Angels 2, Astros 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jered Weaver threw a six-hit shutout to lift the Los Angeles Angels to a 2-0 win over the Houston Astros Friday night at Angel Stadium.
The six hits Weaver allowed were all singles, and he didn't walk a batter for the fifth time in his seven starts this year to earn the victory, his first of the season. It was his seventh career shutout, and the first since Aug. 6, 2012, when he blanked Oakland.
Weaver out-dueled Astros starter Roberto Hernandez, who pitched well -- giving up two runs in 7 2/3 innings -- but not good enough of this night.
Weaver (1-4) had lost five consecutive decisions and was winless in his previous seven starts, going back to his final start of the 2014 season. His fastball velocity was down to the 83-mph range, causing some to wonder if the pitcher who won 18 games last season had suddenly lost his edge.
But Weaver's fastball peaked at 89 mph Friday, and averaged between 86-87 most of the night. He was in such control that no Astros baserunner even reached second base in the game. He made 120 pitches in the game.
The Angels couldn't muster much against Hernandez, but four of their six hits came in the fifth inning, when they pushed across two runs.
Third baseman David Freese, who had two hits in the game, began the inning with a single. Designated hitter C.J. Cron drove in one run with a sacrifice fly, and catcher Carlos Perez, making his third major league start, drove in the other with a two-out RBI single.
The Angels managed just one hit off Hernandez through four innings, but put together a rally in the fifth.
Freese, who had the only Angels hit up to then, singled to begin the inning. Shortstop Erick Aybar followed with a perfectly placed hit-and-run single to right, moving Freese to third.
One out later, Cron hit a sacrifice fly to drive in one run, and Perez singled home another for a 2-0 Angels lead.
Right fielder Kole Calhoun kept the inning alive with a single, but center fielder Mike Trout popped out to second.
Weaver, meanwhile, worked his way through five scoreless innings, allowing five singles. Second baseman Jose Altuve had hits in his first two at-bats, but he was thrown out stealing in the first inning and picked off first base in the third.
NOTES: The Astros placed RHP Luke Gregerson on the family medical emergency list, meaning he will be inactive for a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven days. The club called up RHP Asher Wojciechowski from Triple-A Fresno to replace Gregerson on the roster. Wojciechowski was up with the club earlier this season, going 0-1 with a 7.31 ERA in four games (three starts). ... The Angels called up RHP Ryan Mattheus from Triple-A Salt Lake, and sent down INF/OF Efren Navarro to make room on the roster. The Angels needed some bullpen depth after using both set-up man RHP Joe Smith (three straight games) and closer RHP Huston Street (two in a row) frequently in recent days.