Rodriguez gets 41st save in Angels’ win over Tribe

He exceeded last year’s total of saves with still 62 games remaining this season.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Francisco Rodriguez isn’t pitching like someone moping around after losing $2.5 million in arbitration. If anything, he’s pitching like someone who wants to break the bank when he becomes a free agent at season’s end.

Rodriguez recorded his 41st save Tuesday night, surpassing last season’s total with 62 games remaining and securing a 3-2 victory for the Los Angeles Angels over the Cleveland Indians.

“He obviously likes it here and wants to pitch here, but he also understands he’s on the brink of what most players dream about — as far as leverage,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Obviously we want Frankie here and he wants to stay here. But there’s nothing that’s going to get in the way of him keeping his focus and pitching.”

No matter how this season ends for the Angels, who are a major league-best 61-39, Rodriguez’s price this winter will make last February’s arbitration hearing look like a pittance. There is no one on the staff who can replace his numbers should he leave for another club, so the top priority for owner Arte Moreno and rookie general manager Tony Reagins would appear to be locking him up with a long-term deal.

Rodriguez, who is making $10 million this year, is six saves shy of the franchise record he set in 2006.

Cleveland’s Grady Sizemore pulled even with Carlos Quentin of the White Sox for the league lead in homers with his 24th, driving Weaver’s fifth pitch of the game just over the 18-foot wall in right. Weaver had not allowed a home run in his previous four starts.

It was Sizemore’s sixth leadoff homer of the season, breaking Kenny Lofton’s 1999 club record. Sizemore’s 17 career leadoff homers are one behind Lofton’s franchise mark.

The Indians scored their second run when Kelly Shoppach was hit with an 0-2 pitch leading off the second and came around on Franklin Gutierrez’s triple to left-center. Gutierrez has three hits in three career at-bats against Weaver.