SoCal MLB Preview

Cleveland (43-54) at LA Angels (60-38), 7:05 pm

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim showed why they own the best record in baseball by sweeping the Boston Red Sox in the first series of the second half. All-Star Ervin Santana will look to keep the Angels rolling when he faces the struggling Cleveland Indians in the opener of a three-game set on Monday. Santana (11-3, 3.34 ERA) has thrown at least seven innings in four of his last five starts and is coming off a dominant outing against the Oakland Athletics in which he struck out 10 in seven scoreless frames. Casey Kotchman hit a two-run double to cap a three-run rally in the eighth inning of Sunday's 5-3 victory over Boston and Francisco Rodriguez notched his major league-leading 40th save by pitching a perfect ninth. The Angels outscored the Red Sox, 15-5, in the two wins on Friday and Saturday. Cleveland, though owning the second-worst record in the American League, is coming off a three-game series win over the lowly Seattle Mariners. All-Star Game starter Cliff Lee tossed a complete game and became the AL's first 13-game winner by allowing two runs en route to a 6-2 triumph on Sunday. Paul Byrd (3-10, 5.47) will look to match such production and snap a personal five-game skid. Grady Sizemore leads the AL in home runs and has 22 stolen bases. Teammate Casey Blake was 4-for-10 with a homer and three RBI in the series against Seattle.

Los Angeles (48-50) at Colorado (43-57), 6:05 pm

DENVER (Ticker) -- The Colorado Rockies look to continue their winning ways when they host the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first game of a three-game set at Coors Field on Monday. Colorado is coming off a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates over the weekend and can match a season high with another victory on Monday. The Rockies outscored the Pirates, 28-9, in the four games, including an 11-3 triumph on Sunday. Kip Wells (1-1, 2.29 ERA) hopes to continue Colorado's momentum when he makes his first start in nearly three months. Wells has been sidelined since April 28 with a blood clot in his right hand. The righthander has struggled in his career against the Dodgers, going 0-3 in five games - four starts - with a 5.88 ERA. Los Angeles won two out of three over the Arizona Diamondbacks over the weekend, including a come-from-behind 6-5 victory on Sunday. The Dodgers scored five runs in the top of the ninth after trailing, 4-1. With the win, Los Angeles (48-50) pulled into a tie with Arizona for first place in the National League West. Winless in his last three starts, Eric Stults (2-2, 2.67) will take the hill for the Dodgers. The 28-year-old lefthander gave up three runs over six innings in his last outing, losing a 3-1 decision to the Florida Marlins with July 11. The Dodgers have won six of the first nine meetings between the two teams this season.