American League Preview from The Sports Network
Monday, April 30th
(All times Eastern)
Minnesota Twins (6-15) at LA Angels of Anaheim (7-15), 10:05 p.m.
Probable Starting Pitchers: Minnesota - Nick Blackburn (0-2, 7.53)
LA Angels - C.J. Wilson (2-2, 2.42)
(Sports Network) - C.J. Wilson tries to avoid a third straight loss this
evening when the struggling Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim welcome the
Minnesota Twins to Angel Stadium.
After winning his first two starts with the Angels, Wilson has been the victim
of poor run support his last two times out, as he only allowed five runs in
13 innings, but lost both times.
Wilson fell to Tampa Bay on Wednesday and surrendered two runs and six hits in
seven innings. He also struck out 11 in the 3-2 loss.
"You can't cry about what you don't have," said Wilson. "You have to be
realistic, and right now, in all facets of the game, there's something we can
improve on as a team."
One of his two wins this season came against Minnesota. He is just 3-3
lifetime against the Twins, though, with a 4.32 ERA in 23 games (six starts).
Wilson will be trying to help an Angels team that returns home tonight after a
miserable 1-5 road trip that dropped them to 7-15 overall on the season. Los
Angeles closed its trek in disappointing fashion on Sunday, falling 4-0 to the
Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.
Kendrys Morales had two of the three hits for the Angels, who have lost six of
their last seven games. They have won just one of their seven series this
year.
Albert Pujols continued his struggles at the plate. He went 0-for-4 and is
batting just .216. The three-time National League MVP has still yet to homer
with his new club.
Minnesota, meanwhile, snapped a six-game losing streak on Sunday, as Josh
Willingham went 3-for-5 with a two-run triple and two runs scored to lead the
Twins past the Kansas City Royals, 7-4, in the finale of a rain-shortened two-
game series at Target Field.
Jason Marquis (2-0) worked six effective innings, giving up three runs on six
hits and no walks while fanning one. Jared Burton and Glen Perkins tossed
scoreless seventh and eighth innings, respectively, and Matt Capps gave up a
run in the ninth, but survived to close it out for the Twins.
"I just tried to attack the strike zone and get early outs," Marquis said.
"They were aggressive, so if you execute your pitches, you'll get a lot of
quick outs."
Heading to the hill for the Twins tonight will be lefty Nick Blackburn, who
lost to Wilson and the Halos in that April 9 contest. Blackburn gave up five
runs in six innings in that one and was even worse his last time out against
Boston on Tuesday when he was battered for five runs in only three frames to
fall to 0-2 on the year to go along with a 7.53 ERA.
Blackburn is just 1-4 lifetime versus the Angels with a 5.71 ERA.
Minnesota took two of three from the Angels earlier in the year after LA
captured six of the nine meetings in 2011.
04/30 10:54:11 ET

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