Mike Digiovanna

Mike DiGiovanna indicated many thousands thought the curse of the Angels struck again on opening night. Au contraire. We may be seeing a replay of the Lou Gehrig story. Maybe Jeff Huson will play so well that Mo Vaughn will never regain his job. P.V. HAIG Dana Point

TEMPE, Ariz. - After the final out in their final Cactus League game Sunday afternoon at Tempe Diablo Stadium, an 8-1 exhibition loss to the Chicago Cubs, Angels players deserted the clubhouse, packed bags in tow. They're off to the Southland for a three-game Freeway Series with the Dodgers that begins Monday and for opening day Friday at home against Kansas City. Ace Jered Weaver probably will start against the Royals. Against the Cubs, in his final tuneup, Weaver gave up eight hits and three runs in six innings, with all the runs coming in his final inning.

That was a good story on Troy Percival [July 14], but Mike DiGiovanna stated Percival, at 6-3, 230 pounds, was built "like an offensive lineman." Can anyone name an offensive lineman that size who's not in high school? DOMINIC PAGONE, Arcadia Mike DiGiovanna exhibited a remarkable amount of self-restraint in his July 11 story when he almost glossed over one of the most remarkable feats in baseball history: "Baughman doubled to right to start the fifth and stole second. . . ."

Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto and assistant GM Scott Servais had dinner with Bob Garber , the agent for pitcher C.J. Wilson , on Monday night in Milwaukee and talked for three hours. The Angels' interest in the free-agent left-hander is "serious," according to a person familiar with the team's thinking who is not allowed to speak publicly on the topic. Wilson, who turns 31 this week, played at Fountain Valley High, Santa Ana College and Loyola Marymount. He was 16-7 with a 2.94 earned-run average for the American League champion Texas Rangers and is considered the top pitcher on the market despite a shaky postseason in which he was 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in five starts.

The Angels will hold a celebration-of-life gathering Thursday night at the Angel Stadium Diamond Club for family, close friends and colleagues of play-by-play broadcaster Rory Markas, who died last week at his Palmdale home. Markas, 54, spent eight seasons in the Angels' broadcast booth and also was the play-by-play voice of the USC men's basketball team. The Diamond Club will open at 5 p.m. Thursday, and the service will begin at 6 p.m. Markas' family has scheduled a private memorial service for Friday.

AT OAKLAND When: 7. Where: McAfee Coliseum. On the air: TV: Fox Sports West. Radio: 830, 980, 1330. Pitchers: Ervin Santana vs. Dallas Braden. Friday, 7 p.m. -- Joe Saunders (8-5, 4.65) vs. Trevor Cahill (5-8, 4.67); Saturday, 6 p.m. -- Jered Weaver (10-3, 3.22) vs. Vin Mazzaro (2-5, 3.59); Sunday, 1 p.m. -- John Lackey (4-4, 4.93) vs. Brett Anderson (5-7, 4.64). Update: Santana, who has been on the disabled list twice this season, says he is sound and that he has cleared the mental hurdle of cutting loose on his fastball after a significant elbow injury.

Angels 6, San Diego 5 > > > Tempe, Ariz. AT THE PLATE: Ryan Mount hit a home run, Reggie Willits stroked a two-run single and Michael Ryan had an RBI single to key a four-run sixth inning. Ryan, who is trying to win a reserve outfield spot, also doubled in the fifth. Bobby Wilson hit a two-run triple in the seventh, and Hideki Matsui , making his exhibition debut for the Angels, struck out and singled in two at-bats. ON THE MOUND: It wasn't a clean inning — he gave up a two-out triple to Kyle Banks — but closer Brian Fuentes looked a lot sharper during a scoreless fourth than he did in his first outing Friday, when he gave up a run on two hits and a walk against Colorado.

Angels 11, Chicago Cubs 0 Mesa, Ariz. AT THE PLATE: Terry Evans improved his spring average from .194 to .293 with a two-run homer, a double and three singles. Mike Napoli hit a prodigious two-run homer off Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, outfield prospect Peter Bourjos had a two-run homer and an RBI double, and catcher Bobby Wilson had an RBI double and a single. ON THE MOUND: Relievers Scot Shields and Fernando Rodney followed Jered Weaver's five shutout innings by retiring the side in order, Shields in the sixth inning and Rodney in the seventh.

Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 4 Tempe, Ariz. At the plate: Mike Napoli hit a solo home run to the opposite field in the fourth inning, Juan Rivera had an RBI single in the third, and Howie Kendrick doubled to deep center in the second. The Angels tied the score in the eighth on Hank Conger's sacrifice fly and Freddy Sandoval's RBI single. On the mound: Sinker-ball specialist Joel Pineiro gave up a run and three hits in two innings, but two of the hits in Chicago's run-scoring second were hard ground balls that were knocked down by infielders.

Monday through Wednesday: vs. Boston Red Sox Friday through Sunday: vs. Texas Rangers The road ahead doesn't get any easier for the Angels at home. Coming off a six-game trip to New York and Texas to play the American League East-leading Yankees and West-leading Rangers, the Angels will host the Boston Red Sox for three games beginning Monday night and the Rangers for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Perennial shoppers before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, the Angels could quickly become sellers by mid-week if they fall any further behind Texas in the division.

Josh Hamilton thought back to the days when his career was derailed by drugs and alcohol. "I would say a 99% chance that this would never happen," he said. "I mean, honestly, I think a lot of people would agree with that. " In one of baseball's most inspirational turnarounds, the Texas Rangers outfielder was a runaway winner of the American League's Most Valuable Player award Tuesday. Hamilton received 22 first-place votes and 358 points from the Baseball Writers' Assn.

