ANAHEIM – To closer Ernesto Frieri, the Angels’ weekend sweep of the Chicago White Sox is evidence that the club is ready to take on all comers.

“We played really good baseball against a really good team,” Frieri said Sunday. “It’s good for our confidence, to let us know that we can beat anybody.”

Frieri was then asked if anybody included the Oakland Athletics, the team that easily swept the Angels just one week ago and the team the Angels host for three games beginning Monday. He didn’t hesitate.

“We’re going to beat them,” Frieri said. “Get ready to write that. I hate to say this, but they have a little bit extra luck. If you pay attention every play, it’s stupid how the game goes their way.”

Oakland’s peripheral statistics do not scream luck. The A’s have scored the most runs in the majors and allowed the fewest, for a plus-128 run differential that is nearly 100 runs better than the Angels’ mark.

In six head-to-head games, Oakland has scored 43 runs to the Angels’ 26.

Frieri threw the last pitch of all three Angels’ wins over the White Sox, recording two saves. He had four days off before his Friday outing, but he said he felt his sharpest Sunday.

“For me, when I have four or five days off, I pitch like I haven’t pitched before,” Frieri said. “I don’t know what I’m doing. We want to win more, and I hope I’ll be in the game more often. That’s the best Ernie, when I pitch more.”

HAMILTON’S HOT

Josh Hamilton has had two really good weeks this season – they just happened to be separated by nearly two months.

In six games since he was activated from the disabled list for a thumb-ligament tear that cost him seven weeks, Hamilton has eight hits in 22 at-bats, with a homer and five RBI.

In eight games before he went on the DL, Hamilton had 12 hits in 27 at-bats, including two homers and six RBI, plus five walks.

Altogether, he’s hitting .400, including .438 against the left-handed pitching that tormented him a year ago. He said Sunday he was “not surprised, but excited” by his return’s results.

“It obviously helps to do it immediately,” Hamilton said.

Hamilton said he learned from previous disabled stints to not try to make up for lost time upon his return, and Angels manager Mike Scioscia agreed.

“I think it’s pretty clear to see he’s more comfortable in the box against everybody, but particularly against lefties,” Scioscia said. “When he’s getting a pitch in the zone, he’s putting a great swing on it. When it’s not in the zone, he’s been taking it. Hopefully, he’s gonna be fun to watch for the rest of the summer.”

Said Sunday starter C.J. Wilson: “He’s getting hits off lefties, he’s getting hits to the opposite field, he’s drawing walks, he’s doing everything right. I have a lot of confidence that when he’s in the lineup, we’re going to score runs.”

NOTES

Right fielder Kole Calhoun sat Sunday for the second straight game against a left-hander, but Scioscia said he remains in the everyday discussion: “I don’t think anything has changed about our confidence that Kole’s going to hit left-handers. But I do feel we want to keep Collin Cowgill fresh and not have him sit for a long time.” The Angels are scheduled to face three lefties in their next six games. … The Angels held White Sox slugger Jose Abreu to one hit over three games, striking him out six times in 12 at-bats. Said Wilson: “I think we caught him at a bad time for him. We face them at the end of the month, and we have to make sure we don’t go in there thinking he’s going to go 0 for 4, because that’s not going to happen very many times. He’s a really good hitter, and that’s very obvious.”

Contact the writer: pmoura@ocregister.com