Bullpen helps Angels hold on to beat White Sox 4-3

[April 16, 2011]  CHICAGO (AP) -- The Los Angeles Angels bullpen extended its scoreless streak to 25 1-3 innings Friday and the Angels held on to beat the Chicago White Sox 4-3 in the series opener.

Fernando Rodney worked out of trouble with two on and one out in the eighth and Jordan Walden worked a perfect ninth to preserve the win for Jered Weaver, the first in the majors to reach four wins.

Maicer Izturis had three hits and drove in two runs Friday to help Angels win their third straight and seventh in the last nine games.

Weaver (4-0) allowed three runs on four hits to earn the win. Two of the runs were earned. The 2010 strikeout leader added four to his 2011 total and leads the majors with 31 this season.

Filling in for the injured Jake Peavy, Phil Humber (1-1) took the loss for Chicago. He was charged with four runs over his five innings of work, but only two of the runs were earned. Humber struck out four and gave up six hits, but was hit hard all night.

Weaver retired the first six batters he faced, but found trouble in the third inning. He hit A.J. Pierzynski in the back on a 1-2 pitch to lead off and Alexei Ramirez blooped a single into shallow center field to put runners on first and second.

Brent Morel then botched a bunt, popping out to catcher Hank Conger. Juan Pierre followed with a fly out to left field, but Weaver couldnt escape unscathed. Gordon Beckham ripped a 1-1 pitch into left field to drive in Pierzynski. Weaver rebounded to strike out Dunn for the second time.

The Angels responded immediately with a four-run fourth. After a one-out walk to Vernon Wells and a single by Alberto Callaspo, Humber allowed an RBI single to Mark Trumbo. Conger then grounded softly to third with runners on first and third, but a wide throw by Morel allowed a run to score and set the stage for a two-run double off the bat of Izturis, his third hit in four innings, to give Los Angeles a 4-1 lead.

Heavy rain returned in the bottom of the fifth as the game became official, prompting the umpiring crew to call for the tarp with two outs in the top of the sixth. The game resumed after half an hour.

Despite the delay, Weaver stayed in the game, but gave up a two-run homer by Dunn just two batters after retaking the mound.

Heavy rain came again in the ninth as the Angels took the field for the bottom half. The players briefly took shelter in the dugout, but reappeared just a minute later, before the grounds crew could take out the tarp, and began warming up again. Play resumed after just a three-minute delay.

NOTES: In honor of Jackie Robinson Day, Robinson's granddaughter, Sonia Pankey, threw out the first pitch. ... Angels RHP Joel Pineiro (right shoulder tendinitis) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session in Arizona Friday. "He still has work to do," Scioscia said. ... Angels LHP Scott Kazmir (lower back soreness) is working out in Houston but will join the team Monday for a three-game series in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. ... White Sox LHP Will Ohman struck out Izturis with the bases loaded and two out in the eighth.

[Associated Press]

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