Angels find strength in returning numbers vs. A's

The Los Angeles Angels will play their 84th game of the season Saturday night against the Oakland A's, but it in a way, it's as if the season is just beginning.

The Angels began the season with two major bats on the injured list -- left fielder Justin Upton and designated hitter Shohei Ohtani. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons got hurt in late May and missed five weeks.

All three were in the same lineup for the first time on Thursday before Upton and Simmons had the day off on Friday. All three are expected to start on Saturday when the Angels face A's left-hander Brett Anderson (7-5, 4.26 ERA).

With that trio joining Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Kole Calhoun and Tommy La Stella, the Angels' lineup stacks up well against others in the league.

"We're as deep as I think we've been since I've been here, honestly," said Calhoun, whose 17 homers rank second on the team behind Trout's 22. "One through nine, we have a lot of guys who can do a lot of things. Definitely fun to play with.

"This is what we've been waiting for since spring training. Get Ohtani back, get Upton back. Missing Simmons and get him back. You look up and down, and there are a lot of guys who can do a lot of things to beat you."

Oakland's Anderson, however, has had success against the Angels' top hitters. Trout (2-for-12), Simmons (0-for-12), Pujols (1-for-10), Calhoun (2-for-8) have struggled against him.

In all, Anderson is 3-3 with a 3.19 ERA in 14 games (11 starts) vs. Los Angeles. He beat the Angels in his only start against them this year, giving up only three hits in six shutout innings on March 30. However, he is coming off his worst start of the season on Sunday, when he allowed seven runs and nine hits in three innings against the Tampa Bay Rays.

"I think that might have been the first time this year that he didn't have a whole lot," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Anderson's rare bad game. "You could tell the velocity at the beginning wasn't great, not that he's a velocity guy, but not much sink. Had trouble commanding the breaking ball, and they got him out of there pretty early. Really, his first clunker."

Anderson will be opposed by fellow left-hander Tyler Skaggs (7-6, 4.30 ERA), who leads the Angels' staff in victories. Skaggs has lost his two starts vs. Oakland this season, having given up eight runs (seven earned) in 8 2/3 innings, but he has won each of his past three outings overall.

In a win over Toronto on June 18, Skaggs gave up just one run and three hits in 7 1/3 innings. In his latest start, he threw five scoreless innings in a 6-4 victory over St. Louis on Sunday.

He has not been good against Oakland in his career, going 2-8 with a 5.49 ERA in 12 starts.

Oakland is hoping to have Khris Davis back in the lineup Saturday after he missed the Friday game. Davis, who was hit by a pitch on the left hand on Thursday, is 9-for-21 (.429) with four homers, two doubles and eight RBIs against Skaggs in his career.

--Field Level Media