In need of starting pitching last season, the Angels reached down to Class AAA and promoted right-hander Garrett Richards, asking him to make his first major league start in New York against the Yankees -- and then his second start against the first-place Texas Rangers.
Things didn't go so well. Richards was roughed up in the Bronx, then suffered a groin injury in the first inning of his second start against Texas. Overall, he was 0-2 with a 5.79 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) for the Angels last season.
With Jered Weaver going on the disabled list this week due to a back injury, the Angels will turn to Richards again. Wiser from his big-league experience and 10 starts in Class AAA this season, the 24-year-old Richards said he is up to the challenge of filling in for the Angels' ace.
"With (the Pacific Coast League) being a hitters' league, it forces you to tighten up your pitching and work on specific stuff like getting ahead of hitters and throwing the ball down in the zone," Richards said. "It's a good experience. It helped me a lot."
Richards pitched a scoreless ninth inning Wednesday in the Angels' 6-5 loss to the Yankees, and the Angels appear to be leaning toward making it a little easier on him this time around.
Weaver's spot in the rotation will come up Sunday in the series finale against the Rangers (the front-runners in the AL West again this season), but manager Mike Scioscia indicated the Angels would strongly consider starting Dan Haren that day. Because of an off day Thursday, Haren would be pitching on normal rest Sunday. He threw 102 pitches in seven-plus innings Tuesday.
Richards would then be needed either Monday or Tuesday against the Mariners -- one of the weaker lineups in the American League (despite their 21-run outburst against the Rangers on Wednesday).
"We'll see where he fits in," Scioscia said after Wednesday's game, still unwilling to set his rotation officially.
NOTES, QUOTES
Trumbo homers for fourth consecutive game
--RF Mark Trumbo went 3-for-4 with three RBI, including two on a fourth-inning home run in Wednesday's loss to the Yankees. It was the fourth consecutive game with a home run for Trumbo. He is the first Angel to hit home runs in four consecutive games since Rex Hudler in May 1996. Trumbo can shoot for the franchise record (five consecutive games by Bobby Bonds in 1977) on Friday.
--Trumbo's three-hit game Wednesday was his 13th multi-hit game in May. He batted .367 (40-for-109) with 10 doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 18 RBI during the month. He led the American League with 18 extra-base hits in May and finished second to White Sox 1B Paul Konerko (.379) in batting average for the month.
--1B Albert Pujols was 2-for-4 with a walk in Wednesday's loss to the Yankees. Pujols hit .217 with no home runs and four RBI during the month of April. He hit .263 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in May.
--2B Howie Kendrick came up with runners in scoring position in three of his four at-bats Wednesday and went hitless with a flyout, a double play and a strikeout. Kendrick is batting .200 (9-for-45) with RISP this season.
--OF Torii Hunter went 1-for-4 in his first game back from the restricted list Tuesday but was not in the starting lineup Wednesday. Manager Mike Scioscia said he would work Hunter back into the lineup carefully after the veteran was sidelined for two weeks. "When you get out here and get in baseball shape, it's totally different," said Hunter, who had been working out at his home in the Dallas area. "Third inning, I wanted somebody to bring me some water in the outfield."
BY THE NUMBERS: 15 -- Home runs allowed by Angels RHP Ervin Santana this season after he gave up two Wednesday against the Yankees. He leads the majors in that category.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "Those guys are unbelievable. They look like they could be with the L.A. (now St. Louis) Rams, doing a little secondary work." -- Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez, on the ground covered by Angels OFs Mike Trout and Peter Bourjos.
