Weaver aims to avenge earlier loss to Rangers

Jered Weaver's lone loss of the season came against the Texas Rangers back on May 13 in Arlington.

The Angels' All-Star right-hander gets a chance for revenge tonight, and this time he's in his own backyard. The two clubs will commence a three-game series at the Big A, where Weaver is 7-0 with a 2.23 earned run average in 13 starts against the AL West-rival Rangers.

Since a 13-6 loss to Texas in which Weaver allowed eight runs and 10 hits in just 3 1/2 innings, the lanky hurler is 6-0 with a 1.63 ERA in eight starts -- all wins for Los Angeles. Weaver survived a shaky performance on Sunday in a 10-8 win at Yankee Stadium and recorded the victory despite giving up five runs and 10 hits, including a season-high three home runs. The win ran his record to 11-1 in 16 starts and raised his ERA from 1.96 to 2.26.

"These guys are too good, too patient, and you never get a break down the lineup, really," Weaver said of the Yankees. "Just try to keep your team in it, and for the most part, I was able to do it."

In 26 career starts against the Rangers, Weaver is 9-7 with a 3.77 earned run average. He also sports a 6-0 mark and a minuscule 0.58 ERA in seven outings in front of the home crowd this season.

Anaheim just went 2-5 on a recent road trip and will begin a nine-game homestand tonight versus Texas, Kansas City and Tampa Bay. It lost three of four meetings in Detroit and dropped a 5-1 decision Thursday, as starter Jerome Williams struggled through six innings and allowed all five runs and nine hits to absorb the loss.

"That's a good hitting team over there and they took advantage when I had the ball up in the zone," said Williams. "I have to do a better job myself of keeping the ball down."

Rookie sensation Mike Trout clubbed his 14th home run of the season and had one of three hits for the Angels, who are six games behind Texas for the AL West lead and sit in the driver's seat for one of the two Wild Card spots. Trout has collected 30 runs, eight homers and 18 RBI since June 19. He has scored a run in 11 straight games, while Jim Edmonds holds the record with 13 set back in 1995.

Albert Pujols went 0-for-3 and still has four homers in his last eight games. He is tied with Jose Canseco for 32nd on the all-time list (462) and Dave Winfield is 31st with 465 home runs.

Texas will continue an eight-game road trip tonight and split a two-game set with Oakland at the Coliseum earlier this week.

The Rangers had won two straight and five of six games before dropping a 4-3 decision to the Athletics on Wednesday, as Brandon Hicks hit a game-winning home run off Michael Kirkman to lead off the ninth inning.

Starting pitcher Colby Lewis pitched five innings in his return from the disabled list with a right forearm tendinitis. In his first start since June 23, he gave up one run on three hits and two walks and struck out three.

"In the fourth and fifth he started tiring," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Lewis. "It looked like he started getting the ball up a little bit. They worked him hard there in the fourth and fifth."

Michael Young and Nelson Cruz hit RBI singles and Craig Gentry had an RBI double for the Rangers, who are 3-2 so far on the trek.

Making his third start since missing a month with a stomach illness, Derek Holland gets the nod for the Rangers tonight. Holland threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings in a 3-2 win at Seattle last Friday and has won three of his last four decisions to improve to 6-4 in 14 games (13 starts) this season.

Holland has played well on the road and owns a 4-1 record with a 2.58 earned run average in six starts away from Arlington. The right-hander has yet to face the rival Angels this season and is 5-3 with a 4.97 ERA in 12 career games, nine of which have been starts, against them.

The 2012 series between the Rangers and Angels is tied at 3-3, but Texas has won 11 of the past 16 meetings between the teams, including seven of 10 encounters in Anaheim over that stretch. Since the 2009 campaign, the Rangers lead the series by a 36-27 count.