(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim take aim at their fifth straight win this evening when they play the second of four games against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

The Angels' offense exploded in the opener of this set on Thursday, as Torii Hunter, Juan Rivera and Vladimir Guerrero all blasted three-run homers, lifting Los Angeles to a 12-6 win.

Chone Figgins and Garret Anderson both finished 4-of-5 for the AL West-leading Angels, who pounded out 18 hits en route to their eighth win in nine games. Mark Teixeira added his first two hits in an Angels uniform after being acquired earlier in the week from the Atlanta Braves.

Jon Garland (10-6) allowed three runs on seven hits in six innings to pick up the win.

Bobby Abreu and Xavier Nady homered for the reeling Yankees, who have dropped four of their past five games and are now 4 1/2 games behind Tampa Bay in the AL East.

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez, making his New York debut after being acquired for reliever Kyle Farnsworth on Wednesday, finished 1-for-3.

Andy Pettitte (12-8) was touched for nine runs on 11 hits in just 5 1/3 innings.

Getting the call for the Halos tonight will be All-Star Ervin Santana, who has lost his last two starts. Santana was charged with the loss on Sunday in Baltimore, as the Orioles roughed him up for five runs and seven hits in five innings, dropping him to 11-5, while raising his earned run average to 3.57.

Santana is 4-1 lifetime against the Yankees, but is pitching to a 6.15 ERA in those contests.

New York will counter with righty Sidney Ponson, who is 6-2 with a 4.59 ERA. Ponson was roughed up by the Boston Red Sox on Sunday, as he allowed seven runs and 10 hits in four innings.

Ponson has faced the Angels 13 times (11 starts) and is 7-2 with a 4.67 ERA.

The Angels won six of nine from the Yanks last season, including four of six in New York.