• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Weaver again masterful in Angels' win

Apr 26, 2011 - 6:39 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Jered Weaver is on fire! The right-hander continued his amazing start to the season on Monday, recording the third shutout of his career in the Angels' 5-0 win over the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series.

Weaver (6-0), who gave up seven hits, became the first pitcher to win six games in his team's first 23 games since Randy Johnson did so with Arizona in 2002. Weaver also had 10 strikeouts.

The 28-year-old Weaver has opened the season by going at least six innings and allowing no more than two earned runs in each of his first six starts. It is the longest streak to open the year for any Angels' pitcher since Weaver began his rookie season in 2006 with seven such starts.

"I had good fastball command tonight," Weaver said. "It is great to have the accolades, but I just want to keep my team in the game, which I did tonight."

Howie Kendrick went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for Los Angeles, which snapped a four-game skid. Bobby Abreu knocked in a run.

Gio Gonzalez (2-2) went five innings for the A's, allowing five runs -- four earned -- on eight hits. He also struck out five and walked one for Oakland, which has lost four of six.

"He never really got in a great rhythm," A's manager Bob Geren said of Gonzalez. "I thought his velocity and movement on his breaking ball was normal. It just wasn't located as well."

The Angels gave Weaver all the support he needed with a two-run second. Vernon Wells singled and Alberto Callaspo doubled to put men on second and third. Kendrick scored both runners with a single to right.

Los Angeles tacked on a run in the third for a 3-0 lead. Peter Bourjos singled and scored on Abreu's double to left.

The Angels scored two more runs in the fourth for a five-run cushion. Kendrick led off with a single. Erick Aybar followed with a single of his own to center, and Coco Crisp's error allowed Kendrick to score. Mark Trumbo's base hit put men on the corners. Jeff Mathis grounded into a double play to plate another run.

Weaver started to get into a groove in the fourth. He retired eight straight batters before giving up a two-out single to Crisp in the sixth.

The A's best chance to score came in the seventh. David DeJesus singled and moved to second and then third on consecutive groundouts. Kurt Suzuki walked to put men on the corners, but Mark Ellis flied out to end the frame.

Weaver also ran into a bit of trouble in the ninth. Ryan Sweeney and Hideki Matsui hit consecutive singles with one out. Suzuki and Ellis popped out to give Weaver his sixth career complete game.

Game Notes

Weaver improved to 4-6 lifetime against Oakland...The A's had scored 14 runs over their previous two games...Oakland reinstated right-handed reliever Michael Wuertz from the 15-day disabled list on Monday. To open a roster spot, the club optioned left-hander Bobby Cramer to its Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento. Wuertz tossed a scoreless seventh inning on Monday.