Brother, what a gem
SEATTLE – Jered Weaver is used to being misidentified as his brother even if he looked nothing like his sibling on the mound.
“Don’t worry,” Jered said after being referred to as Jeff, “I get that a lot.”
Weaver continued his impressive rookie season with a dominating performance, limiting Seattle to one run in seven innings as the Los Angeles Angels beat the Mariners 7-1 on Monday night.
Weaver shook off the emotional tug of replacing his brother in the Los Angeles rotation and improved to 5-0 by outpitching fellow young standout Felix Hernandez.
Weaver was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on June 30 to take the roster spot of his brother, who was designated for assignment after struggling to a 3-10 record in 16 starts for the Angels this season.
Before Monday’s game Jered Weaver talked with his brother, who planned on watching the game on television.
“Obviously, he’s proud of me for getting back up here, but it’s not the kind of circumstances we imagined it was going to happen in,” Weaver said. “But we know this is a very business-oriented game and things like that happen.
“It’s a little saddening for me … but, like I said, he’s not going to have a problem finding somebody else to go to.”
Kendry Morales hit a two-run homer to back Weaver, who is 11-1 this season between Salt Lake and the Angels.
Weaver scattered five hits and struck out a career-high nine. He eclipsed 100 pitches for the first time this season with the Angels, throwing 73 of his 111 for strikes.
Orlando Cabrera of the Angels singled to left in the eighth to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 60 games.
Hernandez (8-8) was nearly Weaver’s equal, but lost for the second time in his last seven starts. His one mistake came in the fifth, when Morales hit an 0-1 fastball an estimated 407 feet into the seats in right. Juan Rivera walked with one out and scored on the homer.
“The home run ball was a good pitch,” said Hernandez, who struck out six in his 6 2/3 innings. “You can’t control more than that. I got the pitch where I wanted it.”
Notes
Seattle’s Joel Pineiro made his first relief appearance since April 26, 2002, against the Yankees, getting the final out of the ninth. … Seattle CF Shin-Soo Choo, called up to take Jeremy Reed’s roster spot, doubled in the third for his second major league hit. Reed was placed on the 15-day disabled list after breaking his thumb in Sunday’s game. … Seattle placed right-handed reliever Sean Green on the 15-day disabled list with a bad back. Righty Emiliano Fruto was called up for the third time this season to take Green’s place. He’s pitched in six games for the Mariners with a 4.50 ERA and one save.