Los Angeles @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 28, 2015 ) LA Angels 1, Cleveland 3

The Los Angeles Angels are cycling through problems as they attempt to stay in the American League wild card race, and offense is the latest issue. The Angels will try to pick up the bats and even the series when they visit the Cleveland Indians for the second of a three-game series on Saturday.

Los Angeles dropped the series opener 3-1 on Friday, marking the sixth time in the last nine games the team failed to score more than two runs. The Angels have dropped six of those nine games to fall 1 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers for the second AL wild card, and reigning MVP Mike Trout’s .200 batting average, one home run and six RBIs in August are not helping things. The Indians have taken the first three games of their homestand and seven of the last eight in front of their own fans to improve to 27-34 at home. Cleveland will throw another tough test at the Los Angeles offense when Corey Kluber takes the mound opposite Angels righty Garrett Richards.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), STO (Cleveland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (12-10, 3.80 ERA) vs. Indians RH Corey Kluber (8-13, 3.43)

Richards had a string of three straight quality starts come to an abrupt halt last time out, when he was reached for nine runs (seven earned) and 10 hits in five innings against Toronto. The 27-year-old surrendered a pair of home runs in that outing after keeping the ball in the park in his previous two turns. Richards faced Cleveland on Aug. 3 and allowed four runs on as many hits and three walks while matching a career high with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Kluber was roughed up for six runs in as many innings at Boston on Aug. 19 but bounced back with 11 strikeouts and one run allowed in 7 2/3 frames at the Chicago Cubs on Monday. The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner has yielded one run in four of his last six turns. Kluber went up against Richards on Aug. 3 and surrendered five runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings to suffer the loss.

WALK-OFFS

1. Indians 2B Jason Kipnis is 6-for-13 with six RBIs and five runs scored in the last three games.

2. Cleveland 3B/1B Chris Johnson (infected finger) began a rehab assignment at Double-A Akron on Friday and went 0-for-3 while serving as DH.

3. Los Angeles is 3-14 in its last 17 road games.

PREDICTION: Indians 4, Angels 2