Los Angeles @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 3, 2018 ) LA Angels 7, Cleveland 4

Shohei Ohtani looks to follow up his best offensive night in the majors with another big effort when the Los Angeles Angels visit the Cleveland Indians for the middle contest of a three-game set Saturday night. Ohtani, a 24-year-old rookie from Japan, registered season highs of four hits and two homers in Friday’s 7-4 victory as the Angels snapped a four-game slide overall and won for the first time in 11 contests at Cleveland.

Ohtani, who batted just .203 in July, pushed his season totals to 11 homers along with 28 RBIs and Los Angeles All-Star center fielder Mike Trout could rejoin him in the lineup Saturday after missing the last two games with a bruised right wrist. Ohtani also homered against Saturday’s scheduled starter Corey Kluber earlier in the season and Felix Pena is slated to get the call for the Angels after suffering through his worst start of the season last week. The American League Central-leading Indians lost for the third time in eight games Friday and the first time in August after taking an early 3-2 lead. Newly acquired center fielder Leonys Martin recorded a solo homer and an RBI single for Cleveland in the setback and is 7-for-18 during a five-game hitting streak - the first three coming with Detroit before Tuesday’s trade.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Felix Pena (1-2, 5.23 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (13-6, 2.79)

Pena could not get out of the first inning Sunday against Seattle, allowing seven runs and six hits while retiring just one batter before being pulled. The 28-year-old Dominican native had permitted two or fewer runs in five of his previous six starts this year but completed more than 5 1/3 innings just once in that span. Pena, who has yielded just one run over 9 1/3 innings on the road in 2018, faces the Indians for the first time in his career.

Kluber snapped out of a funk with 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball Sunday at Detroit for his first victory since July 2, improving to 2-3 in his past five decisions. The 32-year-old, who permitted two runs over seven innings against the Angels in a no-decision April 4, owned an 8-2 record and 2.02 ERA through May before going 5-4 with a 3.88 mark in the past two months. Justin Upton owns three homers versus Kluber, who is 2-2 with a 3.99 ERA in six career starts against the Angels.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Indians activated LHP Andrew Miller (knee) from the disabled list Friday. He had one strikeout in a scoreless inning.

2. Los Angeles 1B/DH Albert Pujols sits two doubles from tying Honus Wagner (640) for ninth on baseball’s all-time list.

3. Cleveland 3B Jose Ramirez, the AL Player of the Month in July, is 8-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs in his last four games.

PREDICTION: Indians 7, Angels 2