Los Angeles Angels Probable Pitchers & Starting Lineup vs. San Francisco Giants, August 9

The Los Angeles Angels finally found a way to win a game last night, defeating the Giants 7-5. Brandon Drury had a big night offensively, Lucas Giolito pitched well, and Dominic Leone finished off a two-inning save to snap the Halos' seven-game skid. Now they'll try to get back to .500 by winning their second in a row and the series against the Giants tonight.

Probable starting pitchers

Shohei Ohtani began this homestand on the mound and got through four scoreless innings against the Mariners before leaving the game prematurely (as a pitcher) due to discomfort in his right hand and fingers. His start was not skipped or pushed back, and he's back six days later to take the ball for the Halos. He's made one start against the Giants in his career and he allowed one run in six innings with nine strikeouts in an Angels loss in the 2021 season.

The Giants will counter with another opener with right-hander Ryan Walker starting for San Francisco. The Giants used an opener last night and he allowed all three batters he faced to reach base. The Angels wound up scoring four runs in the first inning. Walker will be making his eighth start of the season, with his last start coming at the end of July when he delivered 2.2 scoreless frames against the Red Sox. Walker has a 2.52 ERA in 28 appearances overall this season, and he's allowed four runs in 12 innings as a starter.

Los Angeles Angels starting lineup

1. Luis Rengifo - SS
2. Shohei Ohtani - DH
3. Brandon Drury - 2B
4. Mike Moustakas - 3B
5. C.J. Cron - 1B
6. Mickey Moniak - CF
7. Hunter Renfroe - RF
8. Matt Thaiss - C
9. Randal Grichuk - LF

San Francisco Giants starting lineup

1. Lamonte Wade Jr. - DH
2. Thairo Estrada - 2B
3. Wilmer Flores - 1B
4. Joc Pederson - LF
5. J.D. Davis - 3B
6. Michael Conforto - RF
7. Patrick Bailey - C
8. Brandon Crawford - SS
9. Luis Matos - CF

Which LA Angels player needs to bounce back today?

The Angels had a good offensive night, but Randal Grichuk did not. The outfielder went hitless in four at-bats and he now has seven hits in 34 at-bats as an Angel (.206 average). The Halos acquired Grichuk for his bat, so hopefully tonight's game can be the start of something special for him offensively.

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

Shohei Ohtani will be counted on for more than his bat tonight as he's taking the mound for the Angels. Most of the time when Ohtani pitches you can rely on him for length, but outside of the Detroit masterpiece, he's had trouble giving consistent length on the mound. He was pitching extremely well last time out before having to depart prematurely as a pitcher. We know what he's capable of doing, but with the Angels bullpen completely taxed, they can really use six or seven strong innings from Ohtani tonight. If he can limit the bullpen usage, I think the Angels have a real shot.