Angels: May 2008 Archives

OK, now it's clear. This is never going to be easy for the Angels, who haven't scored more than four runs against the Blue Jays in the last 17 games.

You can double the degree of difficulty when you realize the Angels are averaging just 2.25 runs in the four games John Lackey has started since his return May 14. And so when Lackey left Saturday's game, after eight innings of limiting the Blue Jays to two runs on six hits, he wasn't leading.

But despite what would end up as a 16-6 Angels' hitting edge, neither were the guys from Anaheim. The best they could do was 2-2 with a two-for-11 mark hitting with runners in scoring position.

Then Maicer Izturis got his career-high-tying fourth hit, bunting for a base hit behind Casey Kotchman, who had singled to lead off the 10th, and both moved up on a wild throw. After an intentional walk, Juan Rivera came up in the pinch-hitting role he's finally starting to feel comfortable in.

And he took a hard inside sinker, despite breaking his bat on it, into right center for the game-winner,

So you get to Angel Stadium early and wonder what to watch besides batting practice.

Here's a tip. Keep your eye on the third base-left-field foul line.

On back-to-back days, that's where the action was.

On Friday, after putting up a screen to protect them, a half-dozen of the Angels' ground crew broke out the shovels and shears and were digging a basketball backboard size hole in search of a sprinkler leak that was creating a sinkhole that had crept into the third-base coach's box.

Bot try as they might, for the first half-hour anyway and despite breaking out the architectural drawings that looked like an old pirates' treasure map, they couldn't find it to the amusement of Angels players, coaches and media.

And then they did, after hauling mud away and replacing it with sand.

Saturday, it was something else as a half-dozen of the younger Angels players and pitchers not starting, played Hacky Sack but with a baseball, not a bean bag. And they weren't bad although the hard ball made hitting with the head a bit of a challenge.

No better time than now to shake up an Angels' lineup facing its first three-game losing streak in nearly a year as it ends May hitting a lousy .225 while producing three runs or fewer in 12 of the last 16 games.

So hats off to Torii Hunter, batting fifth, and Casey Kotchman right behind him at the No. 6 spot. They're the only two Angels hitting in the same spot they did Friday.

Seven others will be coming from another place including leadoff hitter Reggie Willits, in for the slumping Gary Matthews Jr. Howie Kendrick in his second game back moves from the seventh spot to second.

Garret Anderson and Vlad Guerrero exchange spots with Vlad going back to the cleanup spot and Garret moving up to third.

Here's the entire order for the bunch that will face Blue Jays righty Shaun Marcum (4-3, 2.80 ERA). Willits LF, Kendrick 2B, Anderson DH, Guerrero RF, Hunter, CF, Kotchman, 1B, Maicer Izturis SS, Jeff Mathis C and Robb Quinlan 3B with John Lackey (1-1, 2.05) getting his fourth start since coming off the DL May 14.

It seemed a promising start, the two wins the Angels recorded in three starts in Toronto earlier this month.

Would this be the year, just the third year in the last 11 seasons, that the Angels come out on top in the season series between these two? After all, a team that could handle the Yankees over this same period surely could play with the Jays, couldn't it?

Friday's game, the 10-4 romp by the Jays that Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said would only leave then the choice to "turn the page'' and move on, says maybe not.

We'll see starting tonight at 6:05 as Angels ace John Lackey (1-1, 2.05 ERA) faces another of the competent Blue Jays' pitchers, Shaun Marcum (4-3, 2.80).

But the real challenge will be for the slumping Angels' offense as it tries to get out of the month of May while facing off against a hot-hitting Toronto team. Or will it come down to what it has most of the month for an Angels team that's managed to stay on top the AL West thanks to its sterling starting pitching?

Jered Weaver said he didn't think he had that bad a night, allowing 10 hits and six runs without getting an out in the fifth to a hot-hitting Toronto team.

But despite getting ahead early in the count and throwing a number of good pitches, Weaver (4-6, 4.69 ERA), couldn't put a Blue Jay away when he had to.

If he threw a good pitch, they'd break a bat and bloop an RBI single on the way to 17 hits.

