Saunders (11-4, 3.06 ERA) is enjoying the best season of career, although he has tailed off a bit since starting 6-0. The left-hander, however, is 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA in four starts against division opponents.

That includes his lone start against the A's this season on April 29 when he yielded four singles in eight innings in a 2-0 win. Saunders improved to 3-1 with a 4.24 ERA in six career starts against Oakland (45-38).

He is one win shy of tying Arizona's Brandon Webb for the major league lead. Saunders hasn't dropped consecutive starts all season and enters after giving up three runs in five innings in a 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

"All in all, I don't think Joe's outing was too bad," manager Mike Scioscia told the Angels' official Web site. "We couldn't get the offense to go and allow him to pitch with more freedom."

Offense has been a problem for Los Angeles (50-34) throughout most of the season, and in recent games in particular. The Angels had scored a total of two runs in losing three of four games before a 5-3 win on Tuesday evened this series.

The hero was slumping Garret Anderson, who capped a three-run rally with a tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning. The veteran designated hitter went 2-for-4 after a dismal June in which he batted .188 (15-for-80) with only eight RBIs in 21 games.

"I'm still confident and I don't lose confidence in my ability to hit," said Anderson, who turned 36 on Monday. "You just keep plugging away because you know things are going to turn. The most important thing is not to panic. I mean, I'm not going to hit five home runs in one game to add to my stats. You have to chip away at it one day at a time."

Los Angeles increased its lead over second-place Oakland in the West to 4 1/2 games. The A's have scored just 10 runs in losing three of their last four games.

Shortstop Bobby Crosby, the only Oakland player to start every game this season, is 2-for-8 in this series, but is still just a .161 career hitter against the Angels - his lowest average against any AL team.

This game pits two of baseball's best teams in natural light. Los Angeles is a major league-best 14-6 in day games while Oakland ranks fifth at 16-9.

Starter Dana Eveland (6-5, 3.34) has been outstanding for Oakland over his last three outings, going 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in that span. He beat San Francisco on Friday by allowing one run over 7 1-3 innings in a 4-1 victory.

The left-hander will try to beat the Angels for the first time in his second career start against them. He was tagged for six runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings in a 6-1 loss in Anaheim on April 30.

The Angels are 15-5 in games in which their opponent starts a left-hander.