Weaver a reluctant part of history

This was a piece of trivia that Jered Weaver could do without.

The question: Who were the last Angels pitchers to combine to hold their opponent without a hit in a loss?

The answer: Weaver and reliever Jose Arredondo, who united for eight no-hit innings Saturday night at Dodger Stadium during the Angels’ 1-0 loss to the Dodgers.

“I’m sure you guys are going to eat this up more than I am,� Weaver told a group of reporters gathered around his locker afterward.

Weaver held the Dodgers without a hit through six innings before being removed for a pinch-hitter and turning things over to Arredondo, who retired the Dodgers in order in the seventh and eighth innings. The game did not qualify as an official no-hitter because the Dodgers did not bat in their half of the ninth inning.

The Dodgers scored in the fifth on a pair of errors, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly. Weaver committed the first error when he couldn’t cleanly field leadoff hitter Matt Kemp’s dribbler up the first base line.

“The ball had a lot of spin on it and took a little hop before it hit my glove and stayed down,� Weaver said.

Kemp stole second and went to third when catcher Jeff Mathis’ throw sailed into center field. Kemp scored on Blake DeWitt’s sacrifice fly to right fielder Vladimir Guerrero.

Weaver said Manager Mike Scioscia told him he was going to be removed in the seventh inning if his spot in the batting order came up. It did, when Dodgers shortstop Angel Berroa’s throwing error prevented pinch-hitter Gary Matthews Jr. from grounding into an inning-ending double play. But pinch-hitter Chone Figgins, hitting for Weaver, grounded out.

“You’re out to win a game,� Scioscia said. “We had to make that move at that time.�

And so Weaver ended up on the wrong side of history.

“It’s tough, any loss,� Weaver said. “It doesn’t matter what the line is.�

On the mend

Figgins said he initially injured the left knee that has kept him out of the starting lineup the last two games when he slid into home plate two weeks ago against the Atlanta Braves.

The third baseman had the wound thoroughly cleaned and was able to play during the first six games of the Angels’ nine-game trip, but he said the swelling in the knee persisted and he eventually required a few antibiotic shots.

Scioscia said Figgins might be able to return to the starting lineup Monday when the Angels open a three-game series against Oakland at Angel Stadium.

In a pinch, indeed

The Angels’ bench was not constructed for extensive pinch-hitting duties, and it shows.

The team is hitless in 11 pinch-hit at-bats with one walk and one run batted in this season at National League stadiums, where pinch-hitting is a more crucial component of a team’s offense.

With a runner on first base and one out in the seventh inning Saturday, pinch-hitter Matthews grounded into what would have been an inning-ending double play had Dodgers shortstop Berroa not committed a throwing error.

But Figgins, pinch-hitting, grounded out to quell the threat.

Pinch-hitter Reggie Willits then struck out with two on and two out in the ninth.

“I don’t think we have anybody on our team that’s just a true pinch-hitter that’s comfortable with the role,� Scioscia said.

“That’s not really what a lot of our bench is about.�

Short hops

Maicer Izturis was back in the starting lineup at third base after a five-game absence after running the bases aggressively to demonstrate that his tight right hamstring was no longer bothering him. . . . Outfielder Juan Rivera rejoined the team after returning to Miami earlier in the week when his wife gave birth to the couple’s third child, a son. Rivera’s wife experienced bleeding complications during the delivery, he said, but both mother and child are doing well now.

--

[email protected]