Angels lower magic number to 3

The magic number for both is three, for the Angels to win the American League West title and for Rodriguez to set baseball's single-season saves record.

Rodriguez nailed down the last three outs of the Angels' 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox in U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday for his 55th save, moving the right-hander within two of Bobby Thigpen's record, set in 1990 for the White Sox.

And the Angels took another step toward their fourth division championship in five years, riding Joe Saunders' strong start and Garret Anderson's tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to Sunday's win, which pushed their AL West lead to 17 games.

"That would be awesome," Rodriguez said when asked what it would be like to break Thigpen's record and clinch the division title in the same game.

The chances of such a daily double are remote, but if it's a foregone conclusion that the Angels will soon spray champagne on each other, it seems inevitable that Rodriguez will set the record.

"I hope I do it as quickly as possible," said Rodriguez, who struck out Nick Swisher looking at a changeup with a runner on second base to end Sunday's game. "I feel like I have 10,000 pounds on my shoulders. I would love to relieve that pressure."

The heavy workload on the field -- Rodriguez has pitched in 67 games -- and the increased media demands and attention off the field have put a strain on the 26-year-old Venezuelan.

"It takes a lot out of you," he said. "It's been a lot of work this year. More people have their eye on me, and there's pressure from my family and my country to do it. But I can't forget our first goal, to win games and go to the playoffs."

The Angels are on the verge of achieving that goal thanks in large part to Rodriguez, who has converted 55 of 61 save opportunities and bounced back Sunday from his sixth blown save of the season Saturday night.

"That page was turned by the time he got in the shower [Saturday] night," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "Of all the closers I've seen, he might be the best at turning the page. That page gets heavy for closers; it can feel like cement. But he's come back time after time and has been terrific."