(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim aim to move closer towards wrapping up a third straight American League West title, and will be out to halt a brief losing streak in the process, when the division leaders begin a three-game series with the Oakland Athletics tonight at Angel Stadium.

The Angels' magic number for clinching the West currently stands at four and the team owns a seven-game lead on fading Texas with just 10 remaining in the regular season. The Athletics helped Anaheim out in its quest by routing the Rangers by a 12-3 count Thursday at the Oakland Coliseum.

Oakland battered 17-game winner Scott Feldman for seven runs and seven hits over the game's first 3 1/3 innings, snapping a string of eight straight victorious decisions on the road for the Texas hurler. Eric Patterson led the charge by going 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Adam Kennedy went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and two runs scored for the A's.

Brett Anderson did his part on the mound as well, as the rookie left-hander allowed three runs -- one earned -- over the first 5 2/3 innings to collect the win. The 21-year-old fanned six without a walk and now has 145 strikeouts this season, breaking an Athletics rookie record for that category previously set by Rick Langford in 1977.

"It's pretty special to set the rookie strikeout record with some of the great guys who have made their debuts in this uniform," said Anderson. "To be in that category is pretty special."

The win was the ninth in the past 11 games for Oakland, which has compiled an impressive 15-4 since September 5.

Anaheim had an off day to regroup from back-to-back home losses to the New York Yankees in a series between two of the AL's top clubs. In Wednesday's rubber match, the Yanks scored three times in the fourth inning and made the lead stand in a 3-2 decision.

New York's Robinson Cano broke a scoreless tie with a two-run single in the top of the fourth, and Melky Cabrera followed with an RBI double for a 3-0 advantage.

The Angels got a run back in the fifth and pulled within 3-2 on Gary Matthews Jr.'s run-scoring double in the sixth, but failed to score off the Yankee bullpen the rest of the way.

Anaheim starter Scott Kazmir was saddled with the loss after giving up all three New York runs in a six-inning stint.

"I had good command of my fastball, but not much else to go with it," Kazmir said. "I didn't have my location and it came back to bite me."

The Angels will try to bounce back tonight behind Jered Weaver, while the lanky right-hander looks to extend his career-best win total to 16 games when he takes the mound in the opener.

Weaver has been stuck on 15 wins since September 9, having lost consecutive starts to the Yankees and Rangers following his most recent triumph. In Saturday's 3-2 setback at Texas, the 26-year-old surrendered three runs on five hits over six innings.

Both of Weaver's recent defeats came on the road. He's been awfully tough to beat at Angel Stadium this season, having amassed a 9-2 record and a 2.89 earned run average over 16 home starts.

Weaver fired six shutout innings against the A's at Angel Stadium back on August 29, although he wound up with a no-decision after his team's bullpen coughed up a late lead. In nine career matchups with Oakland, the former first-round pick is 2-2 with a solid 2.93 ERA.

He'll be opposed tonight by young left-hander Gio Gonzalez, who'll be out to improve on a pair of shaky showings his last two times out. The 24-year-old lasted only 3 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Cleveland on Saturday, a game in which he allowed three runs (1 earned) and issued five walks before being yanked.

Gonzalez had an even shorter start in a September 13 loss at Minnesota, which rocked him for seven runs and eight hits in only three innings of work.

The Florida native, who is 5-6 with a 6.15 ERA over 18 games (15 starts) in the majors this season, has yet to face the Angels in 2009. Gonzalez did make a start at Angel Stadium in August of last season, and allowed four runs and five walks in just three innings while receiving a no-decision.

Anaheim has gone 8-5 against Oakland so far this season, although the A's have taken four of the seven meetings held at Angel Stadium.









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