(My Sportsbook) - Venezuelan right-hander Anthony Ortega will make his major league debut this evening for the injury-ravaged
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the second test of their three-game series with the
Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium.
Ortega is being thrust into action due to a bevy of injuries in the Angels rotation, as Kelvim Escobar, John Lackey, Ervin Santana, Dustin Moseley and Darren Oliver are all sidelined, while the team continues to deal with the tragic death of Nick Adenhart.
The 23-year-old Ortega, who becomes the eighth different starting pitcher for the Angels in 2009, has made three starts this season for Triple-A Salt Lake, going 1-1 with a 9.88 earned run average.
After starting last season in Double-A, Ortega went 5-0 in six starts at Salt Lake with a 2.52 ERA and was named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year in the organization.
Seattle, meanwhile, will hand the ball to veteran righty Carlos Silva, who has done nothing thus far to erase the memories of last season's dreadful 4-15 campaign. Silva was charged with the loss on Sunday against Detroit, as he allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, dropping him to 0-2, while raising his ERA to 6.35.
Silva, though, is 6-2 lifetime against the Angels with a 3.67 ERA in 12 games (11 starts).
The Mariners got another big start from Erik Bedard in the opener of this set on Friday, as the lefty threw 6 2/3 solid innings and Russell Branyan homered in Seattle's 8-3 win.
Branyan, who had missed five games with back spasms, and Adrian Beltre each drove in two runs, while Endy Chavez went 3-for-6 and scored twice. Jose Lopez and Rob Johnson added RBI singles during a six-run fifth inning, as the Mariners won their second in a row.
Bedard (2-1) gave up five hits and three runs -- two earned -- while fanning six. Shawn Kelley threw the final 2 1/3 innings.
Shane Loux (0-2) was charged with 11 hits and seven runs over four-plus innings and was saddled with the loss.
Mike Napoli homered for Los Angeles, which has dropped five of its last seven contests.
Seattle has won three of four from the Angels this season after dropping 14 of the 19 matchups to them last season.
