Brewers, Angels heading in opposite directions as trade deadline looms

Two teams at the opposite end of the baseball spectrum face off when the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers open a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.

The Brewers entered Thursday's action 26 games over .500 and just one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the best record in baseball. The Angels, meanwhile, are 25 games under .500 and tied with the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in the majors.

Some of the best action figures to come off the field. Both teams are expected to be very active participants heading into Monday's trade deadline.

Milwaukee is one of a handful of teams that has been mentioned as a strong contender for back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers. The Angels already have shown they will be prime sellers. Starting pitchers Reid Detmers and Jose Soriano and shortstop Zach Neto are among the players attracting the most attention.

Los Angeles, loser of six of its last seven games, got a head start on the trade front just minutes before a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Wednesday night when they sent catcher Logan O'Hoppe and right-handed reliever Chase Silseth to the Texas Rangers for third base prospect Angel Arredondo, 19, now a Single-A shortstop.

"As we enter this trading period, one of the things we are focused on is understanding change," Los Angeles interim general manager John Mozeliak said. "Clearly, where the Angels are right now, we need to do some things differently."

Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said after the team's third consecutive loss that trades are "part of the game."

"I've been there as a player," Suzuki said. "I've been through these things multiple times. The thing is the relationships you build with these guys and then, when they go to another team, that's the hard part of it. There's that human element that goes into it, but I understand. It's part of the game."

The Angels activated veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud, out since May 6 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, from the 60-day injured list to take O'Hoppe's spot on the roster.

Rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-5, 7.34 ERA), who has never faced the Brewers, will make his ninth career start for the Angels and will be opposed by rookie left-hander Shane Drohan (5-4, 3.51).

Drohan, who has never faced the Angels, has lost two of his last three starts and comes in off a 5-2 home setback to Colorado on July 24, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks with six strikeouts over six innings.

Milwaukee started its six-game California road trip by dropping two of three games at San Francisco, including an ugly 16-3 loss on Wednesday. The Brewers actually trailed that contest only 3-2 going into the sixth inning when the Giants exploded for seven runs highlighted by a two-run double by Jung Hoo Lee.

Brewers pitchers combined to walk seven batters and the team also committed three errors in the sloppy loss.

"We didn't play defense. We gave up too many free bases," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said.

One bright spot for the Brewers was first baseman Jake Bauers who, despite playing with a broken right big toe, went 2-for-5 and also legged out a triple.