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Indians-Angels Preview

Apr 27, 2010 - 7:13 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Cleveland (8-11) at Los Angeles (11-10), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Joe Saunders has the second-most victories among AL pitchers over the last two seasons. That hasn't translated to success in 2010.

Coming off his worst start of the season, Saunders gets the ball Tuesday when the Los Angeles Angels look to clinch their fourth straight series win at home against the Cleveland Indians.

After posting a career-high 17 victories in 2008, Saunders went 16-7 with a 4.60 ERA last season. Only former Toronto ace Roy Halladay had more wins (37) in the AL over the last two seasons than the Angels' left-hander.

Saunders (1-3, 5.82 ERA), though, will try to bounce back from his shortest start since Aug. 7, a 2 2/3-inning effort in Thursday's 5-4 loss to Detroit. He gave up five runs and six hits during his 59-pitch outing.

"Joe didn't have his game out there," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "He struggled early. He threw more balls than strikes, and that's uncharacteristic of Joe."

Saunders, who is one win shy of 50, is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in five starts against Cleveland.

He could improve that mark if the Angels (11-10) can build off Monday's season-high 15-hit performance. The top third of Los Angeles' order - Erick Aybar, Bobby Abreu and Torii Hunter - went a combined 6 for 12 with four runs, three RBIs and two walks. Aybar hit his first career leadoff home run and Abreu homered for the second straight game.

Abreu is batting .462 (12 for 26) during a seven-game hitting streak.

After going 3 for 12 against his former New York Yankees teammates over the weekend, Angels designated hitter Hideki Matsui had a fifth-inning single for his 1,000th career major league hit. He had 1,390 hits during a 10-year career in Japan before signing with the Yankees in 2003.

Matsui, who needs three RBIs to reach 1,500 as a professional, also struck out for the 500th time in his major league career Monday.

Indians hitters struck out 13 times as their slump at the plate continued. Cleveland (8-11) is averaging 2.4 runs and batting .229 while dropping five of seven on its trip.

"We had our chances with the right guys up, but we're not swinging the bats very well right now and we couldn't get it done," manager Manny Acta said after his team went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

Shin-Soo Choo and Austin Kearns, however, have been getting it done. Choo will go for his fourth straight multihit game while Kearns is batting a team-best .368. His leadoff shot in the eighth inning Monday was his first homer with the Indians.

Mitch Talbot (2-1, 2.25) takes the ball for Cleveland and will try to snap the team's three-game slide in Anaheim. The 26-year-old right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in his last two starts after allowing an unearned run in six innings of two-hit ball in Thursday's 8-1 win at Minnesota.

"He knows he's not on a tryout basis here and that he belongs up here and belongs in our rotation," Acta said. "He looks more comfortable out there."

Talbot has never faced the Angels.

Los Angeles has won three straight series at home against Cleveland since splitting a four-game set Sept. 6-9, 2007.