Pujols homers and Weaver holds O's to three hits as Angels take series opener

Heading into his start last Friday night, Los Angeles Angels right-hander Jered Weaver had an ERA of 6.29 through his first six starts of this year.

But whatever he found in his most recent start, a six-hit shutout of Houston, carried into tonight as Weaver pitched the Angels to a 3-1 win over the Orioles in front of 35,470 in the series opener at Camden Yards.

Weaver went 7 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts to improve to 2-4 and lowering his ERA to 4.44. He threw 83 pitches, 54 for strikes.

Trailing 2-0 heading to the eighth, J.J. Hardy homered to spoil Weaver's shutout bid and one out later Joe Smith came on in relief. For Hardy, his second home run of the year came on a 1-2 pitch. He entered the game 3-for-23 lifetime against Weaver, but went 2-for-3 tonight.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Albert Pujols homered to left with two outs. He hit his sixth of the year and career homer No. 526 on a 1-2 fastball from Wei-Yin Chen. Erick Aybar led off the second with a double to left, advanced to third on a grounder and scored on a Carlos Perez sac fly to right for an early 2-0 lead.

It was a tough luck loss for Chen, who allowed five hits and the two runs over seven innings plus one batter. He walked two and tied his season-high with seven strikeouts. Chen is now 1-2 with an ERA of 2.53 and has allowed two earned runs or less in six consecutive starts.

For the Orioles, it was the eighth time in the last 14 games where their starter went seven or more innings. Chen has done that in three of his past four starts.

The Orioles, who fell to 15-18, were playing just their fourth game of the year outside of the American League East. They have lost seven of their past 10 games.

They fall to 8-6 at home, 2-5 in two-run games and to 3-9 in the first game of a series.

On Saturday at 7:05 p.m., Bud Norris (1-4, 9.88 ERA) is scheduled to face Matt Shoemaker (2-3, 6.61 ERA). Norris was ill before the game. If he can't make the start, Ubaldo Jimenez (3-2, 2.41 ERA) will get the start for the Orioles.