Two pitchers in need of a win will take the mound when Patrick Sandoval and the visiting Los Angeles Angels duel Keaton Winn and the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon. The Angels took the first game of the series when Tyler Anderson pitched into the sixth inning and Zach Neto hit a home run in an 8-6 win Friday night. Sandoval (2-8, 5.23 ERA) would welcome a similar offensive output as he attempts to win for the first time since May 7. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 5.67 ERA in his past six starts. He was roughed up at home by the Houston Astros in his most recent outing, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings in the Angels' 9-7 win on Sunday. Sandoval had pitched well in his previous two starts, against the New York Yankees and San Diego Padres, crediting a new sweeper for potentially turning around his season. "It grades out well," he said. "It's my best pitch immediately based on the profile." The 27-year-old has faced the Giants just twice in his career, going 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA. His only previous visit to San Francisco saw him give up five runs in four innings during a 7-2 loss on Aug. 19, 2020. A return to the San Francisco Bay Area means another matchup with former American League West rival Matt Chapman. Sandoval has dominated the former Oakland Athletics star, limiting him to 1-for-10 with four strikeouts. Chapman was 0-for-4 with a walk in San Francisco's Friday loss. The Giants went with a bullpen game in the series opener, and now they will turn to Winn (3-7, 6.94 ERA) in the hopes of evening the series. The right-hander has lost each of his past four starts, allowing 24 runs in just 12 2/3 innings for an ERA of 17.05. He began the season with three wins in six starts, sporting a 3.18 ERA over that stretch. Winn's latest outing -- a 7-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Sunday -- was his first in almost a month as he dealt with a strained right forearm. His return was marred after he hit Marcus Semien in the head with his first pitch of the game. "It definitely rattled me a little bit," said Winn, who gave up three runs in the inning, then two more in the second. "Anytime you do something that you don't mean to do like that, especially hit a guy in the head, it kind of shook me a little bit. It just comes down to execution, I guess." The 26-year-old has never faced the Angels in his two-year career. He has gone head-to-head with four other American League teams without any success, producing an 0-4 record with a 6.52 ERA against the Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. Someone Winn will have to solve is Neto, whose homer Friday was his ninth of the season, matching the total from his rookie season in 2023. Neto enters the Saturday game on a three-game hitting streak during which he has gone 5-for-13 with two doubles, two homers, four RBIs and four runs. --Field Level Media
Jun 9, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Patrick Sandoval (43) pitches during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports