By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Monday, June 6, 2011
Rays at Angels
When/where: 10:05 tonight; Angel Stadium, Anaheim
TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)
Starting pitchers
RAYS: RH Alex Cobb (0-0, 5.91)
ANGELS: RH Dan Haren (5-3, 2.29)
Watch for …
Tip of the day: Cobb struggled vs. the Angels in his big-league debut May 1 (4 R, 41/3 IP) as he was tipping his pitches, but he has made some adjustments and corrections since and had a better start vs. Texas last week.
The Dan band: Haren was scratched from his Saturday start due to back spasms but felt better in a bullpen session and workout Sunday. He is 6-2, 2.57 in 10 games against the Rays, including 2-0, 2.17 in his past three.
Key matchups
Rays vs. Haren
Johnny Damon 6-for-24
Casey Kotchman 7-for-30
B.J. Upton 8-for-23, 3 HRs
Angels vs. Cobb
Bobby Abreu 2-for-3
Alberto Callaspo 0-for-2
Hank Conger 1-for-2, HR
On deck
Wednesday: at Angels, 10:05, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (5-4, 2.77); Angels — Jered Weaver (7-4, 2.14)
Thursday: Off
Friday: at Orioles, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (7-3, 2.64); O's — TBA
Saturday: at Orioles, 7:05, Sun Sports. Rays — David Price (6-5, 3.52); O's — TBA
Star turn of the day
OF Matt Joyce was the center of attention before the game, posing for a photo shoot to accompany an upcoming story in ESPN The Magazine, working with a crew of a half-dozen. "It was a cool experience," Joyce said. "Definitely the first time I did anything like that. It was fun. You just feel honored."
Bounceback of the day
LHP J.P. Howell, right, said he was still troubled by Sunday's rough outing when he went to bed but was over it by Monday morning. "You wake up, you start moving around and you say, 'Okay, there is life after this. I got today,' " Howell said. "That one for me lasted a little longer. … But when I woke up, I didn't feel even close to how bad I felt when I went to bed."