Rangers Lose To Angels
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ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jered Weaver is traveling through time in reverse to help the Los Angeles Angels in the present.
The right-hander, who leads the American League in victories, earned his 18th as the Angels defeated the Texas Rangers 8-5 on Saturday night in front of 35,890 at Angel Stadium.
Weaver (18-8) allowed just two hits in his first six innings and retired 14 consecutive batters between the second and the seventh. In seven-plus innings, Weaver had seven strikeouts and just one walk while allowing three runs on five hits.
“The ball is coming out of his hand as well as it has in four or five years,” Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. “He worked hard to get back to where he needed to be.”
Weaver, a three-time All-Star who won 20 games in 2012, missed 45 games last year because of a broken left elbow and had been fighting shoulder stiffness for “quite a while,” the pitcher said.
“The last couple of years have been a grind for me,” Weaver said. “I had to change my mechanics to throw around it, but I couldn’t throw the ball the way I was capable of throwing it.”
With his velocity diminished, Weaver learned how to rely on breaking pitches to spot his fastball, which now averages between 89 and 91 mph. Weaver also engaged in a regimen of massage and stretching with
Yoishi Terada, the team’s massage therapist.
“This is probably the best I’ve felt in about three or four years,” Weaver said. “The velocity hasn’t been there, but it’s been a process to get strength in the right areas to throw nine innings or 100 pitches or whatnot.”
By stifling a team that scored 46 runs in its past seven games, Weaver ended the Rangers’ seven-game winning streak.
“His command was great,” Scioscia said. “He went through a lineup that can score a lot of runs in a hurry.”
In the process, Weaver collected his 1,400th career strikeout, becoming the 17th American League pitcher to accomplish the feat within the first nine major-league seasons. Among the 17 are Hall of Famers Walter Johnson, Bob Feller, Lefty Grove and Bert Blyleven.
Right-hander Huston Street retired all three batters he faced for his career-best 39th save.
Center fielder Mike Trout, first baseman Albert Pujols and third baseman David Freese each hit home runs to lead the Angels’ 13-hit attack. Pujols and second baseman Howie Kendrick finished with three hits apiece.
Pujols’ homer, the 519th of his career, enabled him to reach 100 RBIs in a season for the 12th time in his career. The National League’s three-time MVP trails Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Willie McCovey and Frank Thomas by two home runs; the three each have 521 to share 18th place.
“I don’t play for numbers, guys,” Pujols said. “My goal is to help this organization win and to do whatever I can do every day to try to get a W.”
Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre hit three doubles and drove in two runs. He last hit three doubles in a game July 25, 2007, against the Rangers for the Seattle Mariners.
“He’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever been around,” Texas interim manager Tim Bogar said. “I don’t think he’s played a game this year when he’s been 100 percent. But the swings that he takes and the effort that he gives is unbelievable.”
Texas starter Colby Lewis (10-14) allowed eight runs (seven earned) and nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out two. Nine of the 15 outs Lewis recorded were fly balls.
“He couldn’t get the ball down,” Bogar said. “He’s a guy who has to rely on location, and he just couldn’t put the ball where he wanted. Every time he left it out over the plate, they didn’t miss it.”