Monday through Wednesday: vs. Boston Red Sox Friday through Sunday: vs. Texas Rangers The road ahead doesn't get any easier for the Angels at home. Coming off a six-game trip to New York and Texas to play the American League East-leading Yankees and West-leading Rangers, the Angels will host the Boston Red Sox for three games beginning Monday night and the Rangers for a three-game series beginning Friday night. Perennial shoppers before the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline, the Angels could quickly become sellers by mid-week if they fall any further behind Texas in the division.

No.; Name; Pos.; B/T; Age; Comment STARTERS 2; Erick Aybar; SS; S/R; 26; Won't be on-base machine like Chone Figgins, but has speed and ability to be dynamic leadoff man. 53; Bobby Abreu; RF; L/R; 36; Plate discipline, power and speed make him one of baseball's most productive all-around hitters. 48; Torii Hunter; CF; R/R; 34; Nine-time Gold Glove winner is healthy after playing much of 2009 with sports hernia. 55; Hideki Matsui; DH; L/R; 35; Angels hope 2009 World Series MVP has another 25-homer, 90-RBI season in bat. 8; Kendry Morales; 1B; S/R; 26; Emerged as offensive force in 2009; will probably move into cleanup spot by May 1. 20; Juan Rivera; LF; R/R; 31; Loss of 13 pounds and added muscle should make him more agile in field and on bases.

San Diego 5, Angels 3 At Angel Stadium AT THE PLATE: On the first pitch of his first at-bat as an Angel at Angel Stadium, Hideki Matsui slapped a single past Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, scoring Bobby Abreu from second base. Matsui struck out in his other two at-bats. Kendry Morales scored on a Brandon Wood sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and singled to score Michael Ryan in the ninth. ON THE MOUND: Joe Saunders gave up four hits and two runs in five innings in his final spring tuneup.

Angels 11, Chicago Cubs 0 Mesa, Ariz. AT THE PLATE: Terry Evans improved his spring average from .194 to .293 with a two-run homer, a double and three singles. Mike Napoli hit a prodigious two-run homer off Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano, outfield prospect Peter Bourjos had a two-run homer and an RBI double, and catcher Bobby Wilson had an RBI double and a single. ON THE MOUND: Relievers Scot Shields and Fernando Rodney followed Jered Weaver's five shutout innings by retiring the side in order, Shields in the sixth inning and Rodney in the seventh.

Chicago White Sox 10, Angels 7 AT THE PLATE: The Angels scored five runs in the fourth inning against White Sox closer Bobby Jenks . Among the highlights were Kendry Morales' run-scoring triple, Howie Kendrick's run-scoring single and Maicer Izturis' two-run single. Cory Aldridge hit a solo home run, his second of the spring, in the seventh inning. Hideki Matsui , slowed by his arthritic knees, scored from first on Morales' triple. ON THE MOUND: Closer Brian Fuentes pitched a one-two-three fourth inning, striking out Jordan Danks and Gordon Beckham and getting Carlos Quentin to pop out to first, and his fastball was clocked at 91 mph. The left-hander whiffed Danks looking at a nice fastball on the outside corner.

San Diego 5, Angels 3 At Angel Stadium AT THE PLATE: On the first pitch of his first at-bat as an Angel at Angel Stadium, Hideki Matsui slapped a single past Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, scoring Bobby Abreu from second base. Matsui struck out in his other two at-bats. Kendry Morales scored on a Brandon Wood sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and singled to score Michael Ryan in the ninth. ON THE MOUND: Joe Saunders gave up four hits and two runs in five innings in his final spring tuneup.

Chicago White Sox 10, Angels 7 AT THE PLATE: The Angels scored five runs in the fourth inning against White Sox closer Bobby Jenks . Among the highlights were Kendry Morales' run-scoring triple, Howie Kendrick's run-scoring single and Maicer Izturis' two-run single. Cory Aldridge hit a solo home run, his second of the spring, in the seventh inning. Hideki Matsui , slowed by his arthritic knees, scored from first on Morales' triple. ON THE MOUND: Closer Brian Fuentes pitched a one-two-three fourth inning, striking out Jordan Danks and Gordon Beckham and getting Carlos Quentin to pop out to first, and his fastball was clocked at 91 mph. The left-hander whiffed Danks looking at a nice fastball on the outside corner.

Angels 6, San Diego 5 > > > Tempe, Ariz. AT THE PLATE: Ryan Mount hit a home run, Reggie Willits stroked a two-run single and Michael Ryan had an RBI single to key a four-run sixth inning. Ryan, who is trying to win a reserve outfield spot, also doubled in the fifth. Bobby Wilson hit a two-run triple in the seventh, and Hideki Matsui , making his exhibition debut for the Angels, struck out and singled in two at-bats. ON THE MOUND: It wasn't a clean inning — he gave up a two-out triple to Kyle Banks — but closer Brian Fuentes looked a lot sharper during a scoreless fourth than he did in his first outing Friday, when he gave up a run on two hits and a walk against Colorado.

Angels 4, Chicago White Sox 4 Tempe, Ariz. At the plate: Mike Napoli hit a solo home run to the opposite field in the fourth inning, Juan Rivera had an RBI single in the third, and Howie Kendrick doubled to deep center in the second. The Angels tied the score in the eighth on Hank Conger's sacrifice fly and Freddy Sandoval's RBI single. On the mound: Sinker-ball specialist Joel Pineiro gave up a run and three hits in two innings, but two of the hits in Chicago's run-scoring second were hard ground balls that were knocked down by infielders.