If he missed and got the ball up, as he did to Lyle Overbay, he'd get it hit out as he did in the second by Overbay, who came back to finish his night off with another home run in the seventh. Not bad for a guy on an 0-for-11 streak going into the game with just three home runs all season.

And so the Blue Jays' weird mastery over the Angels continued, raising their record against the team from Anaheim to 27-15 since 2003.

You know the NCAA Division I baseball tournament has started when Angels players are lining both couches in front of the TV sets to catch some of the action, as they were before Friday's game.

Starting pitcher Jered Weaver could only watch one of the called strikes on a breaking ball maybe nine inches outside and recall his days as a Long Beach State All-American and dream of "that college strike zone,'' he said..

They were only off for a day Thursday in the midst of a six-game homestand but tonight's Angels-Blue Jays game has all the feel of a homecoming -- or two.

First, there's Howie Kendrick, out since Apr. 13 with a strained left hamstring that's cost him 42 games. The Angels aren't messing around. After two rehab games this week at Triple A Salt Lake, here he is -- back in the lineup at second base and batting seventh.

The fact that he was hitting .500 in his 10 games this season, and had hits in nine of those, didn't hurt his quick return.

Also back for the first time since ending a four-year stint as the Angels shortstop (2001-2004) is David Eckstein, who helped the Angels to the 2002 World Series (and then the Cardinals on his next stop).

The last time the Blue Jays shortstop played in Angel Stadium appearance was in that 2004 season..

It's a wonder the Angels haven't lost more often in this wretched stretch in which they are hitting .179 and averaging just 2.6 runs over their past nine games.

Wednesday, when Armando Galarraga limited the Angels to just three hits in 8 1/3 innings while striking out four in the Angels' 6-2 loss to Detroit, was the 12th time in the club's past 15 games they've scored three runs or less.

Except this time, they weren't bailed out by a marvelous pitching performance or any late-inning luck. Everything, instead, rolled downhill.

"Their confidence is fine," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "If there was no confidence, there's nothing to be frustrated about. These guys know they're better ballplayers."

Joe Saunders (8-2) allowed five runs in five innings and a pair of home runs to Marcus Thames, who also flied out to the warning track twice. It equaled his shortest outing this season and before Thames' blasts, the lefty had allowed just five homers in 10 starts this year.

It ended a superb run in which Angels' starters had thrown nine quality starts in their past 11 games and combined for a 1.30 ERA in their past five.

"They weren't bad pitches, they just weren't the right pitches," said Saunders, dismayed he didn't shake off catcher Mike Napoli. "I executed the pitches and he executed the home runs."

Marcus Thames has connected for two home runs against Angels starter Joe Saunders through the first five innings, equaling the most Saunders has allowed in a game this season.

The lefty, who entered looking for his AL-leading ninth win, had only allowed five homers all season and never given up more than four runs in 10 starts this year.

He has already allowed five in five innings as the Angels trail 5-0.

For the second time in four games, Angels slugger Vladimir Guerrero is out of the Angels' lineup. In Sunday's game in Chicago, it was for Guerrero to "re-charge" and today it seems like it is the same thing.

Manager Mike Scioscia said he's using today to combine with tomorrow's off day to give Guerrero two days off in a row because it "will allow him to catch his breath," Scioscia said.

Here is tonight's lineup in the finale against the Tigers:

Willits - LF
Izturis - SS
Anderson - DH
Hunter - CF
Matthews - RF
Kotchman - 1B
Napoli - C
Wood - 3B
Rodriguez - 2B

Saunders - P

In an official announcement this afternoon at Angel Stadium, the Angels were awarded the 2010 All-Star Game by Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig.

Banners are already draped outside Angel Stadium and a logo is on the right-center field wall proclaiming The Big A as the "Home of the 2010 All-Star Game."

In a short press conference on a stage set up in front of the Angels dugout, Selig said "Awarding an All-Star Game, there are myriad factors that take place, but this one was easy. Quite frankly, this franchise has become a model for all other franchises."

The game will be played on Tuesday July 13, 2010 with all kinds of events surrounding the game. Five to seven days' worth of events, Selig said.

Many of the 30,000 Angels' season ticket holders will be able to purchase tickets for the game and stay in their seats. However, because of some MLB restrictions, "some people will relocate," Angels owner Arte Moreno said.

