First Loss Is a Tough One for Weaver

The Jered Weaver joy ride taxied off the runway, pulled up to the gate and came to a complete stop Thursday night. The seat-belt sign was no longer illuminated.

An exhilarating, fun-filled and near turbulence-free flight through his first three months in the big leagues finally touched down in Angel Stadium, where Weaver suffered his first loss after winning nine decisions, the Boston Red Sox holding on for a 2-1 victory in front of 44,109.

Don’t blame Weaver, though. The rookie right-hander was outstanding, giving up one run and four hits in six innings, his only mistake a fastball that David Ortiz blasted over the wall in right field for his major league-leading 46th homer of the season.

Boston right-hander Josh Beckett (14-8) was up to the challenge, limiting the Angels to one run and four hits in six innings before leaving in the seventh because of a cut on his right middle finger, and rookie Jonathan Papelbon nailed down the final four outs for his 34th save, preserving Beckett’s first win in a month.

A questionable decision by a usually sound shortstop and an ill-advised decision by an over-zealous third base coach didn’t help matters for the Angels, who fell 5 1/2 games behind Oakland in the American League West.

Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, Garret Anderson walked to open the inning, and Beckett threw two balls to Rivera before being pulled in favor of Mike Timlin, who threw two more balls to walk Rivera.

Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Howie Kendrick lined a single to left, easily scoring Anderson from third. But Dino Ebel, whose work in his first season as third base coach has been generally solid, waved Rivera home, even though Rivera didn’t get a very good jump and Kendrick’s ball was hit hard.

Left fielder Wily Mo Pena air-mailed a throw to catcher Doug Mirabelli, who swiped a tag on Rivera’s left forearm, cutting down the potential tying run at the plate. Kendrick took second on the throw but was stranded when Adam Kennedy popped to short and Mike Napoli flied to right-center.

“It’s my fault,” Ebel said. “He got thrown out with no outs. You’ve got to give Wily Mo some credit. He put the ball right on the money. I’m going to keep forcing it. I’m aggressive. You’ve got to make a perfect throw, and he did.”

If not for a curious move by Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera in the top of the seventh, that Angels run might have tied the game.

Weaver was pulled after six innings with a 1-0 deficit, and reliever Brendan Donnelly gave up one-out singles to Mike Lowell, Pena and Alex Cora to load the bases.

Mirabelli followed with a chopper that Cabrera fielded several feet behind the second-base bag, but instead of flipping to Kennedy, Cabrera scooted to the bag in an attempt to turn an unassisted double play. Cora beat Cabrera to second, and all Cabrera got was the out at first. Lowell scored on the play for a 2-0 lead.

“O.C. has great field sense,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He thought he could get to the bag. He just didn’t get there. You’ve got to give Cora some credit.”

Beckett was 0-3 with an 8.75 earned-run average in four August starts, but the right-hander found command of his fastball Thursday, hitting the corners consistently and avoiding sweet spots -- the Angels’ hardest-hit ball may have been a Chone Figgins liner that hit Maicer Izturis in the on-deck circle in the sixth.

The Angels mustered only one decent scoring chance against Beckett, when Izturis and Cabrera singled with one out in the sixth. Up stepped Vladimir Guerrero, who was drilled in the left shoulder by a Beckett fastball in the first inning and was looking to even the score.

Guerrero worked a 2-and-0 count, but he sent a ground ball to shortstop on the next pitch to start an inning-ending double play.

Beckett retired 14 of 15 batters from the first through sixth innings and needed only 70 pitches to get through six.

Though Weaver wasn’t quite as pitch-efficient as Beckett, he was just as dominant, striking out five in a row -- Pena, Cora, Mirabelli, Coco Crisp and Dustin Pedroia -- in the fifth and sixth innings.

“With a little support, he gets another win,” Scioscia said. “Unfortunately, it just didn’t work out for him.... It always stings when you lose. The only silver lining you can take is how well he’s throwing the ball.”