(Sports Network) - There's no doubt Anaheim starter Joe Saunders is enjoying the best season of his career, and today he will try to become the American League's first 12-game winner in the finale of a three-game series versus the division-rival Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium.

Saunders has been a huge surprise for the AL West-leading Angels this season, having pitched to an 11-4 mark with a 3.06 earned run average through 16 starts. He hasn't dropped back-to-back trips to the hill all season and had a personal two-start winning streak come to an end the last time out on Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was reached for three runs -- two earned -- on five hits in five innings of a 6-0 defeat.

The left-hander, who sports a 4-0 record with a 2.22 ERA in four outings against division opponents in 2008, is 3-1 with a 4.24 earned run average in six career starts against the Athletics. Saunders defeated the A's on April 29 this season at Angel Stadium with eight shutout innings of four-hit ball.

Saunders will also put his 5-2 home mark on the line this afternoon.

The Angels have won two of their last three games and handed Oakland a 5-3 defeat in Tuesday's second test of this set. Garret Anderson clubbed a two- run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the way, while Casey Kotchman, Vladimir Guerrero and Jeff Mathis all posted an RBI for the Angels, who rebounded from Monday's 6-1 loss in the series opener.

Ervin Santana started on the hill for the Angels and allowed two runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings for the no-decision. Scot Shields allowed a run in the eighth but managed to record the win. Francisco Rodriguez then hurled a perfect ninth for his league-leading 33rd save of the season.

LA, which sits 4 1/2 games ahead of Oakland in the West, is 1-1 on a six-game homestand and 23-19 as the host this season.

The Athletics have lost three of their last four games and fell to 1-1 on a seven-game road trip after last night's tough loss. Mark Ellis homered and scored twice for Oakland, which is 18-17 away from the bay this season.

Oakland starter Rich Harden pitched five innings and surrendered two runs on five hits with five strikeouts in the no-decision. A's reliever Alan Embree allowed three runs to absorb the loss.

Dana Eveland will try to run his unbeaten streak to four games when he toes the rubber for the Athletics on Wednesday. Eveland is 2-0 over his last three starts, and defeated San Francisco his last time out on June 27.

Eveland held the Giants to a run and five hits in 7 1/3 innings of a 4-1 victory by the bay.

The left-hander and former draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers faced the Angels for the first time in his career on April 30 this season in Anaheim. Eveland lost the decision after permitting six runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 frames of a 6-1 setback.

Anaheim leads the 2008 season series with Oakland by a 5-4 count. The Athletics went 10-9 last year against Anaheim.