Angels-Royals Preview

The Los Angeles Angels' lineup has gone cold and their lead in the AL West is slipping. A four-game road series against the last-place Kansas City Royals could help solve both problems.

Los Angeles puts its perfect record against the Royals in 2009 in the hands of Jered Weaver on Friday, with the right-hander looking to bounce back from an uneven August.

After scoring 33 runs in their previous four games, the Angels (78-54) managed one run in the final two games of their series in Seattle this week. They lost 3-0 to Mariners ace Felix Hernandez on Wednesday.

Vladimir Guerrero went 0 for 8 in those contests after homering twice in the series opener.

"For the most part, they did a good job on the mound against us," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We are going to have to find that offensive continuity and start doing some of the things we know we can do."

That task is more urgent for Los Angeles with Texas on a three-game winning streak, cutting the Angels' division lead to 3 1/2 games.

Scioscia's club has been comfortably ahead in the West for much of the second half, but the Rangers continue to apply pressure and the teams will meet seven more times.

The Angels hope to use this weekend to open up a bigger lead. Kansas City has not won a series at home since sweeping Cincinnati from June 12-14.

The Royals (51-82) have lost 26 of 33 at Kauffman Stadium, including Los Angeles' three-game, two-day sweep July 21-22, during which the Angels scored 27 runs. They are 6-0 against Kansas City this year, also sweeping the Royals in Anaheim from May 8-10.

Weaver (13-5, 3.89 ERA) hasn't had as much success against Kansas City, losing his last four starts versus the Royals, although he has a 3.75 ERA in six career games against them. However, he was roughed up for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings of a 9-4 loss at Kauffman Stadium on May 7, 2008.

He has also had some problems with consistency lately. Weaver pitched a shutout at Cleveland on Aug. 19 and tossed six scoreless innings in the Angels' 4-3 loss to Oakland on Saturday, but in between gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 10-7 defeat to Detroit on Aug. 24. He has a 5.43 ERA in nine starts since the All-Star break, and went 3-2 with a 4.58 ERA in August.

His opponent, Gil Meche (6-10, 5.09), has had bigger problems. The right-hander has an 8.14 ERA in four starts since being activated from the disabled list, the worst of which came Saturday at Seattle as he allowed seven runs in four innings of an 8-4 loss.

"Just about anything negative you could think of tonight, that is what happened," Meche said. "I haven't pitched really well since coming back (from the DL), but that is no excuse. I still have to go out there and make good pitches and that is something I'm not doing."

A former division rival of the Angels while with Seattle, Meche has made 19 starts against Los Angeles, going 8-3 with a 4.92 ERA.