Baseball: Weaver ends skid, leads Angels past A's

OAKLAND, Calif. - Juan Rivera homered to help Jered Weaver end a three-start losing streak and the Los Angeles Angels sent the Oakland Athletics to their fifth straight loss with a 5-2 victory Friday night.

Torii Hunter added an RBI single for the AL West champions, who won for the fifth time in six games.

Weaver (16-8), having a career year, pitched five scoreless innings in his final playoff tuneup. Having lost three straight starts for the first time in his career, the right-hander was sharp from the start. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter for the fourth time this year.

Weaver will follow John Lackey in the division series against Boston, pitching Game 2 at home. Weaver, who turns 27 on Sunday, bounced back from a loss to Oakland in his last start Sept. 25.

Gio Gonzalez (6-7) was effective for much of the night, but not as sharp as when he beat Weaver their last time out. Gonzalez struck out a season-high 10 and didn't issue a walk for the first time this season.

Weaver has three more wins than his previous best season in 2007 and also set new career highs with 33 starts, 211 innings and 174 strikeouts.

His two shutouts and four complete games were also bests.

After Oakland got on the board in the ninth and threatened, Brian Fuentes entered and gave up Daric Barton's run-scoring single before recording the final two outs for his majors-leading 47th save.

Bobby Abreu stole his 30th base in the eighth, joining the late Bobby Bonds as the only players in Angels' history with at least 100 RBIs and 30 steals in the same season. Bonds had 115 RBIs and 41 steals in 1977.

Abreu also reached 150 games played for the 12th straight year. Four other players have played in 150 games in 12 or more consecutive seasons: Willie Mays, Billy Williams, Pete Rose and Cal Ripken Jr.

Mike Napoli got caught in a rundown after taking too big a lead off second base in the second inning. During that pickle, Kendry Morales headed for home and jumped over the tag by catcher Kurt Suzuki for the Angels' second run. It was ruled a double-steal and Oakland manager Bob Geren came out to argue.

Rivera connected for his 25th home run on a solo shot in the fourth, then Hunter drove in a run in the fifth.

The A's were error-free for only the second time in 13 games.

NOTES: Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he is still considering a couple of different playoff roster options, and carrying 12 pitchers is likely. ... The Angels plan to take Monday off completely "no matter what happens," Scioscia said, then hold their first playoff workout Tuesday. ... SS Erick Aybar (bruised right hand) and 2B Howie Kendrick are expected to be back in the Los Angeles lineup Saturday. Kendrick missed his third straight game Friday with a staph-like infection below his right knee. ... Geren plans to give backup C Landon Powell a start Saturday. ... OF Travis Buck didn't play for the A's because he wasn't feeling well. ... Oakland OF Ryan Sweeney isn't expected to play the rest of the way because of sore knees.