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Red Sox-Angels Preview

May 11, 2009 - 10:19 PM By MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer

Boston (20-12) at Los Angeles (16-14), 10:05 p.m. EDT

Despite dealing with injuries to many of their top pitchers and hitters, the Los Angeles Angels and the Boston Red Sox are both on the brink of first place.

The red-hot Angels will be looking for a fifth straight win when the Red Sox open their final West Coast trip of the year Tuesday night in Anaheim.

Boston (20-12) may be without two of its biggest bats, as Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia both recover from injuries. Youkilis has not played since last Monday due to tightness in his left side, while Pedroia left Sunday night's 4-3 win over Tampa Bay with a groin strain.

Angels starting pitchers John Lackey and Ervin Santana also are on their way back from injuries, and Los Angeles is still playing without slugger Vladimir Guerrero. But the Angels (16-14) have still won seven of eight to move within one-half game of first-place Texas in the AL West.

They've allowed five total runs during their four-game winning streak, which started Thursday with a three-hitter from Jered Weaver in a 6-1 win over Toronto. Weaver (3-1, 2.66 ERA), whose ERA and .209 opponent batting average both rank among the top five in the AL, struck out eight and walked none en route to his first career complete game.

"You just go out and take every game the same," said Weaver, who allowed one unearned run and four hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-3 win over Boston on April 10. "Just locate pitches. Don't try to outdo yourself and try to do too much."

After Weaver beat Toronto, the Angels swept three games from Kansas City over the weekend despite scoring nine runs in the series. They managed five hits in Sunday's 4-3, come-from-behind win.

Los Angeles' bullpen pitched 5 1-3 shutout innings in that game to lower its ERA to 6.75 - still the worst in the majors.

The Red Sox's relievers rank fourth with a 3.29 ERA, helping save a starting rotation that has seen Josh Beckett and Jon Lester struggle while Daisuke Matsuzaka (arm fatigue) and offseason acquisition John Smoltz (shoulder surgery) remain sidelined.

Boston has won five of seven and is within one game of Toronto for the AL East lead.

Highly touted Red Sox reliever Daniel Bard could make his major league debut in this series after he was recalled from the minors Sunday.

Justin Masterson (2-2, 5.28) has been filling in for Matsuzaka, but after allowing two total runs while winning his first two starts, he has given up six runs in each of his last two and lost both.

He allowed a career-worst eight hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 9-2 loss to Cleveland on Wednesday.

Boston's offense, which ranks second in the majors with 185 runs, has often picked up the slack, and the Red Sox have continued to produce even without Youkilis for the last week. They've won three of four overall, scoring 29 runs.

"It's been tough but we're finding ways to win games," Pedroia told the Red Sox's official Web site. "That's the biggest thing. A lot of guys have stepped up and will continue to do that."

Jason Bay doubled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning Sunday. The Canadian is 11 for 29 with four homers and 14 RBIs in the last seven games, and he is second in the majors with 34 RBIs this season.

Bay homered twice and drove in five runs in two games in Anaheim last October, helping the Red Sox eliminate the Angels in the division series for the second straight year. But Boston dropped two of three there April 10-12 after going 1-8 against Los Angeles in the 2008 regular season.