Los Angeles @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2011 ) LA Angels 10, Toronto 6

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Angels have to be close to perfect the rest of the way and they were pretty good Tuesday, scoring in double figures for the second time in three games to pull within 3 1/2 games of Boston in the American League wild card race. The Angels will send Dan Haren, looking to equal his career high with his 16th victory, to the mound to try and keep it going against the host Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. The Jays have won eight of their last 12 games. The teams have split eight games, with two left in the series. Los Angeles is 40-39 on the road; the Jays are 41-38 at home.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, FS West (Los Angeles), SNET-1 (Toronto).

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Dan Haren (15-9, 3.24 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Dustin McGowan (0-0, 7.50).

Haren, who had 16 wins with Arizona in 2008, allowed seven runs - six earned - in five innings to lose his last start at Baltimore and is 2-3 since Aug. 19. Haren has given up three runs in eight innings against Toronto in 2011, including one inning of relief for a victory April 9. He is 6-2 in his career against the Jays with a 5.23 ERA over 62 innings. The Jays have eight homers in 107 at bats against Haren - two apiece by Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. McGowan makes his fourth appearance and third start with Toronto since returning from two years away from the game with injuries. He has nine strikeouts and 10 walks in 12 innings. McGowan, who won 12 games in 2007, had labrum and knee injuries along with a torn rotator cuff. He is 1-3 in his career against the Angels with a 3.54 ERA over 28 innings.

ABOUT THE ANGELS (84-70): Rookie Mark Trumbo has 29 homers, two short of Tim Salmon’s franchise rookie record. Salmon is still the only Angel to win Rookie of the Year honors (1993) and Trumbo has a chance to be the second with 87 RBIs. Alberto Callaspo has not produced many runs of late, but he is batting .348 in September after his three-hit effort Tuesday. Vernon Wells was 4-for-28 against the Blue Jays, his former team, until delivering a solo home run and a double Tuesday. Torii Hunter is 7-for-19 his last five games.

ABOUT THE BLUE JAYS (78-76): Mike McCoy has made things happen since taking over for injured shortstop Yunel Escobar, out since Sept. 10. McCoy has three three-hit games in his career, including two in the last five games. He is 8-for-21 during that stretch. Outfielder Eric Thames is six for nine in the last two games after a 1-for-13 slide. The Angels have controlled Bautista (1-for-8) in the first two games of the series. He is 2-for-14 in his last four games and does not have a homer or RBI in his last six, but maintains the major league lead with 42 homers.

FINAL PITCH: Angels’ shortstop Erick Aybar has reached base in 32 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the American League and third longest in the majors. The last time Aybar did not reach was Aug. 14 against Toronto.