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Sports

Abreu homers twice for Angels in win over Pardres

Associated Press
Published | Updated

TEMPE, Ariz. – Bobby Abreu showed he's ready to take over as the No. 3 hitter in the Angels' lineup if Kendrys Morales is still sidelined when the season opens.

Abreu hit his first two homers of the spring and Brandon Wood connected for the third time in the Angels' 7-6 win over the San Diego Padres on Friday.

Abreu batted third in the lineup Friday behind Maicer Izturis (lead off) and Howie Kendrick, and manager Mike Scioscia said he would bat there when the season opens if Morales is out.

"Until we get Kendrys Morales in there, we've got to try to lengthen (the lineup) and move Bobby to third," Scioscia said.

Morales, who is recovering from a broken left leg sustained in a home plate celebration last May, has been running and hitting at camp and is slated to make his first spring appearance Sunday. He said earlier in the week that he had both good and bad days while running with occasional swelling afterward.

Scioscia said Morales would have to be ready by Sunday in order to have a shot at starting by opening day, March 31, in Kansas City.

Scioscia said Morales has been having trouble getting over the final hump of his rehabilitation. Morales' expected backup, Mark Trumbo, has had an excellent spring, hitting .340 and with a team-leading five homers and 13 RBIs.

Angels Right-hander Ervin Santana worked four innings in his fourth start, allowing four hits and two earned runs.

Santana told reporters that he threw five split-fingered pitches, a pitch Scioscia referred to as "a changeup."

Asked if he'd use the pitch in a regular-season game, Santana said, "Yeah, why not," adding "When I see that little (movement) at the end, I get confidence."

Former Angel Kevin Frandsen hit a two-out, solo homer in the second off Santana. He added a three-run double off Francisco Rodriguez in the eighth.

The Padres' Dustin Moseley, another former Angel, allowed eight hits and six runs in his third spring start.

Abreu hit a solo shot off Moseley in the first. Wood's two-run shot came in the fourth off Moseley.

Scioscia said he noticed Wood's improvement at the plate this spring.

"I think over the last 15 at-bats or so, he's gotten more comfortable," Scioscia said.

NOTE: RHP Scot Shields announced his retirement Friday. he spent all 10 years of his career with the Angels. He was 46-44 with a 3.18 ERA over 491 career games.