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Angels-Rangers Preview

Jun 29, 2009 - 4:41 AM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Los Angeles (40-32) at Texas (40-33), 8:05 p.m. EDT

After the Los Angeles Angels were swept at Rangers Ballpark last month, the two-time defending AL West champions said it was too early for any statements in the division race.

Perhaps the Angels are making theirs now.

Los Angeles is back in first place and riding a five-game winning streak entering its second series against the Texas Rangers, but there is still little space separating the teams as they begin a three-game set in Arlington on Monday night.

The Rangers led the West by 4 1/2 games over Los Angeles after completing their three-game sweep on May 17, but the Angels - sorely weakened by injuries to start the year - didn't seem too troubled.

"It's early in the season," right-hander Jered Weaver said at the time. "It isn't time for statements yet."

With 12 wins in their last 15 games, the Angels (41-32) have been the ones speaking loudest lately. They finished with the best interleague record in the majors, going 14-4 and winning their last six road games to take a 1 1/2-game lead on the struggling Rangers (40-34).

While Texas' offense has faltered as the team has dropped seven of 10, Los Angeles' lineup has sparked its current run, with the club tallying 11 or more runs three times during its five-game winning streak.

The Angels finished a three-game sweep of Arizona with a 12-8 victory Sunday, as Gary Matthews Jr. drove in three runs and stole home.

"I think the bottom line is you have to play good baseball," manager Mike Scioscia said. "... We haven't won these games because we're playing National League clubs. We've won them because we've happened to play good baseball at the time."

They haven't been as good against division rivals, going 9-12. They dropped more games that one weekend in Arlington than they did in nine visits last year, when they went 7-2 at Texas.

Texas' Vicente Padilla (6-3, 4.48 ERA) won the middle game of that series, allowing three runs and 10 hits in eight innings of a 5-3 victory. The right-hander has been sharp lately, going 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts.

He outpitched Arizona's Dan Haren on Wednesday, leading the Rangers to a 2-1 win with seven strong innings.

"He was up for the challenge," Rangers manager Ron Washington told his team's official Web site. "Every time he has been going out there, he has been getting better."

Texas' offense has been getting worse. The Rangers easily led the majors in runs a year ago, but with slugger Josh Hamilton still on the disabled list following abdominal surgery, they've been held to two or fewer runs in five of their last eight games.

A single by Michael Young was their only hit in a 2-0 home loss to San Diego on Sunday night, when they struck out 10 times. Texas batters have an AL-worst 599 strikeouts.

"Throw this night in with all the others," outfielder David Murphy said. "It's a frustrating one. Hopefully, we can forget it as soon as possible."

They'll be getting their first look at 21-year-old rookie Sean O'Sullivan in the right-hander's third major league start.

O'Sullivan (1-0, 3.00) beat San Francisco with seven strong innings in his debut June 16, but he wasn't quite as sharp Tuesday, allowing three runs on two homers in five-plus innings against Colorado.

The Angels still won that game 4-3, another victory that has come in spite of a makeshift rotation with Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar still on the DL. Sunday's victory came after a poor outing by Matt Palmer, a 30-year-old rookie whose 5.16 ERA has not prevented him from going 7-1.