Jered Weaver

The Angels scoffed at the radar gun readings at Great American Ball Park. Jered Weaver 's fastball registered in the 84-87 mph range there on opening day , and the Angels suggested that the gun in Cincinnati was a little on the slow side. Weaver, the Angels' ace, made his second start of the season on Sunday, against the Texas Rangers at the Ballpark in Arlington. The radar gun there had his fastball in the very same range: 84-87 mph. Neither game was played in optimal conditions, with unusually cold weather in Cincinnati and gusting winds in Texas.

Josh Hamilton is not the only superstar in the Angels' clubhouse who had a bitter breakup with the fans of his old team. Albert Pujols is no longer universally beloved in St. Louis. Hamilton had a harsh homecoming reception in Texas over the weekend. Pujols said he does not worry about what kind of reaction would await him when he returns to St. Louis. "I'm way past that," Pujols told The Times. "When the time comes, I'll deal with it. " The Angels do play the Cardinals this season, but the games are in Anaheim.

ARLINGTON, Texas - There were plenty of aces in the hole Sunday afternoon, as five of the game's best pitchers - Matt Cain, David Price, Cole Hamels, R.A. Dickey and Stephen Strasburg - were torched for 38 earned runs in 241/3 innings. Jered Weaver followed suit Sunday night. The Angels ace, fighting mechanical issues that seem to have sapped him of some velocity, was knocked around by the Texas Rangers, giving up five runs and seven hits, including two home runs, in five innings of a 7-3 loss at the Ballpark in Arlington.

— Of all the numbers dotted on a scorecard and drizzled around its margins as opening day extended into opening night, the most compelling number for the Angels might be this one: Number of times Jered Weaver hit 90 mph: zero. There might be no pitcher in the major leagues more crucial to the fortunes of his team. There might be no radar gun readings more unsettling that the ones at Great American Ball Park on Monday, the ones that tracked Weaver's fastball most often in the range of 84-87 mph. What matters most is getting outs, and Weaver got them.

The Angels open the 2013 season Monday against the Cincinnati Reds in Great American Ball Park, the starting line for a grueling six-month, 162-game marathon that requires skill, depth, endurance, patience and perspective, among other things. So when Mike Trout calls it "the most important game of the year," it would be easy to pass off as hyperbole from an exuberant 21-year-old bundle of fast-twitch muscles and energy on the verge of his first big league opening day. Then again, he could be onto something.

There is enough star power in the Angels lineup to illuminate the Big A message board for months, the marquee shining with three megawatt names - Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton. Trout is just 21, but with his dynamic blend of speed, power and defense, he is already established as one of the best players in the game. Pujols has been a big producer for years, and Hamilton is a five-tool threat who, during hot streaks, might be the most dangerous hitter in baseball. The trio has combined for four most valuable player awards, two rookies of the year, 15 All-Star game selections, two batting titles and 10 Silver Slugger awards - and is the primary reason the Angels are considered World Series contenders.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Jered Weaver looked extremely sharp in his final tuneup before Monday's season-opening start in Cincinnati, allowing two singles in seven shutout innings, striking out three and walking one in the Angels' 7-1 exhibition loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks Tuesday night at Salt River Fields. “I always try to treat the last spring game like a regular-season game,” said Weaver, who will be making his fourth straight opening-day start. “You mix your pitches like you would in a regular-season game.

TEMPE, Ariz. - Jered Weaver's right arm is alive and well. Cuffed around by the Oakland Athletics in his last exhibition start, when he went through a spring-training “dead-arm” phase, the Angels ace threw 89 pitches in 6 1/3 innings of an intrasquad game Thursday and was pleased with the results. “I'm back on track,” said Weaver, who was rocked for eight runs and three homers in two innings against the A's on Saturday. “The first two innings felt like the same thing, but the last four innings I threw I was where I needed to be as far as mechanics and timing.

PHOENIX - Angels starter Jered Weaver knew it would be a long afternoon when he walked the leadoff hitter on four pitches Saturday. And it went downhill from there with the team's opening-day starter giving up eight runs on six hits - - including three home runs - - in two innings. The Angels eventually rallied to take the lead in the ninth inning, only to give up four more runs in the bottom of the inning to settle for a wild 13-13 tie with the Oakland Athletics at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

- Luis Jimenez sat in front of his corner locker in the Angels' clubhouse Saturday morning, pounding a wooden mallet into the pocket of a new first baseman's glove to soften the stiff leather. The mitt was a gift from fellow Dominican Albert Pujols . And if Jimenez learns to use it quickly enough it could earn him an invitation to the big leagues sometime this season. "We want to see his versatility," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "This guy has looked really good at third base.