Joe Saunders is seeking to become the American League's first nine-game winner and to continue a string of dominance by Angels' pitchers as the team looks for a three-game sweep against the Tigers tonight.

Angels pitchers have thrown nine quality starts in their past 11 games, and they have combined for a 1.29 ERA over the past five games, or one turn through the rotation.

"They're keeping it close regardless of what we do at the plate, which has to be frustrating for the pitchers," Casey Kotchman said. "But they keep putting up zeroes for us."

Since Daisuke Matsuzaka didn't factor into a decision last night for the Red Sox, Saunders has a chance to really make a statement tonight.

Garret Anderson's single in the eighth tied Tuesday's game, 2-2, but it was more important than that.

Anderson's single to left that brought in Sean Rodriguez was the team's first in 27 at-bats with runners in scoring position, spanning the past four games.

Ervin Santana just retired the side in order to send it to the bottom of the ninth, tied, 2-2.

Playing in his first rehab game since May 6 when he re-injured his left hamstring, Howie Kendrick went 0 for 2 after playing five innings for Class AAA.

Kendrick struck out and grounded to second.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the best-case scenario would be for Kendrick to return this weekend.

The Angels were allowed a day without batting practice and didn't have to be at the field until 5 p.m. today in an effort to ease their minds about their current struggles.

"We've been really grinding it," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "The first course of action when guys are struggling is you try to get more work in the cage, on the field, more reps. You keep the same routine to get them going but there comes a point where less is more and I think we're at that point. We came off a trip and got back at 2 a.m. Monday and we wanted to get out here the first day and swing, get used to our field, get used to being back home. We're giving them a day just to get here, show up, get loose, swing in the cage. Hopefully it will change it up a little. We've done it before. We're just trying to get these guys in sync. We've been pounding it the other way."

Don't miss this one.

With a 7:05 start, both teams will have an extra hour to rest up today and show that at least one of them, maybe, can score a run in the regulation nine innings.

Not that Monday's memorable Memorial Day 1-0 12-inning marathon of one-of-a-kind weirdness wasn't interesting.

And not that the offensiveless Angels, two games out front of the AL West, haven't figured out a way to win without scoring much or hitting at all. It just takes so much out of a team -- especially one starting what is essentially three-fourths of a Triple A infield so overmatched at the plate.

Not that Angels starter Ervin Santana (6-2, 3.24 ERA) won't be trying to extend Detroit's offensive ineptitude. Ditto for Detroit's Jeremy Bonderman (3-5, 4.58).

They can't hit or score but they just keep winning.

Must be the pitching.

Of course it was in the AL West-leading Angels' 1-0 return-home Memorial Day holiday win Monday over Detroit that ended on a weird bases-loaded walkoff walk to Garret Anderson that scored the game's lone run.

It took the Angels 53 games, longest in MLB this season, to get to an extra inning game. Then it looked like it might take the Angels that long to score a run.

Lucky for them, Angels starter Jon Garland, who went into the eighth without giving up a run, got great help from relievers Scot Shields, Frncisco Rodriguez and Jose Arredondo, who threw a scoreless 11th and 12th innings to earn his first major league win, wouldn't let this game get away from them.

.

Prior to his rehab start Wednesday in Salt Lake, the Angels brought Dustin Moseley off the DL in order to option him to the Triple A club.

Got that?

And in an unintended move, Detroit was forced to take DH Gary Sheffield out of the lineup in the third inning after he pulled up lame after hitting a hard grounder to short, unable to run the play out as he grabbed his left side and limped off.

Turns out Sheffield, with his long, powerful swing, had pulled an oblique muscle, something you would have thought he'd have done more of over the years the way he swings.

Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig will be at Angel Stadium for a 12:30 p.m. announcement Wednesday that the Angels will host the All-Star Game in 2010.

Here's the complete release from the Angels and MLB.

