Cleveland @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 13, 2012 ) Cleveland 6, LA Angels 2

The Los Angeles Angels need a stopper and will look to their newest acquisition in hopes of turning their season around. The Angels, who have lost five of their last six games - the last two by Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson - will give the ball to Zack Greinke when they host the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday in the second of their three-game series. Los Angeles is 3-9 in August and 12-18 since the All-Star break and has fallen 2 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the final wild card spot. Greinke has yet to get comfortable in his new surroundings since being acquired from Milwaukee on July 28. He is 0-1 with a 5.68 ERA in three starts with the Angels - all Los Angeles losses.

Angels rookie phenom Mike Trout is 2-for-11 in his last three games, which constitutes a slump for the American League's leading hitter at .340. Teammate Albert Pujols, though, broke out of a 1-for-23 funk by going 2-for-4 with a two-run homer in Monday's 6-2 loss. Los Angeles will face Cleveland's Ubaldo Jimenez, who won for the first time in six starts in his last outing when he struck out a season-high 10 against the Red Sox. The Indians are 4-2 since an 11-game losing streak knocked them out of playoff contention.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, STO (Cleveland), FS West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Ubaldo Jimenez (9-11, 5.25 ERA) vs. Zack Greinke (0-1, 5.68)

Jimenez allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings in Cleveland's 5-3 victory over Boston on Thursday. That followed two starts - both losses - in which he yielded 11 runs and 13 hits in 11 2/3 innings. Jimenez is 0-2 against the Angels, including a 3-0 loss to Jered Weaver on July 2. He is 4-8 with a 6.94 ERA on the road this season. The Angels' roster is hitting .276 against Jimenez with Pujols 5-for-17 with five RBIs and four walks. He has not faced Trout, who didn't play July 2 because of a jammed right pinky finger.

Greinke allowed four runs, six hits and walked five in five innings and left with a no-decision in Los Angeles' 9-8 loss at Oakland on Wednesday. His previous start was worse, when he yielded six runs and 10 hits in seven innings in an 8-6 setback at Chicago on Aug. 3. Greinke was 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 21 starts with Milwaukee prior to the trade. He is 8-9 in 27 games (22 starts) with a 3.80 ERA against Cleveland. Asdrubal Cabrera is 15-for-31 with three doubles, a triple and five walks against Greinke.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Indians' Brent Lillibridge has homered in two of his last three games after going homerless in 89 contests with the Chicago White Sox, Boston and Cleveland this season.

2. Angels OF Mark Trumbo, who is tied for fifth in the majors and the AL with 29 homers, has two in his last 20 games.

3. Cleveland RHP Vinnie Pestano had his scoreless streak end at 21 1/3 innings when he yielded Pujols' homer Monday. It was the longest streak by an Indians reliever since Paul Assenmacher (23 1/3) in 1997.