Weaver Has Indians on the Run in Latest Gem

Jered Weaver didn’t have much trouble solving the Cleveland Indians on Friday night. The 23-year-old right-hander, in his second big league start, dominated one of the league’s best lineups, giving up two runs, four hits and striking out eight in 6 1/3 innings of the Angels’ 10-3 victory in Jacobs Field.

It was only after the game, when asked if he could remember the last time he gave up a run, that Weaver looked stumped.

“No ... uh, yeah, tonight, in the sixth inning,” Weaver said, off by one inning. “Not to sound cocky or anything, but I don’t really remember my last run. I don’t really try to think about that. I try to keep hitters off-balance and attack the strike zone. I’ve been doing a good job of that.”

So good that Weaver went 40 1/3 consecutive innings -- 27 1/3 for Salt Lake and 13 for the Angels -- without giving up a run before Ben Broussard’s RBI double in the seventh Friday. Weaver’s last blemish was in the seventh inning of a May 6 triple-A game against Tacoma.

Weaver threw seven shutout innings against Baltimore last Saturday and six more scoreless innings Friday, using his corkscrew delivery, a well-placed fastball and an effective slider and changeup to lead the Angels to their seventh win in nine games.

“He has great life on the ball, but he’s even sneakier because of his deception,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “That’s a terrific hitting club. They have a good left-right mix, guys who drive the ball and guys who are patient and get on base. To hold them the way Jered did is quite an accomplishment.”

Weaver was just as nervous Friday as he was before his debut -- “The butterflies were still there, no doubt,” he said. “I didn’t get much sleep last night” -- but a four-run lead after two innings, a superb defensive play in the fourth, and 10 runs of support for the second straight game helped calm those nerves.

Vladimir Guerrero lined a two-run home run to left in the first, Adam Kennedy (single) and Chone Figgins (sacrifice fly) knocked in runs in the second, and a pair of home runs, Dallas McPherson’s two-run shot in the sixth and Garret Anderson’s three-run shot in the seventh, broke the game open.

Figgins also raced back to catch Casey Blake’s fourth-inning drive just before crashing into the padded wall in center field and threw to first to double off Travis Hafner.

“I have to give it up to the offense,” Weaver said. “They got some early runs and took the pressure off my shoulders, and the defense behind me ... Figgy’s play was unbelievable.”

The Angels -- and Weaver -- are trying to keep his start in perspective. Pitchers usually have the advantage the first time they face a team, and with his lanky 6-foot-7 frame and a motion in which he turns his back to the hitter, Weaver can be especially tough for those who haven’t seen him.

“You don’t want to put unfair expectations on him until he goes around the league a few times,” Anderson said. “A lot of guys have skated around early -- I’m not saying he’s that guy -- but he’s got to get his feet wet and go around a few times. He’s started well.”

Anderson’s home run was his fifth of the year and first since April 22 at Oakland, ending a string of 123 at-bats without one. A lack of power, though, is not Anderson’s concern; the cleanup batter, who was booed loudly at home Wednesday, has 34 RBIs, putting him on pace for 102.

“Home runs don’t mean too much if I’m not driving in runs,” Anderson said. “It wouldn’t do me any good to have 15 home runs and 20 RBIs. There’s no law that says you have to hit home runs to drive in runs.”