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Weaver strong as Angels continue march to division title

Sep 16, 2007 - 3:53 AM By Robert Czajkowskyj PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- Jered Weaver pitched six strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim took advantage of a throwing error to score the go-ahead run en route to a 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

Weaver (12-7) yielded just four hits and struck out eight without a walk after getting touched for six runs and nine hits in five innings in a loss to Cleveland last Sunday. That outing snapped a personal three-game winning streak.

"I thought he maintained his stuff," Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Although his count was high, he pitched within his mechanics,"

"It felt good today to test the waters a little bit, I felt strong and I told them I felt strong and they let me go out there and finish six innings and it worked out," Weaver said.

Darren Oliver and Scot Shields followed Weaver with scoreless frames and Francisco Rodriguez closed the door in the ninth for his 35th save, pushing the Angels (87-61) eight games ahead of the Seattle Mariners (78-68) in the American League West Division.

With Weaver locked into a duel with Chicago starter Jon Garland (9-12), who worked in and out of trouble all night, the decisive run scored in the fourth with the help of a throwing error by White Sox third baseman Andy Gonzalez.

Howie Kendrick reached second base on the error to lead off the frame and Reggie Willits brought him home one out later with a base hit up the middle for a 2-1 lead.

The Angels opened the scoring in the third on consecutive singles by Chone Figgins, Orlando Cabrera and Vladimir Guerrero. But Chicago responded in its half when Danny Richar hit a ground-rule double and Jerry Owens delivered a one-out RBI single to right.

The Angels squandered several early opportunities. After Figgins and Cabrera opened the game with singles, Guerrero hit into a double play. They had two on with one out in the second, but White Sox left fielder Scott Podsednik ended that frame when he threw out Casey Kotchman at the plate.

After the three straight singles to start the third, Garland kept Anaheim from causing further damage. He also worked out of a two-out jam in the fifth.

Garland lasted seven innings, yielding just one earned run and nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

"Garland threw the ball good," Chicago manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He got himself in trouble in a couple innings and he came out real well. He was attacking the strike zone and didn't give in to the hitters." Jim Thome, who entered with 499 career home runs, was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.