Angels Make It Six Out of Seven

If this is what it’s going to take for Jeff Weaver to pitch well -- giving up an early two-run home run -- the Angels might want to send Vladimir Guerrero out to the bullpen before the game, have him launch a Weaver warm-up pitch or two out of the stadium and then send the veteran right-hander to the mound.

For the second straight start, Weaver gave up an early two-run home run Tuesday night, this one to Minnesota cleanup batter Torii Hunter in the first inning, and for the second straight start, Weaver responded by throwing four shutout innings.

Weaver gave up one more homer, a solo shot to Jason Kubel in the sixth, but that merely put a nick in Weaver’s final line, a seven-inning, six-hit effort that led the Angels to a 6-3 victory over the Twins at Angel Stadium.

Juan Rivera capped a four-run fifth inning with a two-run home run, Garret Anderson drove in two runs for the second straight night, and Orlando Cabrera hit a double, a single and scored two runs, as the Angels won for the sixth time in seven games. They remained five games behind Texas in the American League West.

Cabrera, the Angel shortstop, also led a superb team defensive effort with several outstanding plays, including a lunging stop of Rondell White’s fifth-inning grounder up the middle, a 360-degree spin and throw to first for the out.

“We’re just trying to get out of the basement and get to the place we’re supposed to be,” Cabrera said. “We’re a good team, and sometimes good teams go into slumps. Then they put everything together, like we’re doing now with pitching, hitting and defense. You do that, you’re going to win ballgames.”

Few Angels slumped like Weaver, who lost five straight starts from April 28 to May 19, his record falling to 1-7 and his earned-run average ballooning to 7.30.

However, Weaver has recovered in his last two starts, allowing six earned runs and 11 hits in 13 innings.

Tuesday night, Weaver struck out four and walked none, retired 12 in a row from the second through fifth innings and threw only 93 pitches -- 58 for strikes -- before turning the game over to relievers Brendan Donnelly and Francisco Rodriguez.

“I don’t know what it is, but a home run gets me going every time,” said Weaver, who lowered his ERA to 6.64. “That part of it has been annoying, but it was something to build on.”

Last Wednesday in Texas, Weaver reacted angrily after Brad Wilkerson’s two-run home run in the second inning and channeled that energy -- Manager Mike Scioscia said “some junkyard dog came out of him” -- throughout a six-inning, three-run, five-hit effort in the Angels’ 8-5 win over the Rangers.

Weaver didn’t show nearly as much emotion after Hunter drove a hanging slider over the center-field wall Tuesday night, but the results after the home run were virtually the same.

“I was where I needed to be right away tonight,” Weaver said. “I just should have established the fastball with Torii right away instead going to the off-speed stuff.”

The Angels responded to Hunter’s shot with a two-run rally of their own in the bottom of the first, Chone Figgins leading off with a walk, stealing second and scoring on Cabrera’s double to right, which extended Cabrera’s streak of reaching base to 31 games, the longest active streak in baseball.

Cabrera took third on Guerrero’s grounder to second and scored when Anderson’s pop to shallow left nicked off the glove of third baseman Luis Rodriguez, who was attempting an over-the-shoulder catch.

The Angels’ fifth-inning rally was also sparked by a Figgins walk. Cabrera followed with a ground-ball single to left, with Figgins aggressively taking third base and Cabrera second on the throw.

Guerrero singled to right to score Figgins, Anderson hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Cabrera, and Rivera, whose sluggish bat cost him his starting job last week, ripped an 0-and-2 hanging curve from Twins starter Scott Baker over the wall in left field for a two-run home run and a 6-2 lead for the Angels.