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Friday, April 6, 2012

Angels Blank Royals 5-0 in Season Opener - Yahoo! Sports

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Angels Blank Royals 5-0 in Season Opener - Yahoo! Sports
Apr 7th 2012, 05:54

By Gil Alcaraz IV, Yahoo! Contributor Network

Although newly-acquired slugger Albert Pujols failed to get a hit in his first regular season game as a Los Angeles Angel, the Halos still managed to pull out a 5-0 win over the Kansas City Royals in their 2012 season opener.

Led by the precision pitching of starter Jered Weaver (1-0), the Angels managed to overcome their AL foes despite seven scoreless innings to start the game. During Weaver's eight dominant innings of play, the 2011 AL Cy Young runner-up struck out 10 batters while only allowing four to find base.

The tide turned in the Angels' favor during the bottom of the eighth inning, when a Peter Bourjos single with bases loaded finally put the first points of the game on the board. Erick Aybar followed that up with triple down the right-field line, racking up three RBIs and putting the lid on the Angels' season-opening victory in the process.

Closer Scott Downs came in at the top of the ninth inning and sealed the deal for the Angels, tallying one strike out before bringing the contest to a close.

In his first action since signing a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels, Pujols struggled in three at-bats. During his first trip to the plate, the former St. Louis Cardinal lined into a double-play. His next two at-bats included a fly-out in the third and a three-pitch strike out in the seventh. Pujols was the only Angel to not get a hit, although he was also the only Angel to be walked.

Despite Pujols' ugly Angels debut, Kendrys Morales made up for the three-time NL MVP Award winner's lack of impact. Morales, making his first appearance since breaking his ankle two years ago, began the eighth-inning rally with a single after receiving a standing ovation from the crowd during pregame introductions.

Mark Trumbo, who made his debut today as the Angels' third-baseman, struggled after making the switch from first base during the offseason. The Angels' leader in home runs and RBIs last season as a rookie, Trumbo earned two errors against the Royals, including a throwing error that pulled Pujols off of the bag in the first inning.

The loss for the Royals went to reliever Aaron Crow (0-1), who gave up three of the five runs in the eighth inning and earned himself a 20.25 ERA to start the season.

Heading into a season swirling with World Series expectations, the Angels started the 2012 campaign off on the right foot with a 5-0 victory over the Royals. In a 162-game season, however, anything can happen. One thing is certain, though; Pujols will get a hit eventually.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native and long-time fan of the Angels. For more from Gil, follow him on Twitter.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

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