Los Angeles Vs. Detroit 7-6-11

The Los Angeles Angels have been nearly unhittable over their last four games.

Rookie Tyler Chatwood will try to continue that trend when the Angels go for a sweep of the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.

Los Angeles (46-41) is trying to match its season high with a fifth straight win after posting a 1-0 victory Tuesday. Dan Haren pitched a two-hitter and Howie Kendrick scored from first base on Erick Aybar's second-inning double.

The Angels have won 10 of 12 while posting a 2.13 ERA. Before Tuesday, they had allowed one run in each of their previous three games.

Los Angles, which is holding opponents to a .145 batting average over the last four contests, hasn't given up one or fewer runs in five consecutive games since Sept. 24-29, 1972.

Chatwood (5-5, 3.83 ERA) will try to keep things going, although he has lost three of his last five starts. He allowed four runs and a season-high 12 hits in five-plus innings of a 5-0 loss to the Dodgers on Friday.

"I don't think he was as crisp as we saw him last week, and he definitely was not putting guys away the way he can," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He was behind in a lot of counts, and it didn't look like his curveball was as sharp as it's been either."

The 21-year-old right-hander is making his first start against the Tigers.

Detroit (45-42) has lost six of eight, scoring three or fewer runs five times. The Tigers wasted a solid outing Tuesday by Justin Verlander, who was ejected while leaving the mound in the eighth after manager Jim Leyland was tossed in the seventh.

Leyland and Verlander apparently were angry after the umpiring crew ordered Verlander to change balls earlier.

"You don't like to see that with either team, but those things happen," Leyland said of a game that also saw Los Angeles' Bobby Abreu get ejected in the first. "It was a great matchup. Haren was terrific, and so was Justin. We expected the runs to be scarce, and obviously they were."

Detroit also lost outfielder Brennan Boesch in the third inning to a bruised knee after he fouled a pitch off the inside of his right thigh. It's unknown if Boesch, who entered Tuesday hitting .391 with eight homers and 15 RBIs over his last 30 games, will be able to play Wednesday.

The Tigers will hand the ball to Brad Penny (5-6, 4.43), who is 0-2 in his last five starts despite posting a 3.60 ERA. He didn't receive a decision after giving up one run in seven innings of a 4-3 loss to San Francisco on Friday.

The right-hander is 2-3 with a 5.48 ERA in eight starts against the Angels. He faced them once last year while with St. Louis and didn't factor in the decision after surrendering four runs and five hits in three innings of a 9-5 victory.

Abreu is hitting .333 (17 for 51) with two homers and three doubles against Penny while Torii Hunter is 4 for 11 with a double and a triple.

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