It hasn’t been a pretty season for the Los Angeles Angels but on Tuesday afternoon, Jered Weaver reminded everyone just how high their ceiling could be.
Weaver threw 8 lights-out innings to lead the Angels to a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins, and he did so in spectacular fashion. The right-hander allowed only 2 hits (1 walk) over those 8 frames, and he struck out 9 Twins over his 114-pitch gem.
For Weaver, it has been a bit of “lost” season, as injury forced him to miss a significant portion of the year. However, this is the type of dominance that he is capable of, and the Angels desperately need him as their #1 starter in order to close a mounting gap in the AL West.
The offense struggled (again) for Los Angeles in this one, but as a whole, they’ve been able to score enough runs to remain competitive despite the struggles of Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols. Their rotation has been the major issue, but if Weaver can perform at this All-Star type of level, they have a fighting chance.
Many people believe that the Angels are dead in the water with a 10.5-game deficit in the division, and a similar 8.5-game margin the Wild Card race. Normally, that would ring true, but this roster is simply too talented to count out, and with Weaver in this form, they are a threat to make a run no matter what the standings may indicate.