Los Angeles (66-40) at Boston (61-47)

The Los Angeles Angels have the best record in baseball, but they felt there was still room for improvement.

Not that anyone could tell from a victory that continued their season-long dominance of the reigning World Series champions.

Newly acquired Mark Teixeira is expected to make his debut Wednesday when the Angels try to complete a three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

Barring an epic collapse - the Angels (66-40) lead the AL West by 11 1/2 games over Texas - Los Angeles will win its fourth division title in five years. But manager Mike Scioscia’s team has not reached the World Series since winning it in 2002, and the Angels - eliminated in the division series by Boston in both 2004 and 2007 - were not content to stand pat heading into this postseason.

They landed Teixeira in a deal that sent first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steve Marek to the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday, bolstering the heart of a lineup that also includes Vladimir Guerrero and Torii Hunter.

“Our goal is to win a world championship,” Angels general manager Tony Reagins said. “The team is playing well at this point, but being able to add a player like Mark Teixeira just makes us that much better.”

Teixeira hit .283 with 20 homers and 78 RBIs with the Braves, and is expected to bring consistent offense to a team that’s ninth in the AL in home runs (99), batting average (.261) and runs scored (480).

“The Angels have always been one of the best teams in the league,” said Teixeira, who is trying to reach 30 homers and 100 RBIs for the fifth straight year. “They’ve always had great pitching, great defense and find a way to win games. I want to be the one who hopefully gets them over the top.”

The first baseman, who will be a free agent after the season, is a .239 lifetime hitter with four homers and 19 RBIs in 40 games versus the Red Sox (61-47).

That great pitching Teixeira referenced was on display Tuesday, when John Lackey came within two outs of a no-hitter and eventually settled for a two-hitter in a 6-2 victory, the seventh straight for the Angels over the Red Sox this season.

Los Angeles has outscored Boston 52-31 overall and won its last four at Fenway, where it hasn’t swept a three-game series since July 31-Aug. 2, 2001.

“We’re a different team than in years past,” said Angels reliever Scot Shields, who has been with the club since 2001. “We have the total package.”

Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 13 overall.

Joe Saunders (13-5, 3.10 ERA) will try to follow Lackey’s dominant performance. The left-hander allowed four runs in 6 2-3 innings to beat Baltimore 6-5 on Friday.

Saunders won at Fenway on April 24, when he gave up three runs in six innings, and did not get a decision against the Red Sox on July 19 at home after yielding two runs in 6 2-3 innings. He is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five lifetime starts against Boston.

Josh Beckett (9-7, 3.83) will try to prevent the sweep and help the Red Sox win for just the second time in six games. The right-hander was on the short end of a 1-0 loss to Joba Chamberlain and the New York Yankees on Friday, pitching seven innings.

“I was the second-best pitcher today, and ultimately that gets you a loss most of the time,” Beckett said.

Beckett matched up with Saunders and lost to the Angels on July 19 after giving up four runs in eight innings.

Dustin Pedroia, who ended Lackey’s no-hit bid with a sharp single Tuesday, is 6-for-15 lifetime versus Saunders. David Ortiz, though, is 2-for-13.