(Sports Network) - Jered Weaver will likely be pitching with a chip on his shoulder this evening when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim continue their four-game series with the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.
Despite terrific credentials, Weaver was left off the American League All-Star team for the second straight season. The AL leader with 124 strikeouts, Weaver is 8-3 on the year with a 2.82 earned run average.
"Making the All-Star team is something I've dreamed about since I was nine years old," Weaver said. "I didn't make it. It is what it is."
Weaver's teammates, though, didn't take the snub in stride.
"Personally, I don't know how a guy who leads the league in strikeouts and has a sub-three ERA doesn't make it," Angels lefty Joe Saunders told the team's website. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
Weaver made a strong case for his inclusion for the Mid-Summer Classic, which, of course, will be played at Angel Stadium on Wednesday against Texas, as he scattered two hits over seven scoreless innings and fanned six.
The 27-year-old right-hander has owned the White Sox over the course of his young career, posting a perfect 4-0 mark against them with a sparkling 0.52 ERA in five starts.
Los Angeles will need a big start from its ace tonight if it intends on evening this set. Chicago drew first blood on Monday, as Gavin Floyd allowed just one run in seven strong innings, and Carlos Quentin blasted two home runs, lifting the White Sox to a 9-2 win.
Floyd (4-7) allowed two runs or fewer for the sixth consecutive start, giving up just five hits and two walks while fanning four for the White Sox, who have been red-hot in winning 15 of 19 overall. Quentin notched his eighth career multi-homer game and second of the season, while Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo also homered in the win.
"(The run support) helps," Floyd said. "You don't try to think about that out there. You try to commit the pitches and do your job. When you get some run support, you feel a lot better -- everybody relaxes a little bit."
Sergio Santos recorded his first career save.
Howie Kendrick went 3-for-4 with an RBI for the Angels, who have lost three of four. Scott Kazmir (7-8) lost his third consecutive start after yielding seven runs on six hits and five walks in 6 1/3 frames.
"I thought we hung in there and got back into the game, and for awhile Scott settled down and was throwing good strikes with good stuff," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "It got away from him a little bit at the end."
The Angels may have their work cut out for them tonight, as they face right- hander Jake Peavy, who has won three of his last four starts. His lone loss in that stretch, though, came last Tuesday in Kansas City, as he gave up three runs in six innings to fall to 7-6 to go along with a 4.70 ERA.
Peavy was hammered by the Angels for six runs in six innings back on May 20 and is 0-2 lifetime against them with a 5.79 ERA in two starts.
The Angels swept the White Sox in a brief two-game set earlier in the year and have won three of four and five of the last seven matchups.