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Angels turn to All-Star Weaver against Indians

Jul 2, 2012 - 2:43 PM (Sports Network) - Jered Weaver is one of four All-Stars for the LA Angels of Anaheim and hopes to continue dealing tonight in the opener of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

Weaver will join teammates Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and C.J. Wilson for the 83rd All-Star Game on July 10 at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri could join them if he gets enough votes for the final All-Star spot.

"It's really exciting," said Weaver, who gets the nod Monday. "Like I said before, it's crazy how it's come full circle. You grow up watching it. As a kid, you look forward to the All-Star Game to see all the guys come out. Now to come full circle and be a part of it, it's still a tremendous honor. And it's going to be fun to share with some of my teammates as well."

Weaver is unbeaten (3-0) in his last five starts and received more than enough run support in Wednesday's 13-1 pounding of the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards, where he allowed one run and struck out six in 6 2/3 innings to run his record to 8-1 in 13 starts with a 2.31 ERA.

The right-hander has yielded no more than one run twice in his last four starts and is holding opposing batters to a stingy .193 average. Weaver did not record a decision in Cleveland back on April 27, when he threw six scoreless innings and struck out eight. He is 5-2 with a 3.14 ERA in 13 career starts against the Tribe and 4-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his career at Cleveland.

Anaheim ended a two-game slide and earned a split of a four-game series at Toronto with Sunday's 10-6 rout of the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Trout, Trumbo and Alberto Callaspo all homered and Howie Kendrick collected three hits for the Angels, who have won eight of 11 games and are 4-2 on a nine-game trek.

Wilson did not record a decision and gave up two runs, one of which was earned, in five innings of work. Reliever Jason Isringhausen got the win in the seventh inning for the Halos, who are 5 1/2 game behind Texas for the AL West lead.

Cleveland is back home for a seven-game residency after going 4-6 on a 10-game trek.

The Indians won three of four meetings with the Orioles and are coming off Sunday's 6-2 win in which Justin Masterson fired seven strong innings. Masterson was reached for two runs -- one earned -- struck out seven and did not issue a walk. Vinnie Pestano and Chris Perez each hurled a scoreless inning of relief to keep Baltimore at bay. Perez and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera were named to the All-Star team on Sunday.

Shelley Duncan and Aaron Cunningham both homered, while the former finished 3- for-4 with two runs scored for the Indians, who sit 1 1/2 games in back of the Chicago White Sox for AL Central bragging rights and scored 32 runs in Baltimore after amounting just 13 in the previous six games.

"There were a lot of guys who put together big days," Duncan said. "We put a lot of runs on the board this series. It's almost like we started hitting like we're capable."

Indians hard-throwing right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will make the second start of his career against the Angels this evening. In a 4-3 loss back on June 23, 2009 as a member of Colorado, Jimenez gave up all four runs and seven hits in seven innings of work.

Jimenez hopes to gain a measure of revenge against the Halos, and has alternated wins and losses over his last six decisions. He is 7-6 with a 4.69 ERA in 15 starts and lost at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, allowing four runs in six innings of a 5-4 setback. In six home starts this season, Jimenez is 3-2 with a 3.79 ERA.

The Indians won two of three meetings with Anaheim from April 27-29 at home.