Angels make a enjoyable stopover in Cleveland

For the second consecutive afternoon, the Angels packed their bags and headed to the airport after a lopsided victory, this one a 12-3 shellacking of the Cleveland Indians in Progressive Field on Monday.

There, a plane awaited to take the Angels to Texas, where Tuesday night they will begin a three-game series against the Rangers.

Or was that a steamroller the Angels boarded?

It must have seemed that way to the Indians and Minnesota Twins, who were flattened by an Angels offense that amassed 46 runs and 70 hits, including eight home runs, in a four-game sweep in Minnesota and a one-and-done bludgeoning of the Indians in a makeup game from a June 18 rainout.

The Angels have won five games in a row and 11 of 13 games to run their major league-best record to 88-55 and open an eight-game lead over Oakland in the American League West.

Their second-half surge has been fueled by a vastly improved bullpen and solid rotation, but now the offense, which has been productive but far from overwhelming for much of the season, has caught fire, a development that, if it continues, would definitely buoy the team’s World Series hopes.

“We’ve talked about some of the potential that’s in our lineup, and we’re starting to see it — it’s a great sign,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “These guys have hit another gear this week. We just want to keep it going.”

The Angels ended a scoreless tie Monday with a six-run fifth inning highlighted by Kole Calhoun’s towering two-run home run to right-center field, his 14th this season, and David Freese’s three-run home run to left-center field, his seventh this season and first since July 27.

Albert Pujols hit a three-run home run to left field in the ninth inning, his 26th this season and 518th of his career, and Howie Kendrick followed with a solo shot to right-center field, as the Angels, who had 16 hits, tacked on four insurance runs.

No. 7 hitter C.J. Cron sparked the fifth-inning rally with a single to right field and took third base on Hank Conger’s single. No. 9 hitter Collin Cowgill knocked in the first run with a groundout. Calhoun hit a home run, and Pujols and Kendrick singled ahead of Freese’s home run.

“We’re just having great at-bats, one through nine, doing the little things right,” said center fielder Mike Trout, who had two hits and two runs. “Everyone is swinging it. It’s definitely fun to be a part of.”

The Angels beat up on six Twins relievers in Sunday’s 14-4 victory, but Monday’s fifth-inning outburst came against hard-throwing right-hander Danny Salazar, who started the game with a 17-inning scoreless streak and threw an eight-hit, nine-strikeout shutout of Detroit on Wednesday.

“It was tough to fly in [Sunday] night and play one game and get out of here, but to get the win, especially against a live arm like Salazar, we’ll take it,” Freese said. “You have to beat those types of guys in October.”

Jered Weaver matched Salazar, zero for zero, through four innings en route to a six-inning, three-run, six-hit effort that notched the right-hander’s AL-leading 16th victory.

Weaver struggled to regain his command after the long rally in the fifth inning, and he gave up a leadoff double to Jason Kipnis and a two-run home run to Lonnie Chisenhall to start the bottom of the fifth.

“But you can’t complain too much when you get a six-run lead,” Weaver said. “These guys are pretty talented. It’s fun to watch when they’re locked in and doing their thing like they were today.”