MEDIA ADVISORY May 26, 2008

MLB, ANGELS AND THE CITY OF ANAHEIM TO MAKE MAJOR JOINT ANNOUNCEMENT AT ANGEL STADIUM OF ANAHEIM ON WEDNESDAY

WHAT: Major League Baseball, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the City of Anaheim will make a major joint announcement at Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

WHO: Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball
Arte Moreno, Owner, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Curt Pringle, Mayor of Anaheim

WHEN: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. PDT

FSN West will broadcast the event live.

WHERE: Angel Stadium of Anaheim

###
Contact: Richard Levin or Patrick Courtney, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878

Manager Mike Scioscia just laughed when asked to outline who he can go to on the Angels' bench for Monday night when his club hosts the Tigers.

"Griff (Alfredo Griffin), Rags (Ron) Roenicke, Dino (Ebel), Mike (Butcher), Mickey (Hatcher) and Orlando Mercado,'' he called off, listing his first base coach, his his bench coach, his pitching coach, his batting coach and his bullpen coach.

And he almost wasn't kidding with Reggie Willits limited to bunting and running while Robb Quinlan's tight groin won't allow him to contribute much, even if he's slightly better. Then there's Chone Figgins, out for the fifth day with tendinitis in his right hamstring after pulling the muscle more than a month ago.

That means Brandon Wood (.139 batting average), Sean Rodriguez (.154) and Maicer Izturis (.211) will start at third, second and short where the injured Figgins (.306), Howie Kendrick (.500) and Erick Aybar (.270) once played.

The AL West-leading Angels (30-22) will need another good start from Jon Garland (5-3, 4.34 ERA) to expand their 1.5-game lead on an idle Oakland team..

The Detroit Tigers open a three-game series tonight against the Angels as the team returns home for a week to face the Tigers and the Blue Jays.

Jon Garland is scheduled to start and flew home from Chicago early rather than wait for the team's charter flight so he could get some rest. The Angels weren't expected to land until around 2 a.m. Game time is at 6:05 p.m.

The Tigers are struggling after making several offseason moves and putting together a team that looked, on paper, to be one of the best in baseball.

Manager Jim Leyland recently let off some steam, complaining about the team's play to a group of reporters and it was caught on tape and then posted on YouTube.

One radio reporter here finished up his clip by shouting "Carlos Quentin, you are ridiculous!"

Corny, cliche and probably not appropriate, at least it was a little truthful.

Quentin hit two home runs on Sunday, his second a walk-off in the ninth, supplying all the offense in Chicago's 3-2 win over the Angels.

It ruined a terrific start from John Lackey, who got a complete game despite allowing Quentin's walk-off to open the ninth.

"I tried to throw a two-seamer and run it in on him," Lackey said. "It definitely wasn't in."

Quentin hit a two-run bomb in the third and the Angels tied it on Gary Matthews Jr.'s homer in the fourth. But, he blasted a 1-1 fastball for the game-winner, ending the Angels' road trip with a loss.

"Quentin is Hulk Hogan. He's strong," Torii Hunter said. "He has tremendous pop. I've never heard of him. We call it crazy pop and that's what he has. You've got to be crazy strong for him to hit two home runs with this wind."

Vladimir Guerrero will not start tonight, Manager Mike Scioscia giving him the day off.

Here is the Angels' lineup against Chicago and right-hander Jose Contreras:

Izturis - SS
Matthews - RF
Anderson - LF
Hunter - CF
Kotchman - 1B
Napoli - C
Rivera - DH
Wood - 3B
Rodriguez - 2B

Lackey - P

It should be noted that the averages of the final three batters in the lineup are .179, .152 and .163.

The Angels are hoping that this recent hot streak Vladimir Guerrero is on is him finally breaking out of his season-long slump.

Guerrero homered in Saturday's 2-0 victory, his third homer this week, giving him eight RBI in his past eight games.

Though hitting just .254, Guerrero has seven homers and 28 RBI. He still does not consider himself in bad shape, however.

"Actually, I've felt pretty good since the beginning of the season," he said through an interpreter. "I said I'm a human being and I can't get too hot to start (every) season. Overall, there hasn't been a day where I haven't felt good."

Jered Weaver had the best start of his career Saturday, tying his career-best with eight innings, scattering three hits and thoroughly overpowering the White Sox in the Angels' 2-0 victory.

