26Jun/093:23 PM

Angels visit Chase for Interleague series

By Vince Marotta

D-Backs’ outfielder Eric Byrnes reacts after being hit by a pitch in the first inning of Thursday night’s 9-8 loss to the Texas Rangers. Byrnes is expected to miss four to eight weeks of action.

After losing yet another home series at Chase Field, the Arizona Diamondbacks will entertain the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this weekend, starting with tonight’s game scheduled for a 6:40 start.

The Angels come in to the 3-game set with a 38-32 record, and trail the Texas Rangers by only 1/2 game in the American League standings. More impressively, the Angels have feasted on the NL West in Interleague play, going 11-4 to this point, including taking 2 of 3 from the red-hot Colorado Rockies earlier this week.

The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, are still floundering after Thursday night’s 9-8 12-inning loss to the Rangers which sank Arizona to 30-43 on the year, 17 games behind the division-leading Dodgers.

The D-Backs got more bad news on the injury front last night as well when they learned that left fielder Eric Byrnes will miss 4 to 8 weeks with a broken hand. Byrnes was hit by a pitch in the first inning of Thursday’s game by Texas starter Scott Feldman. It was expected that Alex Romero would be called up from Triple-A Reno to take Byrnes’ spot on the roster.

Center fielder Chris Young is in tonight’s lineup for manager A.J. Hinch. Young has not been in the lineup since last Thursday’s win over Kansas City. He’s been bothered by a groin injury.

Here tonight’s lineups for the Diamondbacks and Angels.

Arizona Diamondbacks (30-43)

1. 2 Felipe Lopez - 2B
2. 6 Stephen Drew - SS
3. 10 Justin Upton - RF
4. 27 Mark Reynolds - 3B
5. 9 Gerardo Parra - LF
6. 24 Chris Young - CF
7. 31 Tony Clark - 1B
8. 38 Luke Carlin - C
9. 33 Billy Buckner - P