Rainout pushes Angels-Red Sox series opener to Saturday

BOSTON — Heavy rain washed out Friday night’s opener of a three-game series between the Angels and Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park six hours before first pitch. The game was rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader Saturday, with games scheduled for 10 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. PDT.

Both teams will stick with their original rotations, the Angels starting Tommy Hanson (Game 1) and C.J. Wilson (Game 2) on Saturday and Joe Blanton on Sunday, and the Red Sox starting Felix Doubrant and Clay Buchholz on Saturday and Ryan Dempster on Sunday.

The rainout will require that the Angels use a sixth starter in a three-game series in Baltimore beginning Monday, but that won’t tax the staff. Jerome Williams, demoted to the bullpen despite going 3-2 with a 3.08 earned-run average in six starts, is expected to pitch Wednesday, following Jered Weaver and Jason Vargas.

The Angels will call up outfielder Brad Hawpe from triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday to fill the roster spot opened by reliever Dane De La Rosa’s demotion.

Hawpe, 33, is an eight-year veteran who last played in the big leagues with San Diego in 2011. He hit .305 with six homers, eight doubles and 28 runs batted in at Salt Lake.

Arms race

The Angels’ draft strategy became crystal clear Friday when the team followed Thursday’s selection of Kentucky high school left-hander Hunter Green with its top pick by using its next six selections on pitchers.

Keynan Middleton of Lane Community College in Oregon was picked in the third round, followed by Elliot Morris of Pierce College in Washington (fourth), Kyle McGowin of Savannah (Ga.) State (fifth), Harrison Cooney of Florida Gulf Coast University (sixth), Garrett Nuss of Seminole (Fla.) State (seventh) and Nate Smith of Furman University (eighth).

The streak was broken when Florida State catcher Stephen McGee was picked in the ninth round, but the Angels closed out the second day of the draft by picking right-hander Grant Gordon from Missouri State in the 10th round.

The only other time the Angels, who according to Baseball America have the game’s worst farm system, used their first seven picks on pitchers was in 1999, when they chose John Lackey, Philip Wilson, Stan Bukowski, Vince LaCorte, Dusty Bergman, Alan Wawrzyniak and Aaron Franke. Outside of Lackey, the only one to reach the major leagues was Bergman, who appeared in one game.

The Angels can spend about $3 million on their first nine picks and are expected to come to terms quickly with Green, who told the Bowling Green Daily News he plans to pass on a scholarship offer to Kentucky to sign with the Angels. The recommend bonus for his slot (59th overall) is $942,000.

Coming attraction

After hitting .273 (three for 11) with a homer, triple and three runs in three games for Class-A Inland Empire, center fielder Peter Bourjos, out since April 30 because of a left hamstring strain, went two for five with a homer and three RBIs in his first game at Salt Lake on Thursday night.

Bourjos is scheduled to complete his minor league stint this weekend and join the Angels in Baltimore on Monday.

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