Since giving up eight runs when he was barbecued in Kansas City, Weaver has allowed just two over his past three starts, lowering his ERA nearly a run and a half.

"It was the first time I found myself thinking a little too much," Weaver said, and it's safe to assume he meant as a pitcher. "As soon as I got that knocked out of my head, things have started going better."

Though pitching coach Mike Butcher disagreed at the time of Weaver's assessment that the 25-year-old had been figured out, the two began working on fixing the lanky right-hander's game.

"Don't stress out too much, just go out and pitch your game, don't worry about who's up, go out and pitch to the mitt," Weaver relayed what Butcher told him. "I took that and ran with it."

Saturday's outing capped a week Weaver called "a little hectic." He didn't travel with the team to Toronto, remaining in California to undergo a upper gastrointestinal endoscopy to fix some digestive trouble he had.

Except now he's been dealing the White Sox an extreme case of heartburn - Weaver is 3-0 with a 0.34 ERA against them in five career starts and hasn't allowed a run to them in 18 innings and he retired the last 11 batters he faced.

Chone Figgins is not in the Angels' lineup, again, still nursing a sore leg.

Figgins was on the disabled list since May 4, but played Wednesday in Toronto after being activated. He has not played since and Manager Mike Scioscia listed him as "day-to-day."

Here is the team's lineup today and no, there are no typos:

Matthews - RF
Quinlan - 3B
Guerrero - DH
Hunter - CF
Rivera - LF
Kotchman - 1B
Mathis - C
Wood - SS
Rodriguez - 2B

Weaver - P

It may be hard to imagine the spindly Jered Weaver needing a procedure to lighten his load, but that's precisely what the pitcher had done while the team was in Toronto.

Weaver stayed in California to have an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy - basically a small camera put down his throat into his intestines - because he'd been experiencing stomach issues for several months.

Doctors didn't diagnose Weaver with any specific problem that he referred to as "a little digestive thing" but "everything is cool. I had a blockage in my stomach (and) I got cleaned out."

Feeling relieved, Weaver will make his scheduled start today.

"It was a load off my shoulders, that's for sure," said Weaver, 3-5 with a 4.73 ERA. "I was feeling it in spring training, it would come and go. I wanted to be sure it was nothing serious. I needed that. I feel a lot better now."

While the problem didn't affect his pitching, it will change his diet.

"Doctors told me I have to eat more fruits and vegetables," Weaver said. "Put some good stuff back in there."

Joe Saunders continued his magnificent season with a masterful performance, coughing up everything but the lead, pitching the Angels to a 3-1 victory and ending the white-hot White Sox's eight-game winning streak.

Sent back to the team's hotel before Wednesday's game in Toronto, then passing Thursday's start to Ervin Santana, Saunders mustered enough energy to go 8 1/3 innings, limiting Chicago to three hits while striking out four.

"I'm still sick right now," he said.

But not quite well enough to earn his first major-league complete game. Saunders is now 8-1 with a 2.31 ERA.

"As the game went on he felt better," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he sweated some of it out of him. His stuff picked up and he pitched a terrific ballgame."

Following Torii Hunter's fifth-inning shot, his 14th career homer at U.S. Cellular, his second-most of any major-league stadium, White Sox pitcher Gavin Floyd sandwiched two walks around a single to load the bases.

After hitting Maicer Izturis with a pitch to score a run, Floyd's next pitch hit Gary Matthews Jr. in the ankle to bring in the other.

Torii Hunter hit a solo homer with one out in the fifth to break up Gavin Floyd's no-hitter and the Angels went on to score two more runs in the weirdest of ways in the inning.

Hunter's homer was his 14th in 60 career games at U.S. Cellular, ending Floyd's latest attempt at history. The White Sox pitcher twice has taken a no-no into the eighth inning this year.

After the Angels loaded the bases on a single and two walks, Floyd hit Maicer Izturis and Gary Matthews Jr. with pitches, bringing in two runs.

Chone Figgins didn't start in his second consecutive game because his right leg was "still sore" from playing on the turf in Toronto.

Figgins has played just once since returning from the disabled list because of hamstring problems and said he may not play again today just to fully heal.

