Final Score in CLEVELAND: Halos 5, Tribe 2
Mark Trumbo had a big base hit in the top of the first inning and Josh Hamilton followed him with a three-run home run and that was all the Angels would need... and it turned out to be all that they would score!
Jered Weaver dominated the Indians over seven innings, allowing only two earned runs - two solo homers. He won his seventh game of the season. He struck out four and walked none on 101 pitches.
It was an important win for Weaver - #109 as an Angel ties him for third place all time in Angels franchise history. Oh, sure, the W is a lame stat that does not tell the complete picture of a pitcher's contributions, but don't worry he has compiled great numbers all around as a Halo and this is just a long-range indicator of his historic greatness.
His next W as an Angel puts him ahead of Mike Witt (109 Wins) and draws him closer to Nolan Ryan (138) and Chuck Finley (165). This is history we're watching here. His fourth strikeout of the evening was number 1,201 as an Angel - tying him with John Lackey for fifth in club history all time. Tanana looms at #4 with 1,233 and then only the big three of Witt (1,283), Fin (2,151) and The Express (2,416) loom.
Dane De La Rosa got the save in a tip-off that Ernesto Frieri is not the de facto closer for the Angels. Having a day off yesterday would have behooved the Angels to pitch their rested closer in a perfect save situation - up by three in the ninth - and yet the sphinx-like veneer of the great Soth cracked when faced with getting Weaver the win. Has Scioscia been grooming DDLR for this position all season?