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Jul 3, 2010 - 4:41 AM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Oakland (39-41) at Cleveland (31-47), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Playing well against some of the weakest teams in the majors is paying off for the Oakland Athletics.

They'll look to get to back to .500 for the first time in more than two weeks Saturday night when they continue a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians.

The Athletics (40-41) will try to clinch a third straight series after beating the Indians (31-48) 3-0 in Friday night's opener for their sixth win in seven games.

Oakland began this surge with a three-game sweep of NL-worst Pittsburgh before taking took two of three at major league-worst Baltimore. Although Cleveland entered this series with a season-high five-game win streak, the Indians owns the second-worst record in the AL.

Gio Gonzalez keyed Friday's win, giving up five hits in 6 2-3 innings to lower the rotation's ERA over the last seven games to 1.99.

"I was just trying to keep my team in the game," Gonzalez said. "They had won, what five or six games in a row. You have to give respect to a team like that. They have a good hitting team and it is just one of those breaks."

Oakland, which hasn't been .500 since it was 33-33 on June 15, has won eight of nine against Cleveland.

Returning to the break-even mark could be a little easier if Cleveland is without right fielder Shin-Soo Choo, who left Friday's game with a right hand injury sustained diving for a ball in the eighth. Choo leads the team with 13 homers and 43 RBIs.

Not having to deal with Choo probably wouldn't bother Clayton Mortensen, who is scheduled to make his first start of the season Saturday for Oakland.

Acquired in the trade that sent outfielder Matt Holliday to St. Louis last July, Mortensen will be called up from Triple-A Sacramento to start in place of the injured Dallas Braden, who is likely headed to the disabled list due to elbow tightness. Mortensen was scheduled to start Thursday, but was held back in case Braden was unable to pitch.

The 25-year-old right-hander was 10-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 15 starts at Sacramento. He led the Pacific Coast League in wins, was is second in innings (98) and third in strikeouts (77).

Mortensen is 2-4 with a 7.63 ERA in seven major league appearances, all coming last season. He gave up two runs in five innings of a 5-2 win over the Indians on Sept. 17.

The Indians will hand the ball to Jake Westbrook (5-4, 4.69), who is coming off one of his best starts of the season after he pitched six innings against Toronto on Monday, giving up one run in a 2-1 victory.

Westbrook had allowed four or more runs in five of his previous seven starts.

The right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits over five innings in a 10-0 loss at Oakland on April 23. He had won five straight decisions against them.

Coco Crisp is 8 for 12 against Westbrook. The former Indian went 0 for 5 Friday after batting .407 with six RBIs and six extra-base hits in seven games since returning from the disabled list with a strained rib cage.