The Angels emerge from the All-Star break with a six game lead above the A’s in the West, which is the biggest lead of any MLB division leader. They open the second half with a three-game series with the first-place Red Sox beginning Friday.
So it’s the best of the west versus the best of the east for this weekend series. The last time the Red Sox came to Anaheim was last year when they swept the Angels out of the playoffs. The Angels won 2 of 3 at Fenway back in April. On Friday, John Lackey will take the mound and face Clay Buchholz. Lackey is 6-2 but is coming off a rough outing, giving up 6 earned runs in 5 2/3. Buchholz is 2-4, having a low record after being pulled from Boston’s starting rotation for the past two months. Lackey is 1-6 in his last 11 starts against the Angels and Buchholz is 1-0 against the Angels, the win coming in his first big league appearance.