"I don't want to do anything" to aggravate it, he said. "When I was running at home, it wasn't hurting at all. After the game I realized it was the turf."

Joe Saunders walked into the clubhouse today and still didn't look very healthy.

"I feel like (junk)," he said.

Saunders' start was pushed back to tonight because he was dealing with severe congestion and a bad sinus pressure.

"He's not as green," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "More of a deep blue."

A published report confirmed what had been widely speculated and widely assumed that the Angels would host the 2010 All-Star Game.

The report, which was published by the LA Times, quoted three separate sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Angels had first been mentioned as a serious candidate two seasons ago and were in the running for this year's All-Star Game until Yankee Stadium won out because it's the last year of the hallowed park before the Yankees move to their new stadium across 161st Street in the Bronx.

Angels' VP of Communications Tim Mead told The Press-Enterprise last month that he expected a declaration soon awarding Anaheim the Midsummer Classic.

An official announcement won't be made, according to the report, until Wednesday.

Joe Saunders, seemingly over his flu-like symptoms that knocked him out of his start Thursday in Toronto, will take the hill for the Angels tonight in Chicago.

One pitcher who won't see action this series, though, is Jon Garland, who was traded by the White Sox to the Angels for Orlando Cabrera last November.

Garland did face his former teammates this week, but won't pitch in his former city this time around.

"I'd definitely like to," he said. "But the rotation falls that way. It would have been something I'd like to do, but I'm over it. The way I went out was pretty good."

You think?

Garland pitched a complete-game, three-hit shutout in his final start for the White Sox last season at home.

More and more, it's beginning to look like Ervin Santana set the bar too high for everyone's expectations when he had something to prove in his first seven starts.

In his past three outings, including Thursday's, Santana has re-entered the atmosphere. Though he's given up 13 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings over that span, the Angels don't think Santana is regressing into the pitcher he was last year.

"Not at all," Manager Mike Scioscia said after Santana allowed four runs on nine hits over six innings in the Angels' 4-3 loss to the Blue Jays. "He's maintaining his stuff. He's looking good in between starts."

However, Santana has allowed more runs in his last three outings than in his seven previous when he totaled 11 earned runs over 49 innings. Yet, after striking out seven, his strikeout total is relatively the same even if his ERA isn't.

And Santana hardly seems worried saying "Every time I go to the mound and give up four runs, I'm fine."

Second baseman Sean Rodriguez collected his first major-league RBI on a fifth-inning double, then scored moments later when Maicer Izturis doubled off the left-field wall.

Rodriguez was mired in an 0-14 slump before his hit and had struck out 16 in 37 at-bats after a first-inning K.

Izturis' double brought in Rodriguez and made 3-2, Blue Jays heading into the bottom of the fifth.

Chone Figgins was not in the starting lineup Thursday, a day after coming off the disabled list.

Figgins said he was "sore from digging in the turf" and it's not just his left hamstring, the one that put him on the DL.

"The whole leg," he said. "Running at home, it wasn't sore. When I run here my spikes don't go down like they normally would in dirt."

Figgins said he tweaked his leg turning and running to catch Lyle Overbay's fourth-inning pop-up.

Will he play tomorrow as the team opens a three-game series in Chicago?

"We'll see how it feels," he said.

Here's the timeline of Brandon Wood's arrival to Toronto:

Receives call he will be called up after Wednesday's game.

Leaves Fresno where Class AAA Salt Lake was playing.

Flies home to Phoenix.

Wake-up call at 4 a.m. - dad drives him to airport for 6 a.m. flight.

From Phoenix, he flies through Detroit and arrives in Toronto around 4:30 p.m.

In starting lineup, hitting 8th, playing 3B

"Five cities, two countries, 15 hours," he said with a smile.

Joe Saunders will not make his scheduled start tonight because the left-hander has come down with a cold that's making his head "feel like it's going to explode."

"I've got no energy," said Saunders, 7-1 with a 2.48 ERA, who first felt ill on Tuesday. "I've been sleeping all day. No bueno."

Ervin Santana will move up a day and pitch tonight, but will be on normal rest because of the team's off-day on Monday. Though Santana has been exorcising his road demons this season, the last time he pitched at Rogers Centre he allowed six runs in four innings. He is 1-2 lifetime vs. the Jays with a 6.35 career ERA in four starts.

