Angels won’t change it up for Indians

Go ahead, get excited about the Angels’ four-game series against the Indians, which starts tonight in Anaheim.

The Angels aren’t.

Marvel that the Indians, though short of marquee players, are riding an 11-1 surge and have won 16 of 20 games since Aug 15. They’ve erased a one-game deficit in the American League Central division and built a seven-game lead over Detroit, scoring runs in bunches and getting a league-leading 40 saves from Joe Borowski.

Look at it as a big deal, a potential preview of the AL championship series.

The Angels won’t.

There was no hint of drama or tension in the Angels’ clubhouse Wednesday, no sense that players were eagerly anticipating a series that will bring together two resourceful, entertaining teams in a series that could change the AL division and wild-card races.

The Angels’ 6-2 loss to Oakland on Wednesday undoubtedly dulled any enthusiasm they might have felt about anything besides escaping Angel Stadium quickly and before rush-hour traffic.

But it’s also their nature not to expend energy on worrying about their opponents, even a team as hot as the Indians.

Respect? Sure.

“They’ve been on the brink for a while. This year they’ve broken through to show their potential,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“They’re a tough club and we’ve had our hands full with them this year.”

Anxiety? No.

“They’ve got some good pitching out there in the starting rotation and in the back end too, so it’s not really a surprise they’re doing well,” left fielder Garret Anderson said in his usual polite monotone.

“We don’t look at what place the team is at. We’re trying to win the game that night. We know they’re a good team, but every night you can get beat by anybody so we just come out and play, no matter who we’re playing.”

If anyone had a right to skip clichés and be the lone happy voice in the clubhouse, it was Anderson.

His run-scoring single in the first inning extended his streak to 10 games in which he has driven in at least one run, tying a club record set by Fred Lynn in 1984 and equaled by Wally Joyner in 1986. He has 27 RBIs in his last 15 games and 68 overall in 91 games of an injury-plagued season, with his swing looking better and more comfortable every day.

As his numbers improve, so will the Angels’ hopes of playing deep into October. But Anderson wasn’t reading anything into one good game -- or 10 productive games in a row.

“My mentality is always the same. It’s just that things are happening for me now,” he said.

Enjoying the feat, Anderson said, is “a little hard. It’s an individual thing and my focus is on winning games. . . . It’s something I’ll probably reflect back on.”

Nor was Anderson ready to look ahead and place special importance on the next four games.

He conceded that he might file away a few thoughts on the Indians for future reference, but he’s not fanatic about it.

“Generally you always remember good or bad. As players, things get logged in your brain,” he said.

“So you’re not really thinking too far down the line, just this weekend.”

The Indians’ scheduled starter tonight is Paul Byrd, who was 12-11 for the Angels in 2005 and earned their only victory over the White Sox in the AL championship series.

He was lowballed by General Manager Bill Stoneman in contract negotiations and went to Cleveland, getting a two-year deal worth $14.25 million with an option for a third year that would raise the overall value to $22 million.

With a 14-5 record, he ranks third in wins on the Indians’ staff; C.C. Sabathia has 16 and Fausto Carmona ran his record to 15-8 with a 7 1/3 -inning, two-run performance against the Twins on Wednesday.

In the same game, cleanup hitter Victor Martinez drove in two runs and reached the 100-RBI mark for the second time in his career.

The Angels are aware of all they might encounter. They are just not inclined to get emotional about it.

“We play too many games to get excited about playing anybody,” Anderson said.

“Your focus is on playing hard and trying to win that night.”

Winning this series would solidify the Angels’ division championship aspirations and allow them to coast home, but Anderson said tonight’s game is the only one with which they are concerned.

Their measured approach has worked so far, so who’s to argue or think it’s worth changing now?

“The next few weeks are too far away to worry about,” he said. “Our team doesn’t get too far ahead of itself.”

As long as it stays ahead of the AL West pack, that’s all that matters.

Helene Elliott can be reached at helene.elliott@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Elliott, go to latimes.com/elliott.