SAN DIEGO – Jered Weaver and two relievers combined on a three-hitter, Mike Trout had an RBI triple among his three hits and the Los Angeles Angels beat the San Diego Padres 4-2 in their first regular-season visit to Petco Park.
Albert Pujols singled, walked and scored twice in his first game in an NL ballpark since leaving St. Louis and signing a $240 million, 10-year contract with the Angels on Dec. 10.
Making his third start since throwing his first career no-hitter, Weaver (6-1) held San Diego two runs in seven innings while allowing a homer and two singles. He struck out four and walked three.
Scott Downs pitched a perfect eighth and former Padres pitcher Ernesto Frieri allowed a walk in the ninth.
Weaver also reached base twice and scored once.
Weaver was among the big-name players the Padres passed over when they had the No. 1 pick in the 2004 amateur draft. San Diego instead took local high school shortstop Matt Bush, who was a bust after off-field trouble and elbow surgery derailed his career.
Weaver is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two career starts against the Padres. He got his first career shutout against the Padres at Anaheim on June 14, 2009.
The right-hander improved to 11-3 with a 2.74 ERA in 19 interleague starts, and is 6-0 in his last nine starts against NL teams.
While the Padres have struggled in spacious Petco Park, the Angels seemed to settle right in. After being shut out a big league-high eight times and scoring two or fewer runs 14 times in their first 39 games, they had seven runs on 11 hits.
Weaver reached twice against Jeff Suppan (2-2), drawing a two-out walk in the second and hitting a single in the fifth to start a three-run inning. After Weaver singled, Trout tripled into the left-field corner. Pujols walked with one out and Mark Trumbo doubled to bring in Trout. Pujols scored on Vernon Wells' groundout.
The Angels added three runs in the ninth off Brad Brach. Howie Kendrick had an RBI single and Erick Aybar a two-run double.
The Angels scored their first run on a double play in the second.
Suppan allowed four runs and six hits in five innings, walked five and struck out none.
NOTES: Since 2007, the Angels' 63-28 interleague record is the best in baseball. .... San Diego's 103-137 interleague record is the second-worst in history. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Pujols has told him he can play third base, if needed, and has taken grounders there. "It's a long way off. Not this series, obviously," Scioscia said. "You always want to understand the versatility your team has and see if you can tap into it. Short-term, I don't think a game or two would be a problem. It's not something we'd want to take an extended look at, but we'll see." Pujols has played 103 career games at third base since he came up with St. Louis in 2001, including seven last year, his final season with the Cardinals. ... The Angels hadn't played a regular-season game in San Diego since 2000, at Qualcomm Stadium. ... The three-game series continues Saturday night, with Dan Haren (1-4, 4.41 ERA) scheduled to start for the Angels against LHP Eric Stults, acquired by the Padres off waivers from the Chicago White Sox on Thursday. Stults will start in place of RHP Tim Stauffer, who went on the disabled list Friday with a sprained right elbow.
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