Cleveland @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 10, 2016 ) Cleveland 6, LA Angels 2

The Cleveland Indians are soaring in June and look to fatten up the victory total further when they visit the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Saturday. Cleveland recorded a 6-2 win in Friday's opener of a three-game series to improve to 8-2 this month while handing the Angels their fifth consecutive defeat and seventh in the past nine contests.

Indians starter Corey Kluber allowed just three hits — two by third baseman Yunel Escobar — in a complete-game effort to continue Los Angeles' recent woes. The Angels are a season-worst nine games below .500 and 11 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West. The Indians have allowed just 16 runs in their eight June victories and lead the AL Central by 3 1/2 games over the Chicago White Sox. Second baseman Jason Kipnis had three of Cleveland's 10 hits in the opener to help his club raise its road mark to 17-14.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.88 ERA) vs. Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (3-7, 5.40)

Bauer struck out a season-best 10 in 7 2/3 innings and allowed one run and five hits while beating Seattle in his last turn. The dominating performance halted a four-start winless stretch for Bauer, who has given up just nine hits over his past two outings. Bauer has a 2.45 ERA while winning both his career starts against the Angels and has had success retiring Kole Calhoun (1-for-7).

Shoemaker has dropped his last two starts but is enjoying his best stretch of the season. He has a 2.37 ERA with 37 strikeouts and no walks over his last four starts — matching the franchise record for consecutive starts without issuing a walk. Shoemaker, who is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two career starts against the Indians, has struggled at home this season by going 1-4 with a 5.51 ERA in six starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians C Yan Gomes (testicular contusion) returned from a two-game absence and went 0-for-4 on Friday.

2. Los Angeles DH Albert Pujols was hitless in four at-bats in the opener and is 1-for-16 over the past four contests.

3. Cleveland SS Francisco Lindor was 0-for-3 in the opener and is 2-for-18 over the past five games.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Angels 0