With a rotation anchored by Joe Saunders (3.07 ERA), John Lackey (3.15) and Ervin Santana (3.49), Angels starters have a 3.90 ERA - fourth-best in the major leagues. None of them, however, has an ERA comparable to that of Lee (16-2, 2.45), who leads the majors in that category and has accounted for nearly 30 percent of the wins for Cleveland (54-66) this season.

Lee has won five of his last six starts and is unbeaten since July 6. His latest dominant performance came Sunday, when he pitched eight innings in a 4-0 victory at Toronto and moved closer to becoming the first Indian with 20 wins since Gaylord Perry in 1974.

"It's just easier when you're having success," Lee said. "Things go easier, you have more fun. I'm going to continue to just ride it out."

Despite the 20-win mark being close and with a good shot at being the second straight Indian to win the Cy Young Award after former teammate CC Sabathia, Lee isn't thinking that far ahead.

"I just worry about my next start," he told the team's official Web site, "and what I have to do to give myself the best chance to win."

He may need to pitch one of his best games of the season to top the Angels (75-44). The left-hander hasn't faced Los Angeles this year, though he pitched a three-hitter in a 5-1 win May 8, 2007, his last start against manager Mike Scioscia's club.

That Angels team, though, didn't have Mark Teixeira. Acquired from Atlanta shortly before the trade deadline, the slugging first baseman has given Los Angeles an offensive boost. He's hitting .440 (11-for-25) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last six games, and helped the Angels to five straight wins prior to a 10-7 loss to Seattle on Wednesday.

The switch-hitter homered twice in that contest.

"Tex has given us an added dimension with his power from both sides and his ability to get on base," Scioscia told the team's official Web site. "He's brought something to that grouping in front of (Vladimir Guerrero), Torii (Hunter) and Garret (Anderson)."

Los Angeles has scored 48 runs in its last six games, with Teixeira and Guerrero (.423, three homers and 10 RBIs) leading the way.

The Angels would like to see some improvement from starter Jered Weaver (10-9, 4.51), who picked up a victory in his latest start Friday despite a mediocre performance. He gave up five runs in six innings against the New York Yankees, but Los Angeles won 10-5 behind four hits and four RBIs from Hunter.

"There were a couple of pitches I left out over the plate that I wish I could take back," Weaver said. "For the most part, I felt good."

Weaver allowed two runs in three innings against Cleveland before exiting with a stiff lower back in a 3-2 Angels win July 22.

The Indians had won five straight before dropping their last two to Baltimore, including an 11-6 loss Thursday. They'll try to become the first AL team to win a series from Los Angeles since Tampa Bay from May 9-11. The Angels are 16-0-4 in series since.