Saunders pitched seven innings, only allowing three runs in his only other career start at Rogers Centre. He is 1-2 with a 3.62 ERA lifetime vs. the Jays.

Also, Jered Weaver remained at home during the team's trip to Toronto with an undisclosed medical issue. He is expected to make his regular start on Saturday.

Two homers from Vladimir Guerrero and six solid innings from Jon Garland netted the Angels their first series win in Toronto since July 9-11, 2004.

Guerrero hit a solo homer in the first and a three-run shot in the third and the Angels made it stand up for a 4-3 victory. It was Guerrero's 15th multi-homer game as an Angel, third in franchise history.

"He's got as quick as hands than anybody who's ever been in a batter's box," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "That was a tough pitch inside and he got his hands through and killed it. That's Vlad's talent."

Guerrero's hits accounted for all the team's runs as the Angels had just four hits, compared to Toronto's 11.

Garland, meanwhile, remained undefeated in Toronto, now 6-0 in 10 appearances here.

"What's weird is that I seem to do good in domes when there's turf," Garland said. "For a sinkerballer, or a guy who's supposed to get a lot of ground balls, it's not supposed to work out that way."

Vladimir Guerrero is the reason the Angels lead 4-0 in the fourth inning. He has hit two home runs - a solo shot in the first and a three-run blast in the third - the second one reaching the second level in left field.

That output alone is only one less home run than Guerrero hit all last month and marked his 34th career multi-homer game. It was his 15th multi-homer game, third all-time in Angels' franchise history.

Guerrero will hit third in the fifth inning.

Jon Garland has never lost at Rogers Centre, going 5-0 with a 4.47 ERA in his career.

He is 9-2 with a 4.15 ERA lifetime against the Blue Jays.

Shaun Marcum, Toronto's starter, is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his career vs. the Angels.

Another low-scoring game seems in order for tonight.

As expected, the Angels just placed Erick Aybar on the disabled list with a dislocated right pinkie finger.

Aybar was re-evaluated today by a hand specialist in Toronto and was deemed not healthy enough to play. He will be out until at least June 6.

Chone Figgins, however, was activated from the DL, taking Aybar's spot on the roster.

While the Angels are likely to welcome Chone Figgins back from the disabled list for today's game against the Jays, there is a possibility they will replace his spot on the DL with that of Erick Aybar.

Figgins ran aggressively before Monday's game and as long as he feels no pain today, he will be activated from the disabled list.

"If everything goes well, there's a possibility he'll be with us," Manager Mike Scioscia said.

As far as their other injured infielder, Howie Kendrick, well he still remains indefinitely sidelined with a strained left hamstring.

On the DL since April 14, Kendrick hasn't run hard in about five days and there is no timeframe for him to do so or begin a rehab assignment.

The Angels escaped with a win, but may have lost Erick Aybar.

Aybar dislocated his right pinkie finger in the first inning of Tuesday's 3-1 win and the disabled list is "certainly a possibility" Manager Mike Scioscia said.

On the team's bright side, they escaped two bases loaded jams in the eighth and ninth innings, Scot Shields and Francisco Rodriguez pitching into and out of the jams.

Shields struck out Matt Stairs looking and then got Shannon Stewart to hit into a double play grounder.

Rodriguez walked the bases loaded, then settled down. He got Aaron Hill to pop up and then struck out cleanup hitter Alex Rios looking on a full count fastball right down the middle.

UPDATE: X-rays on Aybar's finger were negative and the prognosis is that he dislocated his right pinkie finger. He will see a hand specialist tomorrow.

Shortstop Erick Aybar was pulled out of Tuesday's game in the bottom of the first inning trying to make a play on Alex Rios' ground ball.

Rios hit a grounder up the middle that Aybar ranged behind second base for and made a diving stop. Replays showed as he tried to brace himself, his right hand hit the artificial turf violently, bending his pinkie and ring fingers backward.

Aybar threw the ball toward first and then stayed on the turf, grimacing in pain. He walked off the field with trainer Adam Nevala and Manager Mike Scioscia.

