Veteran right-hander Joel Pineiro gave up two hits in two scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 8-7 on Monday.

“I wasn’t nervous, but I just wanted to get out there and throw that first pitch,” said Pineiro, who was 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts for the Angels last season. “You could tell (the ball) was moving good. It was a matter of controlling the movement.”

Kevin Mellilo had two RBIs, and Howie Kendrick and Bobby Abreu each drove in a run for Los Angeles. Vernon Wells was 1 for 3 in his first spring game with the Angels.

Oakland ace Dallas Braden gave up two runs, two hits and two walks in an inning in his spring debut, and Hideki Matsui was 0 for 2 with an RBI in his first game with the Athletics.

Matsui batted .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs last season with the Angels after spending his first seven major league seasons with the New York Yankees.

Braden was victimized by two errors by left fielder Chris Carter in the first inning. Carter dropped Wells’ routine fly ball and bobbled Kendrick’s single allowing runners to advance a base.

“It happens,” Braden said.”It’s spring training for a reason.”

Braden said he kept his repertoire guarded and simple, not wanting to injure his throwing elbow where tightness bothered him in the early part of 2010.

“Obviously, we’re not throwing the kitchen sink at them,” Braden said. ” I have to be cognizant of what triggers the (elbow) problem.”

Abreu doubled in Peter Bourjos in the fourth, Melillo had a two-run double in the sixth and Andrew Romine drove in another run in the seventh.

Angels’ reliever Matt Meyer walked Matsui and Conor Jackson to force in two runs in the fifth. Michael Taylor hit his first spring homer off Angels’ right-hander Ryan Brasier in Oakland’s three-run eighth.

Wells played his first game in left field with Bourjos in center field and Torii Hunter in right.

“We all went to center field just to greet Peter,” Wells said of the start of the game. “We (Hunter and Wells) told him we thought we were playing (center field).”

Abreu and Bourjos had two hits each for Los Angeles, and Taylor and Kevin Kouzmanoff had two apiece for Oakland.

TEMPE, Ariz. — Veteran right-hander Joel Pineiro gave up two hits in two scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Oakland Athletics 8-7 on Monday.

“I wasn’t nervous, but I just wanted to get out there and throw that first pitch,” said Pineiro, who was 10-7 with a 3.84 ERA in 23 starts for the Angels last season. “You could tell (the ball) was moving good. It was a matter of controlling the movement.”

Kevin Mellilo had two RBIs, and Howie Kendrick and Bobby Abreu each drove in a run for Los Angeles. Vernon Wells was 1 for 3 in his first spring game with the Angels.

Oakland ace Dallas Braden gave up two runs, two hits and two walks in an inning in his spring debut, and Hideki Matsui was 0 for 2 with an RBI in his first game with the Athletics.

Matsui batted .274 with 21 home runs and 84 RBIs last season with the Angels after spending his first seven major league seasons with the New York Yankees.

Braden was victimized by two errors by left fielder Chris Carter in the first inning. Carter dropped Wells’ routine fly ball and bobbled Kendrick’s single allowing runners to advance a base.

“It happens,” Braden said.”It’s spring training for a reason.”

Braden said he kept his repertoire guarded and simple, not wanting to injure his throwing elbow where tightness bothered him in the early part of 2010.

“Obviously, we’re not throwing the kitchen sink at them,” Braden said. ” I have to be cognizant

of what triggers the (elbow) problem.”

Abreu doubled in Peter Bourjos in the fourth, Melillo had a two-run double in the sixth and Andrew Romine drove in another run in the seventh.

Angels’ reliever Matt Meyer walked Matsui and Conor Jackson to force in two runs in the fifth. Michael Taylor hit his first spring homer off Angels’ right-hander Ryan Brasier in Oakland’s three-run eighth.

Wells played his first game in left field with Bourjos in center field and Torii Hunter in right.

“We all went to center field just to greet Peter,” Wells said of the start of the game. “We (Hunter and Wells) told him we thought we were playing (center field).”

Abreu and Bourjos had two hits each for Los Angeles, and Taylor and Kevin Kouzmanoff had two apiece for Oakland.

Tempe, AZ (Sports Network) – Kevin Melillo knocked in two runs and scored a run, as the Los Angeles Angels held off the Oakland Athletics, 8-7, in Cactus League action.

Andrew Romine, Bobby Abreu, Howard Kendrick and Alberto Rosario each drove in a run for the Angels.

