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Angels try to keep postseason hopes alive against Oakland

Sep 23, 2011 - 3:17 PM (Sports Network) - The LA Angels of Anaheim are counting on Jered Weaver to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when he takes the ball tonight in the opener of a three-game series versus the Oakland Athletics at the Big A.

The Angels are three games behind Boston for the American League wild card lead, but Tampa Bay is sandwiched in between at two games off the final postseason berth in the Junior Circuit. Anaheim also sits five games in back of Texas in the AL West and the Rangers can wrap up their second straight division title with a win and an Angels loss tonight.

Weaver will try to make sure that doesn't happen and has won two straight and four of six starts, including Sunday's 11-2 victory at Baltimore. The right- hander held the Orioles to a pair of runs in six innings to run his season record to 18-7 with a 2.41 earned run average over 32 starts. Weaver is 8-1 in 14 home starts this season and will face Oakland for the fifth time this season. He is 3-0 over the initial four encounters.

In 19 career starts against the Athletics, Weaver is 6-6 with a 2.90 ERA.

The Angels split a four-game set at Toronto and are coming off Thursday's 4-3 loss in 12 innings. Angels reliever Garrett Richards surrendered the game- winner to Edwin Encarnacion, who smacked a 3-2 offering for his 17th homer of the year.

Ervin Santana started for Anaheim worked six-plus innings of two-run ball in the no-decision. He scattered six hits while walking five and fanning five. Alberto Callaspo homered in a losing cause.

Oakland put the brakes on a three-game losing streak with Thursday's 4-3 win over the Rangers, as Jemile Weeks had three hits, including his first career home run, and scored the winning run in the eighth to lead the way.

"Every day I got something said about me or somebody telling me something every day about the home run deal, but it's all in fun and I took it all in fun," said Weeks who needed 376 at-bats to hit his first home run. "They definitely gave me the silent treatment when I came in (dugout)."

Reliever Grant Balfour worked a 1-2-3 eighth to pick up the win for the A's, who had lost six of their past eight contests. Andrew Bailey saved his 21st game of the year by retiring the Rangers in order in the ninth.

Trevor Cahill started the game for Oakland and lasted 6 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on 10 hits and one walk in the no-decision.

Gio Gonzalez will take the mound for Oakland tonight and is 14-12 with a 3.33 ERA in 30 starts this season. He has won two straight and five of six starts, and defeated Detroit in Sunday's 5-3 decision. Gonzalez held the Tigers to a run in seven innings of work. The lefty is 3-1 in four starts against the Angels this season and 6-2 with a 2.72 ERA in nine lifetime matchups in this series.

Oakland is 9-7 against the Angels this season.