Robb Quinlan replaced Aybar in the lineup and moved to third base. Maicer Izturis, who started at third, moved to shortstop.

A representative from Paramount/Dreamworks was on the field during pregame batting practice handing out paraphernalia to promote the new Indiana Jones movie.

In addition to the previous three Indiana Jones movies on DVD, also handed out to Angels and Blue Jays players and staff were Indy fedoras, whips and rubber snakes.

Rogers Centre was turned into the Temple of Freebies.

That picture? Well, it's Angels broadcaster Rex Hudler, decorated all in snakes, hat and holding the whip.

John Lackey makes his second start of the season tonight, facing Toronto's Dustin McGowan in the opener of a three-game series.

While Lackey will undoubtedly will try to get the Angels off to a winning start at the beginning of their six-game road trip, the Angels have had an incredible amount of trouble playing north of the border.

Under Manager Mike Scioscia (since 2000), the Angels are just 12-22 here at Rogers Centre (yes, that's how it's spelled up here, eh) their worst record in any road stadium.

Yes, that includes Fenway Park.

Under Scioscia, the Angels' record at Fenway Park is 16-25 including playoffs.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester held the Kansas City Royals without a hit in a 7-0 victory Monday at Fenway Park, the first no-hitter of the baseball season.

It's the first no-hitter in the Major Leagues since Sept. 1, 2007 when another Boston pitcher, Clay Bucholz, no-hit Baltimore in a 10-0 Red Sox victory.

Lester, a 24-year-old left-hander, survived cancer to pitch the clincher of Boston's 2007 World Series victory. It was the 18th no-hitter in Red Sox history.

"Really, words can't describe it right now," Lester said.

Lester (3-2) allowed just two baserunners, walking Billy Butler in the second inning and Esteban German to open the ninth. He struck out nine, including Alberto Callaspo to end the game.

Lester, who battled lymphoma before the 2007 season, and manager Terry Francona met for a long, hard embrace when it was over.

"I've been through a lot the past couple years and he's been like a second dad to me,'' Lester said.

Center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch of Jose Guillen's line drive to end the fourth -- the best defensive play of the game. Lester also got help from first baseman Kevin Youkilis, who made a nice scoop on shortstop Julio Lugo's throw after David DeJesus hit a grounder in the third.

Mel Parnell was the last Red Sox lefty to throw a no-hitter, beating the Chicago White Sox on July 14, 1956.

Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is the only other person in history to no-hit the Royals.

--ASSOCIATED PRESS

All's right in the Angels' world after the Anaheim club bounced the Dodgers hard Sunday in a 10-2 romp to go up 2-1 in the first three games of this year's Freeway Sereis.

No one batted the Dodgers around harder than Angels catcher Mike Napoli, tied for the AL lead in home runs now with 10, with his two-home run, five-RBI day that has Napoli having hit more home runs than Garret Anderson (five) and Vlad Guerrero (four) combined.

Jered Weaver's (3-5) winning two-run, five--hit effort for 5 1/3 innings moved the Angels (26-20) into a 1.5-game lead in the AL West over Oakland, a 5-2 interleague loser at Atlanta while the Dodgers (22-21), in second place in the AL West, dropped to 5.5 games behind Arizona, a 4-0 winner over visiting Detroit Sunday.

While Dodgers starter Derek Lowe (2-4) managed to get by on 76 pitches in his five-inning stint, compared to Weaver's 99, he had little luck getting many of the Angels out, allowing seven runs on 10 hits including the most damaging, a Napoli three-run blast in the Angels' four-run second.

The Angels get Monday off as they head to Toronto for the first three games of a six-game road swing that finshes in Cleveland Sunday while the Dodgers stay home to host Cincinnati for three before ending the six-game homestand Sunday with the third against St. Louis.
--Dan Weber

With a pair of infield hits, their first of the game in four innings, the Dodgers are playing like the home team here in Angel Stadium after a double steal by Juan Pierre and Russell Martin with one out.

On a day when Jered Weaver looks like he has his good stuff, and a 4-0 lead, best to manufacture a run or two whenever the chance comes your way.

And with Jeff Kent's long two-run single to left center, that's just what the Dodgers do.