Weaver looks to snap losing streak against struggling A's | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Right-handerJered Weaverwill look to snap his four-game losing streak against an Oakland team that has lost five straight entering Monday night's game in Angel Stadium.

Weaver was one of the best pitchers in baseball in April, going 6-0 with a 0.99 earned-run average in his first six starts, but he has lost his last four starts, in which he has allowed 14 runs in 24 innings.

He might not face much resistance Monday night. The A's hit .191 (33 for 173) with one home run and nine runs scored during their losing streak.

Reggie Willitswill start in left field in place ofHowie Kendrick, who will miss his fourth game because of tightness in his right hamstring. Kendrick, who received a cortisone injection Saturday, did some swimming-pool exercises Monday and hopes to resume baseball activities Tuesday or Wednesday.

There is a chance Kendrick, who leads the team with a .322 average, will go on the 15-day disabled list,"but right now, we're being positive about it,"he said.

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Angels ride Torii Hunter's bat, Tyler Chatwood's arm to 4-1 win over Braves | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Torii Hunterhit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and doubled and scored in the sixth, andTyler Chatwoodgave up one run and five hits in seven innings Sunday, leading the Angels to a 4-1 interleague victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Bobby Abreuadded a run-scoring double in the seventh for his 534th career double, tying the Angels designated hitter with Hall of FamerLou Gehrigfor 32nd on baseball's all-time list.

Hunter had gone 99 at-bats and 28 games without a home run before following Abreu's leadoff walk in the fourth with a shot over the left-field wall, Hunter's fifth homer of the season and first since April 21 against Boston.

That gave the Angels a 2-1 lead, which they extended to 3-1 in the sixth when Hunter doubled to left-center against Braves starterDerek Lowe, took third onAlberto Callaspo'sgrounder to second and scored onAlexi Amarista'sgrounder to short.

The Angels added an insurance run against relieverGeorge Sherrillin the seventh whenErick Aybarbunted for a single and took second on third basemanDiory Hernandez'sthrowing error and scored on Abreu's double off the wall in right-center.

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Angels notes: Mike Scioscia to miss Sunday's game; Howie Kendrick out of lineup | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Manager Mike Scioscia will miss Sunday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves to attend his son Matthew's graduation from Notre Dame. Scioscia is scheduled to fly to Chicago after Saturday night's game and return in time for Monday night's game against Oakland. Bench coach Rob Picciolo will run the team in Scioscia's absence.

Left fielder Howie Kendrick, who missed Friday night's game because of tightness in his lower right hamstring, is not in the lineup for Saturday night's game. Scioscia said Kendrick will try to run for the first time Sunday.

"He's getting better, but any time you have a hamstring injury, you're worried," Scioscia said."It's definitely not something you're going to rush."

Braves right fielder Jason Heyward, who is batting .214 with seven homers and 14 runs batted in, was in the Braves' original lineup Saturday night but was scratched because of a sore right shoulder.

Angels left-hander Scott Kazmir, who has spent the past month in the team's extended spring training camp in Arizona trying to find a consistent delivery and release point, threw his bullpen workout in Arizona instead of Anaheim on Saturday.

Kazmir was scheduled to fly to Orange County on Saturday evening, and he will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday night. The team will have 30 days to either activate him or release him.

"There's not a minimum amount of games {to his rehab stint}, but there is a maximum number of games," Scioscia said. The manager said the Angels could also bring Kazmir back in a relief role.

"No doubt, we need starting pitching depth in our organization," Scioscia said."We're looking at him as a starter, but I wouldn't rule out anything."

The Angels lineup for Saturday: DH Maicer Izturis, SS Erick Aybar, LF Bobby Abreu, RF Torii Hunter, 3B Alberto Callaspo, C Hank Conger, 1B Mark Trumbo, 2B Alexi Amarista, CF Peter Bourjos, P Joel Pineiro.

The Braves lineup: CF Nate McLouth, 3B Martin Prado, DH Chipper Jones, C Brian McCann, LF Eric Hinske, 2B Dan Uggla, 1B Freddie Freeman, SS Alex Gonzalez, RF Joe Mather, P Tommy Hanson.

-- Mike DiGiovanna

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Death of Rangers' Derek Boogaard caused by mix of alcohol, oxycodone, officials say | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

The death of Rangers enforcerDerek Boogaardwas determined to be accidental and caused by a lethal mixing of alcohol and oxycodone, according to a Hennepin County Medical Examiner report released Friday.

Oxycodone is a powerful and potentially addictive painkiller that has previously been identified in some overdose deaths.

The28-year-old Boogaardwas found dead in his Minneapolis apartment by two of his brothers last Friday, five months after he suffered a season-ending concussion on Dec. 9, at least his fourth.

Boogaard's brain will be examined for signs of a degenerative disease caused by blows to the head, his agent and a spokeswoman for the Boston University School of Medicine said earlier this week.

