Rangers Lose To Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Right-hander Jered Weaver repelled two years of various physical problems to surpass a Hall of Famer in the Los Angeles Angels’ all-time records.

Weaver won his first start of the season as the Angels defeated the Texas Rangers 3-1 on Sunday in front of 35,097 at Angel Stadium.

Weaver (1-0) allowed six hits, one run, one walk and one hit batter in six innings while striking out four and throwing 84 pitches. The right-hander used the win to pass Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and take over second place in career victories for the club with 139.

“I didn’t come here for personal accolades; I came here to win championships,” Weaver said. “With that being said, it’s very humbling to be in the same sentence as people who have done great things for this organization.”

Three relievers held the Rangers to one baserunner on a hit in the final three innings. Right-hander Huston Street struck out two in a perfect ninth inning for his first save.

Since 2014, Weaver has been fighting shoulder tightness, declining velocity and an inflamed left hip. This spring, with his fastball barely exceeding 80 mph, doctors diagnosed Weaver with deteriorating neck vertebrae.

But against Texas, Weaver retired seven successive batters between

the first and third innings, with his fastball reaching 84 mph.

“There’s no tightness in my shoulder, no tightness in my back, no tightness in my hip,” Weaver said. “I can pitch like that for the rest of the season but I only know it’s going to get better.”

Rangers right fielder Nomar Mazara got three hits in his first three major-league at-bats and hit his first home run after being recalled from Triple-A Round Rock earlier in the day. The 20-year-old Mazara, the youngest player on a major-league roster, finished 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

“He’s very poised,” Texas manager Jeff Banister said. “He stepped up in the first inning and didn’t get caught up with the lack of velocity or the pitch selection. He was patient.”

But left-hander Martin Perez took the loss despite inducing 17 groundouts, including three double plays, in 6 1/3 innings. Perez (0-1) permitted three runs, seven hits, five walks and a hit batter while failing to generate a strikeout.

Weaver defused a potential rally in the top of the first inning. Mazara hit a one-out single up the middle in his first plate appearance before moving to second base when Prince Fielder walked.

But the right-hander induced Adrian Beltre to fly out, then caught Mitch Moreland looking at an 81 mph fastball on the inside corner for a called third strike.

Weaver escaped a similar situation in the top of third, when Magara and Fielder hit successive singles with two out. But Beltre ran into his own batted ball he hit it in front of the plate to end the inning.

“It’s almost like facing a knuckleballer,” Banister said about batting against Weaver. “He throws the breaking ball at different speeds and the fastball at different speeds. We had very limited opportunities and we didn’t capitalize on them.”

The Angels repaid Weaver by taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third against Perez. Johnny Giavotella and Yunel Escobar began the inning with singles, then moved into scoring position on Craig Gentry’s sacrifice. Mike Trout grounded out to bring Giavotella home, then Albert Pujols singled to left to score Escobar.

Pujols’ hit gave him his 1,701st career RBI, drawing him within one of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson for 23rd place all-time.

Texas responded in the fourth by putting the potential tying runs in scoring position after Moreland and Ian Desmond hit back-to-back singles. Moreland took third when Elvis Andrus flied out, then Desmond stole second with two out. But Weaver struck out Bryan Holaday on a 73 mph breaking pitch to quell the threat.

However, Mazara ended the shutout in the fifth with his first major-league home run. The 20-year-old Dominican hit Weaver’s first pitch, a 79 mph fastball, onto the batters’ eye in center field. Mazara thus became the eighth player in club history to hit a home run in his major-league debut.

“The heater, if we’re still calling it a fastball, was not a bad pitch,” Weaver said. “He just did a good job of getting his hands inside of it. It took me more than three at-bats to figure him out.”

Los Angeles regained a two-run lead on Trout’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the seventh. The plate appearance was Trout’s first with the bases loaded this season.

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