News
Halos' Weaver may be family's first All-Star
Los Angeles (36-29) vs. Los Angeles (44-24), 6:05 p.m. PT
By Lyle Spencer / MLB.com
06/20/09 2:13 AM ET
ANAHEIM -- All the talk is about the duel of siblings, Jered Weaver taking on big brother Jeff at Angel Stadium in their first-ever head-to-head competition Saturday. What should not be overlooked is how brilliant Jered Weaver has been in a breakout season that has him clearly in line for an All-Star Game assignment that would be the first for the family. |
Of course, Jeff Weaver has that shiny World Series championship ring from 2006 with the Cardinals to more than even the scales in any discussion of bragging rights.
After two seasons that included assorted injuries and misfortune, Jered Weaver is performing to the lofty expectations created by his 2006 rookie year when he won his first nine decisions, matching an American League record set by Hall of Famer Whitey Ford with the 1950 Yankees. Weaver finished that season 11-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 19 starts. He's now 42-21, a Ford-esque .667 winning percentage, in his Major League career. In comparison, Pedro Martinez, if he is signed by one of the teams checking him out (the Angels being in that group), has the highest winning percentage among active Major Leaguers: .684. At Angel Stadium, Jered Weaver has been simply dominant. He's 5-0 in seven starts, and his 1.01 home ERA this season is second in the AL to Detroit's Justin Verlander, at 0.82. For his career, Weaver is 23-9 at Angel Stadium with a 2.98 ERA in 43 starts. "I had a feeling he was going to have a season like this from watching him this spring," Angels catcher Mike Napoli said. "Jered was really getting after it. You could tell he was hungry." Weaver is second in the AL in ERA at 2.08, closing in on the Royals' Zack Greinke (1.96). The 26-year-old right-hander is the hardest pitcher in the league to hit, giving opponents a .203 batting average, and he is tied with Roy Halladay for second in complete games, with three. Weaver is eighth in strikeouts (74) and 10th in innings pitched (90 2/3). He is, at the moment, the definition of an ace. Weaver has seen moundmates John Lackey, Joe Saunders and Ervin Santana make the AL All-Star team the past two seasons, but he's too focused on throwing strikes and hanging up zeros to even talk about that prospect. "I've got other things on my mind right now," he said. "Sure, it'd be an honor, but that's not what I'm pitching for. I'm pitching to help us win games and get where we want to be." That would be the World Series. What Jered wants most is a ring just like the one his big brother won in front of the whole family -- Dave and Gail Weaver as well as Jered -- in that glorious fall of 2006. Pitching matchupLAA: RHP Jered Weaver (7-2, 2.08 ERA)
Weaver is coming off the first complete-game shutout of his career, a dominant five-hit effort against the Padres at home on Sunday. He walked one man and struck out five. The crossfiring right-hander has yielded just 10 earned runs in his past 89 2/3 innings, yielding one or no runs in six of his past eight starts. Weaver has pitched brilliantly in the past against the Dodgers, going 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in five starts. LAD: RHP Jeff Weaver (3-1, 3.72 ERA)
Weaver is expected to make his first start since May 20, because injured starter Eric Stults will not by ready and Eric Milton isn't eligible to come off the disabled list until Sunday. Tidbits
The Angels hitter who has hammered Jeff Weaver is Torii Hunter. The center fielder is batting .480 and slugging .880 against the Dodgers' pitcher with two homers and 16 RBIs in 25 at-bats. Gary Matthews Jr. (6-for-12, two homers, four RBIs) also has hurt the right-hander, and Maicer Izturis is 3-for-9 against him, with two of those hits home runs. ... James Loney (.364 in 11 at-bats) and Juan Pierre (.308 in 13 at-bats) have had the most success among Dodgers hitters against Jered Weaver. Manny Ramirez? He's 2-for-12 (.167) with six strikeouts against Jered. ... Chone Figgins is trying to bring his road stroke home. The Angels' leadoff catalyst is batting .366 in unfriendly environs, compared to .257 at home coming into the Freeway Series. ... Mr. Clutch among Angels hitters this season is Juan Rivera, hitting .377 with runners in scoring position. Only Boston's Kevin Youkilis (.388) had a higher average in those situations coming into the weekend. Tickets
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• Sunday: Angels (John Lackey, 2-2, 6.10) vs. Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 3-5, 4.13), 5:05 p.m. PT
• Monday: Angels (Matt Palmer, 6-0, 4.13) vs. Rockies (Aaron Cook, 6-3, 4.23), 7:05 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Angels (TBD) vs. Rockies (TBD), 7:05 p.m. PT
Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
