Los Angeles @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 9, 2010 ) LA Angels 6, Oakland 5

The Texas Rangers’ acquisition of Cliff Lee means the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim's run of six straight AL West titles is in serious jeopardy.

The Angels will try to move closer to the first-place Rangers on Saturday when they continue a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics.

Los Angeles has long been the dominant team in the AL West. However, the Angels are looking up at Rangers, who strengthened their chances of ending their playoff drought by acquiring Lee – the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner - on Friday afternoon.

Part of the reason the Angels are trailing the Rangers has been an inconsistent offense that is sorely missing Kendry Morales.

Los Angeles lost Morales - its best hitter - to a broken leg in late May after a home run celebration went awry. After an initial surge without him, the Angels are back to scrounging for runs.

They snapped a five-game skid Friday as Erick Aybar belted a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning of a 6-5 victory. The win, combined with Texas’ loss, helped the Angels move to within 4 1/2 games in the West.

But the Angels need their offense to improve dramatically if they are going to overtake the Rangers. Los Angeles has scored more than three runs just twice in its last nine games.

Four-time All-Star Torii Hunter is the lone bright spot at the plate for the Angels right now. He is 10-for-21 with three homers and seven RBIs in his last nine games.

Hunter could take advantage of Ben Sheets (3-8, 4.89 ERA), who has allowed at least three extra-base hits in each of his last eight starts and a major league-high 54 on the season.

Sheets allowed three runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings in a 3-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Monday. He is 0-2 with a 3.67 ERA in four starts against Los Angeles.

He allowed three earned runs and six hits in six innings of a 4-2 loss to the Angels on June 7. Sheets has struggles against Bobby Abreu, who snapped out of a 1-for-24 skid with a solo homer on Friday.

Abreu is 7-for-23 with two homers and seven RBIs vs. Sheets.

Sheets will be opposed by Scott Kazmir (7-8, 5.98), who is looking to avoid a fourth straight loss. The left-hander was rocked for seven runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 9-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Kazmir has a 7.72 ERA in his last three starts. He could snap out of his funk against the A’s, however.

Kazmir is 9-3 with a 2.85 ERA in 15 starts vs. Oakland. He beat Sheets on June 7 by allowing one run and five hits in six innings.

Kazmir will try to hand the A's a fifth straight loss. Oakland went 2-for-12 on Friday and has scored just 19 runs in its last seven games.