Angels keep things going in the right direction

Mamba · Apr 27, 2010

ANAHEIM --

Has it finally been brought-en?

With another quality start from Jered Weaver and a 6-for-12 night from the top three hitters in their lineup, the Angels handed the Cleveland Indians a 5-2 defeat Monday night, poking their heads above .500 (11-10) for the third time in the season's first three weeks.

This time, it might last longer than the trailer for "Not Another Teen Movie." The Angels have won eight of their past 11 after a slow start and seem to have figured out how to "bring our game onto the field" in Angels manager Mike Scioscia's favorite solipsistic bromide.

"You can see it coming together. We've got too good a team to let that slow start get in our way," Weaver said. "You can see guys starting to see some pitches and get going. Bobby (Abreu) has got it cranked up lately. Woody (Brandon Wood) had three hits tonight.

"You can see things starting to click a little bit. It was only a matter of time until we got it rolling."

The first step in that formula is starting pitching and it has led the turnaround from a 3-7 start (tied for the second-worst 10-game getaway in franchise history). In the past 11 games, Angels starters have a 3.49 ERA while averaging over six innings per start and holding the opposing team to two runs or less in seven of the 11 games.

Weaver (3-0) didn't need to turn things around. The emerging ace has turned in quality starts (six innings or more, three earned runs or fewer) in each of his five starts this season, leaving the game with a lead each time.

Monday's lead was 5-1 thanks to a quick start by the Angels' offense. Erick Aybar led off the game with his first home run of the season. The Angels scored twice more in the first inning after a single by Abreu, a double by Torii Hunter, a sacrifice fly by Hideki Matsui and a two-out RBI single by Juan Rivera (his sixth two-out RBI of the season).

Abreu added a two-run home run in the sixth and an over-the-shoulder catch in the eighth to rob Grady Sizemore of a potential game-tightening two-run double.

"That play was really big," Scioscia said. "It's definitely going to be a double, two runs score and the tying run is going to be on second."

Weaver was not flawless in his six innings, scattering seven hits and a walk. But the Indians' only run was set up by Russell Branyan's dusk-aided double in the second inning. Both third baseman Brandon Wood and Rivera lost Branyan's popup in the darkening sky and let it fall.

Weaver closed that off after Jhonny Peralta's RBI single buzzed past his ear. But the Indians had baserunners in every inning but the first.

"It was a battle," Weaver said. "I looked up in the fourth inning and thought it was the eighth. ... The pitches kind of added up. It was awesome to be able to limit the damage."

Scioscia was impressed as well, calling Weaver's stuff "okay" but the effort more impressive.

"I think it's a good sign when a guy is not as crisp and can still be effective," he said.

Along the way, Hideki Matsui reached 1,000 career hits with a fifth-inning single. Matsui joins Ichiro Suzuki as the only Japanese-born players to reach 1,000 hits in the major leagues. Matsui also had 1,390 hits in 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan.
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http://www.ocregister.com/sports/angels-246000-weaver-run.html

Mamba · Apr 27, 2010

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Angels keep things going in the right direction

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