For Angels’ Kendrick, there’s no place like home

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Angels have a number of players with Florida ties, including catchers Jeff Mathis, a two-sport high school star in the Florida panhandle, and Bobby Wilson, who was born and raised in the metropolitan Tampa area.

But no one was more eager to return home than second baseman Howie Kendrick, who hails from Jacksonville. That’s because Kendrick ranks first all-time against Rays opponents with a .440 average, a .491 on-base percentage and .710 slugging percentage. And he’s hitting a team-best .364 against Friday’s starter, All-Star lefty David Price.

Not so successful against the Rays has been Friday’s Angel starter Ervin Santana. Winless on the season, the right-hander is 1-4 with a 7.36 ERA in seven career starts at Tropicana Field. His problems this season have mainly come in the later innings. He has a 2.25 ERA and a .214 batting average against in the first four innings this April but those figures balloon to 10.66 and .383 from the fifth inning on.

RELATED:

Angels’ Bourjos first again at last

Takahashi and Matsui give Japanese reporters good local angle

-- Kevin Baxter in St. Petersburg, Fla.