CLEVELAND — Jered Weaver was surrounded. He didn’t panic or crumble. He did something about it.
Weaver got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning and pitched into the eighth to lead the Angels to a 3-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Monday night.
“What he did was awesome.” second baseman Howie Kendrick said. “That’s why he’s our ace.”
Weaver (9-1) allowed 5 singles, struck out 2 and improved to 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 8 career starts at Progressive Field. Scott Downs worked out of a mess in the eighth and pitched the ninth for his seventh save.
The Indians loaded the bases in the seventh off Weaver, who got a force out at the plate, foul pop out and strikeout to end Cleveland’s best threat.
“I don’t know the last time that happened, me getting out of something like that,” said Weaver, who has allowed just one run in his last 21 2/3 innings. “You want to lock it in when you get in a situation like that. I was able to make some pitches.”
Weaver, who pitched a no-hitter against Minnesota on May 7, allowed two hits through six innings before he went a little wild in the seventh. He walked Jason Kipnis leading off and allowed Michael Brantley’s single, giving Cleveland its first runner at second. Weaver walked Carlos Santana to load the bases.
Weaver got Johnny Damon to ground to third baseman Alberto Callaspo, who threw home to force Kipnis. Weaver retired Casey Kotchman on a pop behind the plate before striking out Shelley Duncan on a slider that was low and outside.
Damon, who is batting .201, felt he let Weaver off the hook.
“He is a very good pitcher,” Damon said. “But unfortunately I let the team down. I was in a situation to, at the worst case, try to push across one run right there, and he gave me some pitches off the plate that I felt like I could drive to left and I didn’t.”
Weaver was pulled after giving up two singles to start the eighth. Downs came in and got All-Star shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to hit into a double play and popped up Kipnis. Downs then worked a perfect ninth.
Los Angeles finally pushed across a run in the fifth on Erick Aybar’s sacrifice fly. With one out in the seventh, Kendrick drove a 3-2 pitch from Jimenez over the wall in left for his fifth home run this season. The Angels added a run in the eighth when Jimenez walked three - two intentional - and forced in a run. Jimenez allowed 3 runs and 8 hits in 72/3 innings.
TWINS 6, TIGERS 4 Trevor Plouffe hit a two-run single during a four-run fourth inning to lead Minnesota over host Detroit.
ROYALS 11, BLUE JAYS 3 Mike Moustakas hit his first career grand slam, Everett Teaford pitched seven innings for his first win this season and Kansas City beat host Toronto.
RAYS 4, YANKEES 3 B.J. Upton and Carlos Pena each homered to lead host Tampa Bay over New York.
National League PIRATES 11, ASTROS 2 Garrett Jones and Neil Walker hit back-to-back home runs to lift host Pittsburgh over Houston.
CUBS 4, BRAVES 1 Jeff Samardzija had a career-high 11 strikeouts, Luis Valbuena hit a three-run double in the seventh and Chicago beat host Atlanta.
BREWERS 6, MARLINS 5 Pinch-hitter Norichika Aoki drove in the go-ahead run with a safety squeeze in the eighth inning and host Milwaukee beat Miami.
CARDINALS 9, ROCKIES 3 Allen Craig hit two home runs, Carlos Beltran extended his RBI streak to a major-league high nine games and Kyle Lohse worked into the eighth inning as host St. Louis beat Colorado.
Monday’s games NATIONAL LEAGUE Pittsburgh 11, Houston 2 Chicago Cubs 4, Atlanta 1 Milwaukee 6, Miami 5 St. Louis 9, Colorado 3 San Diego at Arizona , (n) Cincinnati at LA Dodgers, (n) AMERICAN LEAGUE LA Angels 3, Cleveland 0 Minnesota 6, Detroit 4 Kansas City 11, Toronto 3 Tampa Bay 4, NY Yankees 3 Boston at Oakland, (n) Baltimore at Seattle, (n)
Sports, Pages 20 on 07/03/2012