The Los Angeles Angels can’t get the Baltimore Orioles out of town fast enough. The Orioles are wishing they could stay for an extended period of time.
Orioles starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie allowed just four hits over eight and 1/3 innings, and Matt Wieters supplied the only offense needed with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning, giving the Orioles a 1-0 victory and a sweep of the season series over the Angels for the first time in history.
The Angels’ offense was anemic all weekend long, scoring just one run and making Orioles’ starters all look like Cy Young candidates.
Angels starter Jered Weaver (11-10) certainly did his part, pitching eight innings, allowing only five hits and one run. Victimized once again by lack of run support, Weaver could only watch as Guthrie mowed down his teammates one by one.
Each Baltimore starter lasted at least eight innings, and Angel hitters managed only 16 hits throughout the three-game series.
Guthrie (8-13) was spectacular from the start, keeping Angel hitters off balance with an array of pitches. He escaped a jam in the bottom of the sixth. After allowing a walk to Jeff Mathis, Peter Bourjos sacrificed Mathis to second, and Reggie Willits reached on a bunt single, moving Mathis to third.
Guthrie worked out of it, getting Howie Kendrick to ground into a double play, ending the inning and the threat.
Guthrie started the ninth by retiring Peter Bourjos on a fly ball to left. Willits, who had the only success against Guthrie all afternoon, blooped a double into short right-center. Howie Kendrick followed with a single, moving Willits to third.
Guthrie’s afternoon was done, as Mike Gonzalez was called in to face Bobby Abreu. Abreu struck out, and manager Buck Showalter then called on new closer Koji Uehara to face Torii Hunter. Uehara got Hunter to fly out to right, and the sweep was on.
Uehara closed out his second game of the series, and the Orioles are now 16-11 for the month of August, giving them their only winning month since June, 2008, and their first winning August since 1997.
For the Angels, manager Mike Scioscia must now ponder what he’ll be doing in October, as the Angels appear destined to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
You can follow Doug on Twitter, @desertdesperado.
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