Garland holds Orioles to 3 hits in 8 innings, Angels win 3-1
Associated Press | May 3, 08 5:15 PM CDT in
Sports
Jon Garland pitched three-hit ball for eight innings, Gary Matthews Jr. drove in two runs and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-1 Saturday with slumping slugger Vladimir Guerrero on the bench.
Only four Orioles reached base against Garland (4-3), who allowed one run and retired 18 of his last 19 batters. It was the first time he got through the seventh since his Angels debut on April 1, when he went eight innings in a 9-1 win at Minnesota. He had one walk and one strikeout, both in the first inning.
Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth for his 12th save, breaking a tie with Baltimore's George Sherrill for the major league lead.
Los Angeles pulled ahead 2-1 with a pair of runs in the seventh against Daniel Cabrera (2-1). The right-hander plunked No. 9 hitter Brandon Wood on the shoulder with one out, then walked Chone Figgins before giving up an RBI single by Reggie Willits. Matthews followed with a sacrifice fly.
For the second time in two games, the Orioles failed to throw out a runner at home plate on a grounder with the infield in. Matthews rapped one to second baseman Brian Roberts, whose throw to Ramon Hernandez was a shade too late as Figgins slid in under the tag.
Matthews started in right field for the Angels in place of Guerrero, who was given the day off by manager Mike Scioscia. Guerrero is in an 0-for-15 drought, the first time in his career that the eight-time All-Star and 2004 AL MVP has gone hitless in five consecutive games. He has one homer in his last 20 contests.
Aubrey Huff led off the Orioles second inning with a single and scored from second on a two-out RBI single by Luke Scott, who entered the game in a 3-for-33 rut. Those were the only hits Garland allowed until the seventh, when Melvin Mora doubled with one out to end a string of 13 consecutive batters retired by the right-hander.
Cabrera allowed three runs and six hits over 7 1-3 innings, striking out six and walking two.
Cabrera, who walked seven batters over 6 1-3 innings on Monday in a game that was suspended due to wet grounds, walked his first batter of this game. He then retired nine in a row before Willits led off the fourth with a grounder to first baseman Kevin Millar that should have been an out. But Cabrera was late getting off the mound to take Millar's toss, and the speedy Willits slammed his foot on the bag a step ahead of Cabrera's and was credited with a hit.
Torii Hunter led off the fifth with a more conventional single, but those were the only Angels hits through the first five innings. Willits was erased on a double-play grounder by Casey Kotchman. Hunter was erased on another double play, as Hernandez threw him out trying to steal second on a strikeout by Erick Aybar.
Notes@: Mild-mannered Garret Anderson was ejected for only the third time in his 15-year career. He took a called third strike at the knees in the seventh, then flipped the bat end-over-end in disgust before umpire Paul Emmel tossed him. ... Matthews has started seven games in right field, five in center and 13 in left. The Angels are 7-0 when he starts in right. ... Cabrera came in with a 6.55 career ERA against the Angels. Two of his major league-worst 18 losses last season were against the Halos, as he gave up 11 earned runs in 11 innings. ... Garland had allowed 16 earned runs over 17 1-3 innings in his three previous home starts this season.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.