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Indians-Angels Preview

Jul 27, 2009 - 8:25 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Cleveland (41-58) at Los Angeles (58-39), 10:05 p.m. EDT

The last time the Los Angeles Angels were shut down, they responded in a big way.

They'll try to recover from having their eight-game winning streak snapped when they start a three-game series Monday night against the Cleveland Indians.

Los Angeles (58-39) saw its longest win streak of the season end with a 10-1 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. The Angels scored a total of 50 runs over their previous six games.

That six-game output came after a 1-0 win at Oakland on July 19, and the Angels believe the five-hit performance Sunday is an aberration.

"I wouldn't worry about it," catcher Mike Napoli told the Angels' official Web site. "We got one run in Oakland the other day and came back with 10 the next game."

The Angels are second in the majors in runs with 533 while Cleveland (41-58) owns the worst ERA in baseball at 5.21.

Los Angeles features the majors' hottest hitter in July in shortstop Erick Aybar, who is batting .446 (33 for 74) this month. He's 31 for 64 (.484) with 13 runs scored and 16 RBIs in his last 16 games.

The Indians and Angels are meeting for the first time this year. Los Angeles won five of nine matchups last season.

Cleveland enters with a four-game winning streak after hitting four home runs Sunday in a 12-3 win at Seattle. Jhonny Peralta hit a grand slam and Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Ben Francisco also went deep.

Peralta went 7 for 14 with four runs scored and seven RBIs in the three-game series. The Indians hit 11 homers, scored 31 runs and collected 39 hits in that sweep of the Mariners.

"(Peralta's) swings have been very consistent now for a period of time," manager Eric Wedge told the Indians' official Web site. "It doesn't always translate into a grand slam like you saw today, but the bottom lime is his approach is good."

Wedge will miss this contest after he was suspended one game by Major League Baseball on Monday. Indians reliever Winston Abreu received a three-game ban for hitting the Mariners' Jack Hannahan with a pitch in the ninth inning of Cleveland's 10-3 win on Saturday.

Umpires had warned the teams about hitting opposing batters. It's not immediately known if Abreu - who has a 10.50 ERA - will appeal.

Cleveland is scheduled to face its ninth straight left-handed starter Monday in Joe Saunders (8-6, 4.94 ERA). It'll be the first time that has happened to the Indians since 1919.

Saunders looks to snap a five-start winless streak in which he is 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA. He has gone six straight starts without a win only once in his career from Aug. 4-Sept. 2, 2008.

The southpaw gave up six runs over 5 2-3 innings Wednesday in a 9-6 win at Kansas City.

Saunders is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA in four career outings versus Cleveland. Hafner is 0 for 7 with three strikeouts against him.

Indians starter Carl Pavano (8-8, 5.48) will try to bounce back after giving up seven runs over 4 2-3 innings Wednesday in a 10-6 loss at Toronto. Pavano had yielded exactly two runs in his three previous outings, winning the last two.

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.98 ERA in three career starts against the Angels. He has faced Los Angeles outfielder Bobby Abreu more than any other player, and his teammate from the last two-plus seasons with the Yankees is 15 for 47 (.319) versus Pavano.