By Pete Zarustica/Garden Grove Journal
Four games does not a season make. Even five doesn’t really give much of a clue whether the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will make a repeat of last year’s disappointing third place finish in the American League West, or establish the 2010 campaign as just a blip in the Halos’ long run of playoff appearances.
The Angels opened with a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals, then lost three straight to drop to 1-3 in the young season. The team hit fairly well, but the bullpen collapsed, allowing the Royals to pull out three wins in their last at bats.
“We’re only four games into this,” said Angel manager Mike Scioscia after a 12-9 13-inning loss on Sunday. “We definitely want to balance with guys getting their feet on the ground
We need to get some chemistry down there in the ‘pen. We’re searching.”
The Halos found something on Tuesday night in Jered Weaver’s pitching, as the Angels posted a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg. Weaver won his second straight start and the Angels got two RBIs each from Torii Hunter and Alberto Callapso.
Weaver, who led the major leagues in strikeouts last year, allowed just one run and three hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Bobby Abreu reached base on his eighth consecutive plate appearance with a single in the first, following on a 5-for-5 performance on Sunday. After Hunter and Callapso drove in three runs, Hank Conger’s first career home run put the Angels up 4-0.
The bullpen almost gave it away again, giving up three homers and allowing the Rays to load the bases in the seventh before finally retiring the side.
Wednesday night’s game against the Rays was too late for our deadline.
