Angels @ Rays

Who will WIN this matchup?

Los Angeles Angels (33-35)

@ Tampa Bay Rays (41-26)

Starting Pitchers:

Skaggs (LAA): 4-6; 4.97 ERA

Yarbrough (TB) 5-2; 5.31 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Los Angeles Angels: 5-5

Tampa Bay Rays: 6-4

Current odds:

Los Angeles Angels: (+133)

Tampa Bay Rays: (-143)

• The Los Angeles Angels swept a pair of games from the top team in the National League to start the week and hope to keep moving in a positive direction when they open an 11-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night. The Angels knocked off the Dodgers by identical 5-3 scores at home to finish a 4-4 homestand, leaving them as one of seven teams in realistic contention for an American League wild card spot. “It’s a good way to end the homestand,” Los Angeles manager Brad Ausmus told reporters. “Two wins against a very good ballclub, but I’m a big-picture guy and the homestand overall wasn’t great. Let’s take this momentum and carry it to Tampa where we are playing another very good team.” Tyler Skaggs looks to snap out of a slump when he gets the ball in the opener of the four-game set for the Angels while Tampa Bay is expected to counter with fellow left-hander Ryan Yarbrough.

• The Rays went 5-2 on their most recent road trip to move into first place in the AL East, but came home to lose two of three against Oakland to start the week after leaving 11 runners on base in a 6-2 setback Wednesday afternoon. Yandy Diaz had three hits and an RBI on Wednesday and is 15-for-39 in his last nine games for Tampa Bay, which is 3-0-1 in the last four season series against Los Angeles after taking six of seven games in 2018.

• Skaggs is winless in his last four starts, including defeats in the past two while allowing 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits across 11 total innings. The 27-year-old California native is 1-4 with a 6.47 ERA in his last six starts after going 3-2 with a 3.12 mark in his first five trips the mound this season. Guillermo Heredia is 4-for-8 with two doubles and a homer versus Skaggs, who was 0-2 with a 10.61 ERA against Tampa Bay in 2018.

• Yarbrough has been outstanding in two of his three starts this year, including Saturday when he held Boston to two runs (one earned) over a career-high 7 2/3 innings for the win. The 27-year-old is 3-1 in four outings since being recalled on May 23 and completed at least seven frames in all three of the starts. Mike Trout is 3-for-5 with a homer against Yarbrough, who went 2-0 with a 5.56 ERA in two games versus the Angels last year.

• Angels P-DH Shohei Ohtani has four homers in his last eight games, going 10-for-28 with nine RBIs during that stretch.

• Tampa Bay INF Joey Wendle (wrist) could return to the lineup as soon as Thursday after being out since April 24.

• Los Angeles 1B-DH Albert Pujols is tied with Ted Williams for 18th in major league history with 1,798 runs scored.