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Weaver pitches shutout, Angels beat Padres 6-0

Jun 14, 2009 - 11:31 PM By SOLANGE REYNER Associated Press Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif.(AP) -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia gave Jered Weaver an eight-pitch cutoff to complete his first career shutout.

Weaver did it in six.

Juan Rivera homered twice, Weaver pitched a gem and the Los Angeles Angels beat the San Diego Padres 6-0 to complete a three-game sweep Sunday.

Weaver (7-2) worked quickly on the mound and struck out five while only giving up five hits. He threw 119 pitches, 80 strikes, and won his fourth straight.

It was the third complete game of his career - all have come this season. He did it was a quick ninth inning.

"(Scioscia) said, 'Can you get it done in eight pitches?' and I said 'Yeah, let me go out there and see if I can.' We were able to get two first-pitch outs and it worked out," he said.

So what if he needed to throw a few more?

"Maybe I would have given him eight-and-a-half," Scioscia said.

Weaver got out of jams with spectacular fielding gems from teammates.

Gary Matthews Jr. made up for a baserunning blunder with a diving catch against Henry Blanco in the third and Rivera robbed Kevin Kouzmanoff with a long, running grab in the fourth.

"Anytime you can get the bullpen a break is a great day," Matthews said. "Tremendous effort. He located, he was locked in and we definitely gave him a little bit of support."

Weaver's early season success is reminiscent of his 2006 rookie year when he went 11-2 and opened his major league career with a 9-0 record. In his past five games, he has a 1.29 ERA and has only given up five runs.

"I haven't seen him pitch regularly the last three years, but today I saw a little bit of a transformation," said San Diego manager Bud Black, who was Weaver's pitching coach that year. "I thought he used more changeups, more curveballs and used the slider more than I recollect. But he still had good command with the fastball, changed speeds very well and kept us off-balance. He pitched a good ballgame."

Scioscia said Weaver added more looks to his fastball, making him more of a threat.

"Changing the elevation, he threw some downhill, elevated some, had some where he threw a two-seamer and moved it in and out. He spins the ball well, has a really good breaking ball and has a changeup that really is a difference maker. Moving that fastball around is important to him. That's when he's at his best," Scioscia said.

Rivera's homers helped. They came a day after teammate Torii Hunter hit three against the Padres, who have given up 13 home runs in their last five games.

Rivera hit one off Chris Young in the third and added another solo shot in the fifth off Edwin Moreno.

"We did the most with seven hits, but the home runs certainly helped," Scioscia said.

Young (4-6) had poor command of his pitches early, walking four straight while allowing five hits in 2 1-3 innings. He gave up an RBI single to Vladimir Guerrero in the first and walked a runner home before giving up a two-run single to Hunter in the second that gave Los Angeles a 4-0 lead.

Walking Kendry Morales in the third after giving up the homer to Rivera chased Young, who lost his fourth straight game in his shortest outing of the season.

"I was trying to lock in, and I couldn't find the zone. Every adjustment I tried to make during that stretch just seemed to make it worse instead of better. Nothing seemed to work," said Young, who hasn't fared well in Los Angeles.

He gave up four homers in a loss to the Dodgers on June 9.

NOTES: Angels reliever Scot Shields will have season-ending surgery on Tuesday for patella tendinitis. ... Scioscia said pitcher Kelvim Escobar would throw off of flat ground on Sunday. Escobar, who missed the entire 2008 season with a torn labrum and was on the 60-day DL this season for right shoulder pain, could throw out of the bullpen for the remainder of this season. He appeared in one game on June 6 as a starter, but was shut down. ... The Padres agreed to terms with 22 of their draft selections. They have yet to sign high school player Donovan Tate, their third overall pick.