Newly minted $85 million man Jered Weaver will make his first start since singing his five-year contract extension as the Los Angeles Angels battle the Chicago White Sox Wednesday night. In the finale of a brief two-game series in Anaheim, the Angels are trying for their sixth straight win.
Weaver is 14-6 with a league-leading 2.10 ERA on the season, and he has allowed just three runs total in his last five home starts. In those five starts, Weaver has averaged eight innings per start and has seven walks and 33 strikeouts in 40 innings. Weaver is 6-1 with a 1.49 ERA in 11 starts at Angel Stadium this season.
Now that the contract is signed, Weaver can focus on the field, which suits him just fine. "There comes a point in time when you do have to deal with the business side of things, but I don't think money had anything to do with my decision," Weaver said during Tuesday's press conference. "I could have gotten more, whatever, who cares? I'm here, and that's all I care about."
Zach Stewart, who was acquired from Toronto in the three-way trade involving Colby Rasmus, Edwin Jackson and others, gets the start for the White Sox. The rookie Stewart is 1-2 with a 3.74 ERA on the season, including 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA in his four games, including two starts, with Chicago.
Wednesday night's 7:05 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West and ESPN2. For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.