Jered Weaver was looking for his tenth straight win without a loss to open his big league career as he took the mound for the LA Angels of Anaheim versus Josh Beckett & the Boston Red Sox. Beckett has had an awful August, walking nine and allowing nine runs against the Yankees in his last outing. While the Angels couldn’t have asked for anything more than what they’ve gotten from their young phenom. Jered said he was honored to be mentioned in the same breath with Whitey Ford when told he tied Whitey for the AL mark with nine straight wins to open his career, Kirk Rueter holds the NL mark with 10. Weaver is a 6’7″ righthander drafted in the 1st round in the 2004 draft out of Long Beach State. His brother Jeff was released by the Halos and has since caught on with the Cardinals.
Of course Jered Weaver lost 2-1 to Josh Beckett to end his streak at nine. He is 9-1 with 1.92 ERA, allowing only 57 hits & 21 walks in 84 1/3 innings of work. I watched this game on MLB-TV as a White Sox fan I was hoping Boston would lose, as an APBA manager with Beckett on his team I was rooting for Josh. To be honest Jered Weaver deserved a better fate. David Ortiz hit one into the stands to put the BoSox up 1-0. Then Orlando Cabrera decided to take it himself on an attempted DP with the bases loaded & one out, rather than tossing the ball to Adam Kennedy, but Alex Cora beat Cabrera to 2nd, almost broke OC’s leg, and the Red Sox were up by two. And then the Angels 3rd base coach got the tying run, Juan Rivera (not the fastest), thrown out at the plate (first out of the inning, never make the 1st out at home). Boston hung on from there. After being in Anaheim last year for the White Sox playoff sweep, I don’t have alot of love for the Angels. The fans seem plastic, as does the stadium with the BIG cheesey Angels hats outside the main gate, and Rex Hudler & Mike Scioscia are too intense for my liking.