Los Angeles @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2016 ) LA Angels 1, Cleveland 5

The Cleveland Indians have emphatically moved past their post-trade deadline malaise and are back to running away with the American League Central. The Indians have spent the weekend bashing the Los Angeles Angels and will go for a four-game sweep when they host the finale on Sunday.

Cleveland dropped six of nine coming out of the Aug. 1 trade deadline to briefly let the Detroit Tigers back into the race in the AL Central but finally figured out how to get the pitching and the hitting together in the same game while taking the first three over the Angels by a combined 32-8. The Indians improved to five games ahead of the Tigers with Saturday’s 5-1 triumph and are 3-0 on an 11-game homestand that will take them through next weekend. The Angels occupy the AL West basement and are mired in a deep slump that has seen them drop nine straight games. Los Angeles watched starters Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker surrender a combined 19 runs in 12 1/3 innings in the first three games of the series.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, TBS, FSN West (Los Angeles), SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (8-9, 5.19 ERA) vs. Indians RH Trevor Bauer (8-5, 3.88)

Weaver is winless in his last four starts and was knocked around for five runs – four earned – on eight hits and a pair of walks over five innings at the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. The California native served up a pair of home runs in that outing and failed to record more than three strikeouts for the fifth straight appearance. Weaver is seeing Cleveland for the first time in 2016 and is 9-5 with a 3.73 ERA in 20 career starts against the Indians.

Bauer lasted 2 2/3 innings at home against AL-worst Minnesota on Aug. 3 but was a different pitcher at National League East-leading Washington on Tuesday. The UCLA product scattered four hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings in that outing to end a five-start winless streak. Bauer is 2-0 in three career starts against Los Angeles, with the lone no decision coming when he allowed three runs – two earned – in eight innings at the Angels on June 11.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians LF Michael Brantley will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery on Monday.

2. Los Angeles 3B Yunel Escobar is 1-for-10 with a single in the series.

3. Cleveland 1B/DH Carlos Santana was cleared of concussion symptoms and could return on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Indians 8, Angels 4