Pujols Goes 2 For 2 As Angels Fall To Padres
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- San Diego Padres left-hander Clayton Richard made his first appearance since July 4 in Friday's 6-3 win over Los Angeles in front of 9,562 fans -- the Angels' first home sellout.
"It seems like it's been a real long time since I've been out there so it's nice to make it to this point," said Richard, who allowed a run on two hits in two innings. "At this point in the spring, I try to throw strikes and make sure everything feels right."
Richard made 18 starts for the Padres in 2011, going 5-9 with a 3.88 ERA, before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in July.
He said after Friday's outing that he feels better at this point in the spring compared to last season when his shoulder began giving him problems.
Jaff Decker and Matt Clark both hit solo homers in a three-run seventh for San Diego that opened up the game.
The player many of the fans came to see, Angels first baseman Albert Pujols, gave them their money's worth, going 2 for 2 with an RBI, a sacrifice fly and a double. Pujols narrowly missed a homer in the sixth, settling for a double to left-center field up against the wall.
Pujols is 5 for 9 this spring with three doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia reiterated what he's been saying throughout the spring that Pujols will likely be his No. 3 hitter "unless something really strange develops in the spring."
Angels right-hander Ervin Santana, 11-12 with a 3.38 ERA in 2011, allowed a run in two innings and gave up one hit, walked one and struck out three in his first spring start.
"He had great life on the ball but his stuff was a little bit up," Scioscia said. "He looked alive."
Santana allowed the first spring run by a member of the front four of the Angels' starting rotation this spring when he gave up Carlos Quentin's double to right-center field that scored Mark Kotsay in the first inning.
Previously, C. J. Wilson, Jered Weaver and Dan Haren did not allow runs over six innings.
Notes: Padres INF Logan Forsythe had surgery on the sesamoid bone in his left foot. Manager Bud Black said Forsythe would be out at least eight weeks. ... Padres SS Jason Bartlett is expected back tomorrow after missing time with a sore right knee. ... Dacker went 2 for 3 in the game and narrowly missed his second homer with his eighth-inning double. ... Erick Aybar also had two hits for the Angels.
