Los Angeles Angels Probable Pitchers & Starting Lineup vs. San Diego Padres, July 5

Los Angeles Angels Probable Pitchers & Starting Lineup vs. San Diego Padres, July 5

The Los Angeles Angels will look to get back on track tonight and find a way to win the finale of what's been a brutal series against the San Diego Padres. The Angels have lost each of the first two games of this series and have lost six of their last seven overall. They're going to have to rely on other players to replace their injured stars.

Probable starting pitchers

Patrick Sandoval continues to be an incredibly frustrating pitcher for Angels fans to watch. You see the talent, but he has these big innings against him that he can't seem to avoid. Last time out it was a six-run third that did him in. The Angels had a 4-1 lead and he allowed the White Sox to score six to take the lead which they wouldn't relinquish. He allowed seven runs in five innings overall. The Angels will need much better than that from him tonight if they want a win.

The Padres will counter with right-hander Seth Lugo. The former Met reliever was an Angels free agent target to potentially help out in their rotation, but Lugo settled on a deal with San Diego and it's paid off handsomely for A.J. Preller thus far. Lugo has a 3.59 ERA in his 11 starts, allowing three runs or fewer in nine of the 11. He allowed just one unearned run in six innings against a red-hot Cincinnati Reds team his last time out.

Los Angeles Angels starting lineup

1. Mickey Moniak - CF
2. Eduardo Escobar - 3B
3. Shohei Ohtani - DH
4. Jo Adell - LF
5. Mike Moustakas - 1B
6. Hunter Renfroe - RF
7. Matt Thaiss - C
8. Luis Rengifo - 2B
9. Andrew Velazquez - SS

San Diego Padres starting lineup

1. Ha-Seong Kim - SS
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. - RF
3. Juan Soto - LF
4. Manny Machado - 3B
5. Xander Bogaerts - DH
6. Jake Cronenworth - 2B
7. Gary Sanchez - C
8. Brandon Dixon - 1B
9. Trent Grisham - CF

Which LA Angels player needs to bounce back today?

Mike Moustakas did find his way on base thanks to a hit by pitch, but he went hitless in his three other plate appearances last night. After a good first couple of games, he's in a bit of a slump, recording three hits in his last 18 at-bats. A breakout tonight would be nice to see.

Which LA Angels player will be the X-factor in today's game?

Jo Adell tripled in his only at-bat last night, giving him two hits in four at-bats at the MLB level this season. The other was a tape-measure home run. Adell is hitting cleanup with a lot of the firepower missing from this lineup. He has to be a hitter pitchers fear, because there's a good chance they'll just pitch around Shohei Ohtani until Jo Adell beats them. Adell has to make them pay if and when this happens for the Angels to score runs tonight.