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Angels hope to stay hot against struggling Indians

Jul 21, 2008 - 1:43 PM Cleveland (43-54) at LA Angels (60-38), 10:05 pm EDT

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim showed why they own the best record in baseball by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the first series of the second half.

All-Star Ervin Santana will look to keep the Angels rolling when he faces the struggling Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set on Monday.

Santana (11-3, 3.34 ERA) has thrown at least seven innings in four of his last five starts and is coming off a dominant outing against the Oakland Athletics in which he struck out 10 in seven scoreless frames.

Casey Kotchman hit a two-run double to cap a three-run rally in the eighth inning of Sunday's 5-3 victory over Boston and Francisco Rodriguez notched his major league-leading 40th save by pitching a perfect ninth.

The Angels outscored the Red Sox, 15-5, in the two wins on Friday and Saturday.

Cleveland, though owning the second-worst record in the American League, is coming off a three-game series win over the lowly Seattle Mariners.

All-Star Game starter Cliff Lee tossed a complete game and became the AL's first 13-game winner by allowing two runs en route to a 6-2 triumph on Sunday.

Paul Byrd (3-10, 5.47) will look to match such production and snap a personal five-game skid.

Grady Sizemore leads the AL in home runs and has 22 stolen bases. Teammate Casey Blake was 4-for-10 with a homer and three RBI in the series against Seattle.