a division opponent that has already played cleaner baseball over the weekend. If he holds the Athletics down early, the Angels can keep the game from becoming another long night for a taxed staff.