(Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics can gain some ground on the American League West-leading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this evening, when both division rivals square off in the first of three straight games at Angel Stadium.

Oakland, which is 4 1/2 games back of Anaheim in the division standings, lost the last two tests of a three-game series versus the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. In Sunday's horrific 11-1 loss in the series finale at McAfee Coliseum, Jack Cust hit his 13th homer of the season to highlight the A's offense.

Joe Blanton took the loss and was charged with eight hits and seven runs in only four frames for the Athletics, who have dropped three of their last five games.

Oakland will open a seven-game road trip on Monday and is 17-16 as the guest this season.

A's rookie Greg Smith gets the nod tonight and is 4-6 with a 3.69 earned run average in 15 starts this season. Smith was roughed up in his last outing Wednesday versus Philadelphia, as he yielded four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Smith, a left-hander, has faced the Angels twice this season and is 0-2 with a 3.77 ERA in two career starts against them.

Anaheim just went 6-3 on a nine-game road trip and ended a three-game losing streak with Sunday's 1-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game interleague set from Chavez Ravine.

John Lackey came within an out of his first shutout this season, yielding just three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts for the win. Francisco Rodriguez then notched his 32nd save of the season.

Maicer Izturis and Juan Rivera had two hits apiece for the Angels.

Toeing the rubber for the Angels tonight will be Jon Garland, who is 7-4 with a 4.05 ERA in 16 starts this season. Garland has won six of his last eight decisions and defeated Washington his last time out on Tuesday.

Garland held the Nationals to three runs and six hits in seven innings of an 8-3 victory at Nationals Park. The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.82 ERA in 15 career starts against Oakland.

The Angels are 4-3 against the Athletics this season, with a 2-2 record as the host. Oakland went 10-9 in last season's series with Anaheim.