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Angels-Indians Preview

Aug 19, 2009 - 5:09 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Los Angeles (71-45) at Cleveland (51-66), 7:05 p.m. EDT

With .300 hitter after .300 hitter in the batting order, there are no easy outs in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup.

The high-powered Angels look to continue their torrid hitting and win their fifth straight when they play the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night at Progressive Field.

AL West-leading Los Angeles (72-45) jumped on Cleveland early in Tuesday's series opener, scoring all its runs in the first three innings en route to a 5-4 victory. The Angels have scored 65 runs while batting .338 in their last eight games, winning seven.

While top run producers Bobby Abreu and Kendry Morales are two of the most feared hitters for a Los Angeles team that leads the majors in runs (679) and batting average (.291), every batter in the lineup is a threat to get on base.

Catcher Mike Napoli singled twice Tuesday to raise his average to .300, meaning all nine hitters in the starting lineup are hitting at least .300.

"I don't think I've ever seen that, especially in August," said center fielder Torii Hunter, who finished with two hits to raise his average to .307.

Vladimir Guerrero, batting .313 after three hits, has hit safely in all 13 games he has played since coming off the disabled list Aug. 4. He is batting .392 with six home runs and 10 RBIs in that span.

Jered Weaver (12-4, 4.12 ERA), who takes the hill Wednesday for Los Angeles, is fully aware of the club's potent lineup.

Weaver is the recipient of the majors' third-best run support average (6.65), but even the Angels couldn't keep up with all the runs he was surrendering last time out.

The right-hander was tagged for a career high-tying eight runs and nine hits while walking four in a season-low 3 1-3 innings of a 16-6 loss to Baltimore on Friday. It was his first defeat in 10 starts since losing 6-4 on June 20 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I was moving in the right direction," Weaver told the Angels' official Web site. "To have a little bump in the road was disappointing. I'll move on, focus on the Indians."

In Weaver's only start of the season against Cleveland on July 28, he didn't receive a decision after permitting four runs and eight hits in five innings of a 7-6 win. Weaver, one win shy of matching his career high set in 2007, hasn't defeated the Indians since June 2, 2006, a span of seven starts.

Cleveland, which scored 14 runs in winning its previous two games, had several scoring chances Tuesday but left nine runners on base. Travis Hafner stranded seven.

"We just left too many people out there," manager Eric Wedge said. "We had multiple opportunities to tie it or take the lead, but we just didn't come through."

Wedge now gives the ball to Jeremy Sowers (4-8, 4.88), who in his fourth start since being recalled from Triple-A Columbus gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of Thursday's 4-1 loss to Texas. The left-hander was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his previous three outings.