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Angels-Athletics Preview

Jun 8, 2010 - 6:41 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Los Angeles (32-28) at Oakland (30-29), 10:05 p.m. EDT

With their longest win streak of the season, the Los Angeles Angels have climbed back atop the AL West.

They have a very good chance to stay there if Jered Weaver can repeat his recent efforts against the Oakland Athletics.

The right-hander will try to help Los Angeles to its seventh straight win and seventh in a row in Oakland as the teams continue a four-game series Tuesday night.

After starting this season 4-7, the Angels (32-28) rallied into a first-place tie with the A's (30-29) on April 29, but a seven-game losing streak pushed the three-time defending AL West champions back down the standings.

Los Angeles started to get on track with a three-game home sweep of Oakland in mid-May and have really gotten hot lately, winning 11 of 13. Monday night's 4-2 victory in the series opener pushed the Angels a half-game ahead of second-place Texas and 1 1/2 games better than the A's.

"I think it means a lot, from the way we started and now the roll that we're on," pitcher Scott Kazmir said. "It feels good to be back in first place. We want to stay there."

Bobby Abreu gave Los Angeles the lead for good Monday with a two-run homer in the first inning. The right fielder has hit three of his seven homers this season off Oakland pitchers.

Weaver (5-2, 2.74 ERA) also has flourished against the A's lately. The right-hander has a 1.17 ERA in the past four matchups and won his previous trip to Oakland on Oct. 2, allowing three hits over five scoreless innings in a 5-2 victory. He gave up one run over six innings April 10 against the A's but did not get the decision in a 4-3 win.

Weaver earned his first victory since May 7 on Thursday with seven scoreless innings at Kansas City in a 5-4 win, and he's given up one unearned run over his last 16 innings.

Losers in five of seven this month, the A's will counter with Vin Mazzaro (1-0, 6.08), who is replacing the injured Brett Anderson in the rotation. Anderson was placed on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation after leaving a 9-8 win in Boston on Thursday.

Mazzaro relieved Anderson in that game and earned his first victory since Aug. 12 despite allowing three runs and nine hits in 3 1-3 innings.

Mazzaro was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento for the second time this season May 20 to give some relief to an overworked bullpen.

In his lone start this season, the right-hander lasted only three innings, allowing four runs and walking four in a 7-6 win over Texas on May 4. Mazzaro, who made 17 starts as a rookie for Oakland in 2009, is 0-1 with a 7.88 ERA in two starts versus Los Angeles.

The Angels are on their longest win streak since an eight-game run July 18-25, and their six straight wins in Oakland are their most since taking seven in a row from July 7, 1996-July 13, 1997.