Angels' Bourjos first again at last
Two days after Mike Scioscia said he didn't want to burden young center fielder Peter Bourjos by batting him in the leadoff role, the Angels manager wrote out a lineup with Bourjos batting lead off.
Bourjos has hit .405 over the last two weeks while much of the rest of the Angels lineup has been slumping. But Scioscia said Wednesday that he preferred Maicer Izturis or Erick Aybar hitting first.
"Peter has the potential to hit first or second, but there's a lot more going on in the one-two spots than the eight-nine spots," Scioscia said of Bourjos, who hit first four other times this season. "It's something I think Peter will grow into, but we have some pretty good options with Aybar and Izturis."
In Friday's opener of a seven-game road trip in St. Petersburg, Fla., Aybar is battingd seventh and Izturis, nursing a sore hamstring, will sit out against Rays' left-hander David Price despite the fact he's hitting .417 against lefties, the second-best mark in the American League.
On the mound for the Angels will be right-hander Ervin Santana (0-3, 5.51 ERA), who goes after his first win of the season. He is winless in his last seven starts dating to last season.
The lineup:
CF -- Peter Bourjos
DH -- Bobby Abreu
RF -- Torii Hunter
LF -- Vernon Wells
2B -- Howie Kendrick
3B -- Alberto Callaspo
SS -- Erick Aybar
1B --Mark Trumbo
C -- Jeff Mathis
P -- Ervin Santana
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-- Kevin Baxter in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Photo: Los Angeles Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos. Credit: Gary A. Vasquez / US Presswire
