Angels-Indians Preview

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians on Sunday will attempt to complete a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels in Cleveland for the first time in 17 years. The Indians have won the first three games of the series while outscoring the Angels 32-8.

The last time Cleveland swept a four-game series from the Angels in Cleveland was Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 1999.

The Indians have dominated the first three games of this series, averaging more than 10 runs per game, and almost no-hitting the Angels in Saturday night's game. In the Angels' 5-1 loss on Saturday, the Angels' only hit was an infield single by Andrelton Simmons in the sixth inning. The Angels were outhit 14-1 in the game.

In Sunday's series finale, the Indians will send Trevor Bauer (8-5, 3.88 ERA) to the mound against the Angels' Jered Weaver (8-9, 5.19). Bauer is coming off one of his best starts of the season in his last start on Aug. 9 in Washington. In that game, Bauer pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings on four hits.

Sunday will be the southern California native Bauer's fourth career start against the Angels. In the first three, he has gone 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA.

The veteran Weaver has made 20 career starts against the Indians and is 9-5 with a 3.73 ERA. He has been particularly effective at Progressive Field, where in 12 career starts he is 7-2 with a 2.99 ERA.

The Indians are expected to have designated hitter Carlos Santana back in the lineup on Sunday. Santana has missed the last two games after getting hit in the head by a line drive while sitting in the dugout during Thursday's game.

Santana was given concussion tests on Friday, passed them all and was cleared to play Saturday, but manager Terry Francona decided to give Santana one more day off as a precaution.

"He's been completely cleared to play and could have played tonight," Francona said before Saturday's game. "I just felt another night off wouldn't hurt."

Santana is having a big year for the Indians. With 25 home runs and 62 RBI he's headed for career highs in both categories. His career high for homers is 27 in 2011 and 2014. His career high in RBIs is 85, done in each of the last two years.

Santana and the Indians other hitters have done a good job of closing ranks after the loss of All-Star left fielder Michael Brantley, who has missed most of the season with complications in his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery.

On Saturday, the Indians announced Brantley will have season-ending shoulder surgery on Monday. He only played 11 games this year, hitting .231, but the team hasn't missed a beat offensively, ranking second in the American League in runs scored.

The Angels, meanwhile, would just like to win a game. Saturday's loss extended their losing streak to nine games. That's their longest losing streak since they lost 11 in a row in July 1999.

Angels starters have been clobbered in the first three games of the Cleveland series. The best of the three was Matt Shoemaker, who gave up five runs and 12 hits in six innings Saturday night.

Scioscia would also like to see more out of his offense, which almost got no-hit on Saturday.

"I thought we hit a lot of balls hard, but you look up at the end of the game and we only had one hit," he said. "We hit the ball better than the linescore looks."