Tigers Look Avoid Sweep
If the Los Angeles Angels are to complete another home sweep of the Detroit Tigers, they'll likely need to be the first opponent this season to get the best of Doug Fister.
The Angels attempt to do both while trying for a sixth consecutive home victory over the Tigers on Sunday.
Mike Trout's first career grand slam highlighted a nine-run first inning and Garrett Richards allowed two hits over seven in Los Angeles' 10-0 win over Detroit (9-8) on Saturday.
"It's always good to help your starter out like that. Then they can pound the strike zone and not have to worry too much," Trout said. "We're looking better, stating positive, grinding it out and having great at-bats."
The Angels (6-10) have not won more than two in a row this season, but have outscored the Tigers 18-1 in the first two of this set and 30-6 during a five-game series winning streak in Anaheim.
Trout is 11 for 25 (.440) with two homers and 10 RBIs in six games, and batting .300 (6 for 20) with three home runs and eight RBIs in five career home contests against the Tigers.
Teammate Peter Bourjos is 6 for 8 with four RBIs in the series. He's 3 for 6 with a double against Fister (3-0, 2.70 ERA), who allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings Tuesday of a 6-2 win against his former team in Seattle.
"I look at it as I have a job to do, no matter what team it is," Fister told the Tigers' official website. "That's the focus."
Fister was winless in his previous five starts against the Angels before he allowed a solo homer to Albert Pujols and one other hit while striking out 10 in eight innings of a 7-2 home win July 18.
The Angels counter with C.J. Wilson (1-0, 4.00), who followed a pair of mediocre starts by overcoming four walks to allow a run in six innings of a 4-1 win over Houston last Sunday for his first victory.
"Just happy to go out there and shut the other team down," Wilson told the Angels' official website. "I had a couple innings there with some guys on base, some of that's my fault for getting behind in the count, some of that is circumstance, but I felt like I made some pretty big pitches (last Sunday)."
The left-hander posted a 4.61 ERA while splitting his two starts against the Tigers last season in his first with the Angels. He gave up a run and four hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 6-1 home win Sept. 8.
Detroit's Miguel Cabrera is batting .308 (4 for 13) with two doubles against Wilson.
He had one of the four hits Saturday for the Tigers, who have scored one run during a three-game skid that followed a 4-1 start to their nine-game trip.
"We played the game all right, we just got ambushed," Tigers manager Jim Leyland told MLB's official website.
Ex-Angel Torii Hunter went 2 for 4 in the series opener, but his 12-game hitting streak ended with an 0-for-3 effort Saturday. He's still batting .400 on the season.
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