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Angels can clinch AL West Division

Sep 9, 2008 - 2:33 PM NY Yankees (76-68) at LA Angels (87-56), 10:05 pm EDT

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hope to clinch their second consecutive American League West Division title Tuesday night when they host the fading New York Yankees.

Anaheim enters the contest with a comfortable 17 1/2-game lead over the Texas Rangers (70-74) in the AL West standings.

If Anaheim beats New York and Texas loses at Seattle, the Angels would secure their fourth division title in the last five years and their fifth overall under manager Mike Scioscia, who guided the franchise to its only World Series championship in 2002.

Anaheim originally was slated to start Jered Weaver on Tuesday night. But the righthander has been scratched because of cuts on the middle and ring fingers on his right hand.

Therefore, the Angels will give the ball to All-Star Ervin Santana (15-5, 3.23 ERA), who has been nothing short of brilliant in his past four outings. Over that stretch, the 25-year-old righthander is 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA.

Santana has held opponents to three runs or less in eight of his last 10 starts - including a gem against the Yankees on August 1. In that 1-0 victory, he held New York to five hits over eight frames while striking out eight.

The Yankees, who trail the Boston Red Sox by 9 1/2 games for the AL wild card, counter with rookie Alfredo Aceves (0-0, 1.29), who will be making his first career start. The righthander has worked seven impressive relief innings since being promoted from the minors on August 28.

Aceves, who replaces Darrell Rasner in New York's rotation, gave up one run and five hits in five innings of an extended relief appearance against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday.

Aceves will look to cool off an Angels lineup that erupted for a 12-1 victory in Monday's series opener.

Vladimir Guerrero, Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez all homered in support of starter Jon Garland as the Angels posted their 12th win in the last 17 games against the Yankees. The 11-run margin of victory was Anaheim's biggest over New York since it won 14-3 on August 31, 1996.

New York catcher Ivan Rodriguez and Angels center fielder Torii Hunter were ejected from the game after a bench-clearing incident in the sixth inning, sparked following a minor collision between the pair at home plate.