Byline: DOUG PADILLA Staff Writer
BOSTON -- Saturday's forecast is for a 100 percent chance of extreme curiosity as Jered Weaver hits the East Coast running.
Weaver takes his perfect 7-0 record into one of the two towns where it seems the baseball sun either rises or sets. The Boston Red Sox are a natural for so much attention with their cozy, quirky ballpark and their close proximity to the highly influential ESPN.
Being the archrival of the love-'em-or-hate-'em New York Yankees also adds to their lore.
So while Weaver has dispatched, in order, Baltimore, Cleveland, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Seattle, Oakland and Kansas City, this start is sure to provide some answers to what the kid is all about.
Other teams might have complimented his arsenal of pitches and noted the deception in his delivery, but the Red Sox's reaction likely will carry a little more weight. Right or wrong -- and probably wrong -- that's just the way it is.
``It's going to be a good battle going into it, knowing they are a good offensive team,'' Weaver said. ``Keeping runs off the board is the big goal for the rotation this weekend. We're just going to go out there and battle.
``It's exciting for me. It's my first time there in Boston. I'll probably take it in for an inning or two and probably regain focus after that, but it's going to be a fun battle.''
Just having Weaver aboard gives the Angels a different air about them as they enter a ballpark that hasn't been too kind to them of late. Since 1999, the Angels have had just one winning season at Boston, where they recorded a sweep in 2001. Since 2003, the Angels are 5-10 at Fenway Park. They also were swept by the Red Sox in the 2004 American League Division Series.
``I don't see certainly an intimidation factor with this group,'' manager Mike Scioscia said. ``It just comes in waves. Sometimes you're not playing like you can. We played well in Yankee Stadium at times and at times we've struggled in Fenway. It's a function of how we're playing and if we're playing our game, not the park or what's going on.''
Kelvim Escobar will pitch tonight as he battles not only the first-place team in the AL East, but lingering elbow soreness. On Saturday, Weaver faces the Red Sox's Josh Beckett; Sunday's clash is between John Lackey and Curt Schilling.
Weaver has been battling a little soreness himself as biceps tendinitis emerged before the All-Star break. He said he sometimes feels the equivalent of a pinch in the front of his shoulder where the biceps is attached.
Pain or not, Weaver hardly seems fazed. No matter the lineup, he never looks bothered. Five of his seven starts have been on the road, but the foreign settings don't seem to matter.
``I think his approach diffuses a lot of so-called pressure because I see him pitching the same way he has in spring training games,'' Scioscia said. ``I see him going after it the same way he does in Fall League games.
``It simplifies things when Jered goes out there with a gameplan and focuses on making pitches. Then the opposition becomes less of an issue and the situation and the environment becomes less of an issue. He's done very well with it.''
It also might not be an issue because Weaver operates like he still is pitching at Long Beach State. That undefeated rookie pitcher that is starting to get mentioned on national sports shows seems like another guy.
``I don't think it ever will sink in,'' Weaver said of his 7-0 start. ``It will never sink in that I'm up here, first of all. Hopefully, it stays that way because I need that motivation to go out there and do what I've been doing.
``I'm just trying to go out there and win ballgames. We're in a race obviously in our division and we're just trying to go out there and get wins.''
If Weaver wins Saturday, he will match Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela's 8-0 opening to the 1981 season. But Saturday also might end up being defeat No. 1, which doesn't seem all that upsetting to the 23-year old.
``There always will be losses in the book,'' he said. ``It's pretty much impossible to go out there and go undefeated. There is going to be a day when I give up six or seven (runs) in one inning, but I have to just bounce back.
``That's one of the tough things about being a starter, is that you have to wait four days to go do it again. I'm just going to take it day by day and pitch by pitch and go from there.''
The Red Sox are sure to have a much better scouting report than the Orioles had in Weaver's debut May 27. But Scioscia likes his young pitcher's chances.
``You'll see hitters start to understand a pitcher and what he is able to do, but it doesn't necessarily translate to success,'' Scioscia said. ``Some guys, you know what they are doing but they are so good at it they still achieve.''
doug.padilla@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2731
CAPTION(S):
photo, box
Photo:
(color) WEAVER
Box:
ANGELS at BOSTON
- Doug Padilla
