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Angels aim for three-game sweep of A's

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels try for a three-game sweep of Oakland Athletics on Thursday with both starters working on extended rest.

In a faceoff between right-handers, the Angels' Ricky Nolasco (1-2, 4.76 ERA) will oppose the Athletics' Kendall Graveman (2-0, 2.00 ERA).

The Angels, concerned about Nolasco's mechanics after the veteran allowed seven home runs in his first 22 2/3 innings, passed him in the rotation so he could work out the kinks in his delivery.

Nolasco has one of baseball's best walks-per-inning rates -- he hasn't walked a batter in his last 12 innings -- but the journeyman has always been troubled by the home run. The seven he has allowed are tied for the most in the American League. He came to the Angels on Aug. 1, 2016, in a trade that sent All-Star left-hander Hector Santiago to the Twins.

The Twins were looking to move Nolasco and willing to pay the remainder of his 2016 salary and almost half of his earnings in 2017.

Nolasco, the Opening Day starter for the Angels mostly because of injury concerns with the others in the rotation, never produced with the Twins, who gave him the biggest free agent contract in team history at $49 million over four years.

He had a 5.38 ERA in 2014, missed much of 2015 with an ankle injury, and had a 5.13 ERA when they sent him to Anaheim last season.

"I think I pitched better than the numbers say, but it is what it is," Nolasco said at the time of the trade, adding that the cold weather was a turnoff for a kid raised in Southern California. "I understand what happened. I'm not focusing on that anymore."

Nolasco last pitched April 18, when he earned his first win of the season with six innings of two-run ball in a 5-2 decision at Houston. He told the Orange County Register that the lengthy layoff was designed to all him to "clean up a couple things" with his delivery.

Graveman will be coming off the 10-day disabled list to start Thursday. He strained his right arm after his last start on April 14, and the A's chose to be careful with the 26-year-old, a key piece of the November 2014 trade that sent third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays.

"I had a good bullpen (session) Monday," Graveman told the San Jose Mercury News. "Everything checked out. I'm right where I want to be. There may be a little bit of a restriction (pitch limit) the first time back, but I feel great, think I'm on track."

A's manager Bob Melvin said, "It's nice to get some guys off the DL as opposed to adding guys on the list."

Oakland has had nine players on the disabled list this season, and their Wednesday starting pitcher, left-hander Sean Manaea, lasted just two innings, exiting with stiffness atop his pitching shoulder.

Graveman was the opposing starter against Nolasco on Opening Day, when the A's prevailed 4-2. Graveman tossed six innings of two-run ball, while Nolasco yielded three runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Oakland next heads to Houston for a three-game series, while Los Angeles hits the road for a three-game set at Texas.

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