The 6-foot-7, 265-pound enforcer was known as"The Boogeyman" and became a fan favorite while playing with the Minnesota Wild from 2005-10. He had agreed to a $6.5-million, four-year deal with the Rangers last July and appeared in 22 games this season.

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-- Melissa Rohlin

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Derek Boogaard. Credit: Matt Slocum / Associated Press.

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Question of the day: Who will win the Preakness? {Updated} | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Writers from around Tribune Co. discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and feel free to weigh in with a comment of your own.

John Cherwa, Los Angeles Times

The best horse in the Preakness is Animal Kingdom, the impressive winner of the Kentucky Derby.  But the Derby lacked the expected early speed that would benefit the traditional deep-stretch closers. The Preakness should be very different with Flashpoint forcing a strong early pace. Now, it’s easy to pick the 2-1 favorite, but Animal Kingdom is an underlay at that price. I suspect he’ll win but he’s not the smart choice. I’m going to take a shot on Mucho Macho Man, trained by Kathy Ritvo. He’s never been off the board in nine starts and showed a decent finish in the Derby. Underneath, you’ve have Animal Kingdom and Dialed In, who should benefit from a fast pace. As for a horse to throw in the exotics for a price, I like Dance City, who finished third in the Arkansas Derby.

{Updated at 12:12 p.m.

Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune

Granted, Animal Kingdom outran a relatively weak field when he made his dirt-racing field and won the Kentucky Derby as a 20-1 long shot. Going into the Derby with six weeks of rest, he proved to be much the best and raced the final quarter in a razor-sharp :24.55. All of that suggests the well-bred colt is capable of a comparable performance at Pimlico -- where he will be facing an even weaker field than the one he dominated at Churchill Downs.

Don't count out my Derby pick, Dialed In. After encountering traffic problems at the start, he made a belated stretch move to finish eighth as the 5.20-1 favorite. The winner of the Holy Bull and Florida Derby at Pimlico's sister track, Gulfstream Park, will hit a $5.5-million three-race bonus jackpot if he wins the Preakness for owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito. Bettor beware.}

{Updated at 12:41

Tom Jicha, South Florida Sun Sentinel

Almost every major 3-year-old race, including the Kentucky Derby, has produced an upset. Animal Kingdom’s Derby triumph was visually scintillating. However, the race was slowly run with leisurely early fractions. Theoretically, this makes Animal Kingdom’s come-from-behind surge more impressive. But slow races often produce strange results because it keeps lesser talent in contention. With more early speed, the Preakness fractions should be lively. If Animal Kingdom has to run faster early to stay in touch, will he have the same kick? If so, he probably wins again. But Dialed In, who always drops back to last, ran a faster final half-mile. Alas, the field didn’t come back to him, as happens when the pace is quick. Given the likely odds, Dialed In is a better bet than a short-priced Animal Kingdom.}

Photo: Exercise rider Carlos Rosas takes Preakness entrant Astrology over the track at Pimlico Race Course on Thursday. Credit: Rob Carr / Getty Images

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UCLA football: Psalm Wooching, running back from Hawaii, commits to the Bruins | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Psalm Wooching, a running back/linebacker from Kealakehe High School in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, said he has committed to play at UCLA.

Wooching, who will be a senior in the fall, is the second running back from Hawaii to commit to UCLA this week, joining Honolulu Punahou’s Steven Lakalaka.

Wooching, who is 6-foot-3, 210 pounds, was also considering Washington, Utah and Colorado. He said UCLA defensive line coach Inoke Breckterfield,“broke down the campus, the academics they have to offer, the facilities. It’s the right fit for me.”

Wooching, considered a quality player on offense and defense, said he doesn't have a preference between running back and linebacker.

“Any position they put me at, I’ll beat out whoever they have there,” Wooching said.

-- Chris Foster

 

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Clippers react to Cavaliers' win in NBA draft lottery | The Fabulous Forum | Los Angeles Times

Funny but the Clippers just couldn't quite get away from the lottery.

This was supposed to be the one year they weren't part of the conversation

Oh well.

Cleveland won the NBA's draft lottery on Tuesday night, and added the No. 4 overall pick, an event made possible, in part, by wild blind luck and the deal crafted by the Cavaliers at the trade deadline. They sentMo Williamsto the Clippers and took onBaron Davisand his big-money contract for two more years. But they received the Clippers' first-round pick. 

Neil Olshey, the Clippers vice president of basketball operations, said that the team made the decision at the trade deadline that their next step was going to be"via trade or free agency."

"Adding Mo Williams and $8.5 million in cap room gives us better odds of improving than a 2.8% chance of winning the lottery and adding a seventh player under 23 to our roster," he said.

"Additionally, we had a 97% chance of sitting here tonight with Baron Davis, the eighth pick in a bad draft and no cap flexibility."

Cavaliers ownerDan Gilbert, called it a"beautiful" night, saying on a conference call:"I knew it was the right move all along. When it was over, someone on stage told me that it was the Clippers' pick and I thought they were messing around. It wasn't until 10-15 minutes later when I actually started to believe it."

-- Lisa Dillman

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