Both teams struggled on Friday night to get runners in, and through seven innings the game was tied at one. Both clubs were one for 14 with runners in scoring position at that point. However, it was the Angels who got that second hit with RISP -- a two-run single by Chone Figgins off Cory Wade in the eighth -- that provided the winning margin, giving the Angels a 3-1 victory.
Both starting pitchers struggled early. Even though they each only gave up one run, Clayton Kershaw and Jered Weaver were finished after five innings, with 97 and 101 pitches, respectively.
Jamie Hoffman made his major league debut, flying out to right field in the sixth inning.
Cory Wade, after retiring the first 14 batters he faced coming off the disabled list, has struggled mightily since. In his last 5.1 innings, spread over seven outings, Wade has given up 11 hits, six runs, and five walks, and has four strikeouts. Counting tonight, as Phil Gurnee pointed out in the game thread, Wade has allowed at least two baserunners in six of his last seven outings.
Hiroki Kuroda was sharp in his rehabilitation start for Class A Inland Empire in Bakersfield tonight. On a pitch limit, he threw 58 pitches over 3.2 innings and allowed just one unearned run and one hit (a double). Kuroda struck out three and did not walk anyone.
Randy Wolf faces off with John Lackey tomorrow night, and I will be there covering the game.
WP - Darren Oliver (1-0): 1.1 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
LP - Cory Wade (0-3): 1 inning, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk
Sv - Brian Fuentes (12): 1 perfect inning