Read More: Joe Mauer (C – MIN), Jered Weaver (P – ANA), Brian Duensing (P – MIN), Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels, Sep 3, 2011 6:05 PM PDT

The Los Angeles Angels have a chance to gain a full game on the Texas Rangers Saturday night in the American League West. The Rangers lost 12-7 to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Saturday afternoon, meaning an Angels’ win would pull them to within three and a half games in the division.

Joe Mauer, who was a late scratch Friday night with a respiratory infection, is back in the lineup Saturday. Mauer is playing first base, his 16th start at the position this season.

Jered Weaver gets the call for the Angels, looking for yet another home run. Weaver has allowed 14 runs in 12 starts in Anaheim this season. Brian Duensing gets the call for the Twins. Here are Saturday night’s starting lineups:

Twins (58-79)

Revere CF
Plouffe 2B
Mauer 1B
Cuddyer RF
Kubel DH
Valencia 3B
Tosoni LF
Nishioka SS
Butera C

Angels (74-64)

Bourjos CF
Callaspo 3B
Kendrick 2B
Hunter DH
Trumbo 1B
Wells LF
Trout RF
Aybar SS
Mathis C

For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.

Brett Cecil brings a 4-5 record to the mound against the Los Angeles Angels in the series closer Sunday. (Chris Young/Canadian Press)

The Los Angeles Angels are approaching a critical stretch of games against the AL West leaders. Manager Mike Scioscia’s club still has work to do in Toronto before it can worry about that.

After a lopsided loss, the Angels turn to Dan Haren as they seek a victory in Sunday’s series finale against the Blue Jays.

Starting Monday in Anaheim, the second-place Angels (65-55) will play four straight and seven of 12 against Texas, which ended Los Angeles’ three-year run atop the division in 2010, and currently holds a three-game lead.

Before that happens, the Angels will try to bounce back from Saturday’s 11-2 defeat. Making his first start following a six-game suspension, Cy Young candidate Jered Weaver was tagged for a season-high three homers and a career high-tying eight runs.

“We’ll turn the page on it and get started again [Sunday],” Scioscia said.

Haren (12-6, 2.91 ERA) is 6-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his last 10 starts after throwing 6 2-3 innings of four-run ball in Tuesday’s 6-4 road win over the New York Yankees.

The right-hander is 3-0 in four career starts at Rogers Centre – all with Oakland — thanks to generous run support and despite posting a 7.20 ERA in those outings. He also pitched an inning out of the bullpen at home against Toronto (60-59) on April 9, setting down the Blue Jays in order to earn a 6-5, 14-inning victory in his first relief appearance since 2004, when he pitched for St. Louis.

He’ll now face a Blue Jays team that’s among the majors’ best with 77 home runs at home after Edwin Encarnacion, Adam Lind (grand slam), and Mark Teahen went deep Saturday. It was Lind’s 100th career homer.

“The way I’d been feeling I honestly thought it would never happen,” said Lind, who had been 9 for 59 in the 14 games since his previous long ball. “I just got a pitch, was aggressive with it, and hit a granny.”

Maybe that approach would work for Jose Bautista, who is 3 for 27 with 10 strikeouts since his last homer Aug. 4.

Bautista and Colby Rasmus will likely return to the lineup after getting Saturday off. Bautista is 3 for 8 with a homer off Haren, while Rasmus has three hits, including a home run, in 13 at-bats against the right-hander.

Seeking to salvage a split of their six-game homestand, the Blue Jays will give the ball to Brett Cecil (4-5, 4.31).

The left-hander has given up three runs or fewer in each of his last four starts, but has an 0-1 record in his last two. All seven runs he’s surrendered in his last three outings have come off home runs.

“One or two pitches seemed to beat me these last two starts,” Cecil told the Blue Jays’ official website after allowing three runs and a pair of homers in seven innings of Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Oakland.

Cecil gave up a solo shot to Howie Kendrick in the April 9 meeting with the Angels, when he was tagged for five runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings. He is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three career starts versus Los Angeles.

Encarnacion is batting .410 (16 for 39) with three homers and eight RBIs during a season-best 12-game hitting streak. He is 5 for 12 with two home runs off Haren.

Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo, who hit a solo homer Saturday, is 7 for 17 in the first five games of his club’s road trip. Los Angeles needs a win Sunday to salvage a split of the six-game swing.

Jered Weaver(notes) is set to continue his campaign for the AL Cy Young Award after
missing a start due to a suspension.

The Toronto Blue Jays probably wish the suspension caused him to miss a
start in this series instead.

Weaver looks to continue his dominance of the Blue Jays when he takes the
ball for the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday at Rogers Centre.

Weaver (14-5, 1.78 ERA) was hit with a six-game suspension Aug. 2, two days
after he threw a pitch over the head of Detroit’s Alex Avila(notes) in anger during the
seventh inning of a 3-2 loss. The Angels’ ace originally appealed the
suspension, but decided last Saturday to serve his punishment in full.

Weaver’s change of mind came one day after throwing a gem against Seattle
with nothing to show for it.

The major league ERA leader scattered seven hits and struck out eight over
nine scoreless innings, but the offense didn’t secure a 1-0 victory until the
10th.

It was the second time this season Weaver threw nine shutout innings without
getting a decision.

“I’m just going to go out there and try to keep runs off the board,” he
said.

Weaver, 8-1 with a 1.35 ERA in his last 14 starts, has certainly done a good
job of that against Toronto lately. He has compiled a 1.66 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP
while winning his last five starts versus the Blue Jays, striking out 47 in 38
innings. He’s 7-1 with a 2.68 ERA in eight career outings in this series – his
most wins against any opponent outside the AL West.

Weaver gave up a run and four hits and struck out a career-best 15 in 7 2-3
innings of a 3-1 victory over Toronto on April 10.

Los Angeles (65-54) won Friday’s series opener 5-1, as Ervin Santana(notes) threw a
seven-hitter and Vernon Wells(notes) homered in his first game back in Toronto after 12
seasons with the Blue Jays. Torii Hunter(notes), batting .486 during a 10-game hitting
streak, drove in two runs for the Angels, winners of four straight at Rogers
Centre.

Toronto’s Jose Bautista(notes) made a pair of throwing errors and was hitless in
three at-bats. The slugger is mired in a 3-for-26 slump and could struggle to
get back on track Saturday, as he is 0 for 6 with four strikeouts lifetime
against Weaver.

The Blue Jays (59-59) counter with Ricky Romero(notes) (10-9, 2.94), who has been
every bit as impressive as Weaver lately.

Toronto’s opening day starter has posted a 1.11 ERA while winning his last
three starts, giving up nine hits and seven walks over 24 1-3 innings.

“Lately it’s been the consistency of throwing strikes and being in the zone
and getting deep in games,” the left-hander said after Sunday’s 7-2 victory over
Baltimore. He allowed two runs on a pair of solo homers by Mark Reynolds(notes) and two
other hits while walking none and striking out five in eight innings.

Romero now looks to win four consecutive starts for the first time since his
2009 rookie season in his first outing of the year against the Angels. He is 2-2
with a 3.76 ERA in four career starts versus Los Angeles, yielding two runs or
fewer in three of them.