Los Angeles @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( May 8, 2011 ) Cleveland 5, LA Angels 6

THE STORY: The Cleveland Indians and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have some work at hand to get back to the top of their respective divisions when they begin a three-game series in Cleveland on Monday. While a four-game losing streak has dropped the Indians to second place and perhaps open the American League Central into a four-team race, the Angels are just hoping to hang with a Texas Rangers team that seemingly never loses. Los Angeles has decided to keep top prospect Mike Trout with the club for the time being and was rewarded with his first major-league homer Sunday against Baltimore. Cleveland wasted a strong start by Justin Masterson with some shoddy defense Sunday in a loss to Chicago.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSW, STO

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Dan Haren (10-6, 3.10 ERA) vs. Indians RH Fausto Carmona (5-10, 5.63 ERA).

Haren got lit up by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday, surrendering seven runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. The 30-year-old has allowed 11 runs and 19 hits over his last two turns, breaking a string of four straight quality starts. Haren struck out 10 in a no-decision against Cleveland on May 8 and owns a 3-2 record with a 3.90 ERA in nine starts against the Indians. Carmona came off the disabled list at Minnesota last Monday and put together one of his stronger starts of the season, yielding two runs in six innings to pick up the win. The veteran righthander has had trouble working deep into games, recording only one out after the beginning of the seventh inning in his last eight starts. Carmona has never beaten the Angels, owning an 0-3 record despite a 1.79 ERA in nine games - six starts.

ABOUT THE INDIANS (51-48): Cleveland has not won since sweeping a doubleheader at Minnesota on Monday. After getting shutout by the Chicago White Sox on Friday and rained out Saturday, the Indians committed three errors in a 4-2 setback Sunday. The most costly was a flyball to center that Ezequiel Carrera flubbed, allowing two runs to score. Carrera is one of several young Indians getting their first taste of the big league in the midst of a pennant race. Carlos Santana went hitless for the fourth straight game Sunday, dropping his average to .222. Orlando Cabrera continued to make the case for rookie second baseman Jason Kipnis to start full time as he went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

ABOUT THE ANGELS (55-47): Los Angeles took two of three from the lowly Baltimore Orioles over the weekend, breaking out in a 9-3 triumph Sunday. Alberto Callaspo and Howie Kendrick had three hits apiece, but more importantly Torii Hunter went 2-for-5 - matching his hit total from the previous nine games - and Trout provided some pop at the bottom of the lineup. The 19-year-old Trout was kept with the team despite Peter Bourjos' coming off the disabled list on Saturday. The Angels plan on working Bourjos back in slowly and will keep Trout around until they are sure Bourjos can handle the everyday gig in center field.

FINAL PITCH: Bert Blyleven and Roberto Alomar were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., on Sunday. Both Alomar and Blyleven played for the Indians, and Blyleven spent his final three season with the then-California Angels.