Cal State Long Beach teammates Jered Weaver and Jason Vargas oppose each other tonight
Angels right-hander Jered Weaver will look to snap a three-game losing streak tonight when he pitches against the Seattle Mariners and former Cal State Long Beach pitcher Jason Vargas, a left-hander who, like Weaver, was drafted in 2004.
Weaver was 6-0 with an 0.99 earned run average in his first six starts but has a 5.50 ERA in his last three outings, losses to Boston, Cleveland and Texas. The Angels have lost five of six games and are coming off a 14-0 loss in Oakland, in which the Angels had two hits and did not advance a runner to second base.
Center fielder Peter Bourjos, who is in an 0-for-20 slump, and first baseman Mark Trumbo, who is in a 3-for-25 skid, are both in the lineup, but if the Mariners were not starting a left-hander, there is a good chance one, or both, would have not started.
There are two very familiar names in the Mariners' lineup -- third baseman Chone Figgins and second baseman Adam Kennedy. Both were on the Angels' 2002 World Series championship team. Gold Glove-winning center fielder Franklin Gutierrez returns to the Mariners' lineup after missing the first six weeks of the season because of irritable bowel syndrome.
The Angels lineup: SS Erick Aybar, DH Bobby Abreu, 2B Maicer Izturis, RF Torii Hunter, LF Howie Kendrick, 3B Alberto Callaspo, 1B Mark Trumbo, C Jeff Mathis, CF Peter Bourjos, P Jered Weaver.
The Mariners lineup: RF Ichiro Suzuki, 3B Chone Figgins, 1B Justin Smoak, DH Jack Cust, CF Franklin Gutierrez, 2B Adam Kennedy, C Miguel Olivo, LF Carlos Peguero, SS Luis Rodriguez, P Jason Vargas.
ALSO:
Cam Bedrosian, top Angels pitching prospect, has elbow surgery
Angels lose to A's, 5-4
-- Mike DiGiovanna in Seattle
Photo: Seattle starter Jason Vergas delivers a pitch during a game against the Boston Red Sox on April 30. Credit: Gretchen Ertl / Reuters
