Weaver is sharp, Wood and Trumbo hit two-run doubles in Angels' 6-3 win over White Sox
Jered Weaver issued his first walks of the spring but otherwise looked sharp in his final tuneup before Thursday's opening-day start in Kansas City.
The Angels right-hander allowed one earned run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two, in a 6-3 Cactus League victory over the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch. His next start will be against the Royals in Kauffman Stadium, his third opening-day start in four years.
"Starting opening day is cool -- I've been able to do it the last couple of years -- but I don't look at it as being any more special than being one of five" starters, said Weaver, who went 13-12 with a 3.01 earned-run average and a major league-leading 233 strikeouts last season. "I don't build it up too much. Whenever Mike [Scioscia] gives me the ball, I'll take the ball."
Weaver had 17 strikeouts and no walks in his first 13 1/3 spring innings but gave up a single and a walk to open the second inning before pitching out of the jam. He also issued a walk in the third, which included Paul Konerko's RBI single, but he retired seven of the last eight batters he faced in the Angels' Cactus League finale.
"I was a little erratic the first couple of innings," Weaver said. "I don't know if I was excited to get home or not, but the last two innings, everything came out good. A couple balls were up early, but I was able to make an adjustment and get the ball down where I wanted it. I felt good. I'm ready to go."
Reliever Michael Kohn had another strong inning, giving up a single to start the sixth, getting a double-play grounder and a fly ball to right field. The young right-hander has allowed only one run in 11 spring innings and figures to play a prominent bullpen role to open the season. Francisco Rodriguez, battling Jason Bulger for the final bullpen spot, threw a scoreless seventh.
The Angels scored twice in the first on Alberto Callaspo's single, Hank Conger's double and Brandon Wood's two-run double to left-center, which gave Wood 13 runs batted in this spring. Mark Trumbo, who will probably open the season at first base in place of the injured Kendrys Morales, hit a two-run double to deep center in the fifth, giving him a team-leading 16 RBIs on the spring.
Infield prospect Alexi Amarista singled in the first and hit a solo home run in the fifth, and Callaspo had two singles and scored twice.
-- Mike DiGiovanna in Phoenix