Joel Pineiro got the win after tossing two scoreless innings. Jason Bulger got the save.

Michael Taylor hit a three-run homer in the eighth for the Athletics, who added two more runs in the ninth.

Dallas Braden gave up two runs on two hits over one inning to suffer the loss.

GAME NOTES:

The Sports Network

By Eric Stephen – Editor

Read More: Joel Pineiro (P – ANA), Bobby Abreu (DH – ANA), Torii Hunter (RF – ANA), Vernon Wells (LF – ANA), Matt Palmer (P – ANA), Ryan Brasier (P – ANA), Los Angeles Angels

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Feb 28, 2011 - The Los Angeles Angels are set to play their first full week of spring training games, and this week offers five of the seven games on television. The regulars will start to play this week, beginning with Vernon Wells, Bobby Abreu, and Torii Hunter today making their spring debuts. Here is a look at the schedule for this week ahead (all times PST):

• Today: vs. Oakland, 12:05 p.m. (Fox Sports West)
• Tuesday: vs. Cincinnati, 12:05 p.m. (Fox Sports West)
• Wednesday: at Texas, 12:05 p.m.
• Thursday: vs. Kansas City, 12:05 p.m. (Fox Sports West)
• Friday: vs. White Sox, 12:05 p.m. (Fox Sports West)
• Saturday: at Milwaukee, 12:05 p.m.
• Sunday: vs. Arizona, 12:05 p.m. (Fox Sports West)

Today, Joel Pineiro is starting against Oakland, making his first start of the spring. Also scheduled to pitch today for the Angels are Matt Palmer, Andrew Taylor, Jason Bulger, and Ryan Brasier. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register has today’s Angels lineup:

3B Maicer Izturis
DH Bobby Abreu
RF Torii Hunter
LF Vernon Wells
2B Howie Kendrick
SS Erick Aybar
1B Mark Trumbo
C  Jeff Mathis
CF Peter Bourjos
RHP Joel Pineiro

For more Angels news and information, be sure to read Halos Heaven.

Read More: Mark Ellis (2B – OAK), Kevin Kouzmanoff (3B – OAK), Hideki Matsui (DH – OAK), Los Angeles Angels

The Oakland Athletics continue their 2011 Cactus League schedule as they square off against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at 12:05 Pacific time at Tempe Diablo Stadium. This 2011 spring training game marks the A’s debut for designated hitter Hideki Matsui, fittingly enough against his 2010 team. The game is available to watch on MLB.TV and can be heard on MLB.com’s Gameday Audio.

Today’s Athletics lineup features the spring training debuts of Mark Ellis and Kevin Kouzmanoff. Chris Carter is a notable start in left field as he looks to fight his way onto the Opening Day Roster. He struggled in his major league debut last year before finishing with a strong September. The A’s added two outfielders in David DeJesus and Josh Willingham, as well as DH Hideki Matsui, which would seem to leave him without a spot on the roster. However, a strong spring training could alter those plans.

The pitching matchup features Dallas Braden taking on Joel Pineiro. The A’s utilized several of their fifth starter options in relief yesterday. We’ll see who gets a crack in early relief today. The A’s second lineup of the spring training season is as follows:

1. Mark Ellis, 2B
2. Kurt Suzuki, C
3. Hideki Matsui, DH
4. Conor Jackson, 1B
5. Kevin Kouzmanoff, 3B
6. Matt Carson, CF
7. Chris Carter, LF
8. Michael Taylor, RF
9. Steve Tolleson, SS

The Angels are playing their third Cactus League contest and send out this lineup:

1. Maicer Izturis, 3B
2. Bobby Abreu, DH
3. Torii Hunter, RF
4. Vernon Wells, LF
5. Howie Kendrick, 2B
6. Erick Aybar, SS
7. Mark Trumbo, 1B
8. Jeff Mathis, C
9. Peter Bourjos, CF

LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Former Brooklyn Dodgers home run king Duke Snider has died of natural causes. He was 84.

The Hall of Fame outfielder who led Brooklyn to its lone World Series title died at a San Diego-area hospital on Sunday, his family announced.

In the 1940s and 1950s, Snider was a charmed member of the Dodgers “Boys of Summer”. He won a World Series with Brooklyn in 1955 and four years later in Los Angeles after the Dodgers moved out west.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig called Snider an “integral part of Dodger history” and part of an “unparalleled triumvirate of centre fielders” in New York.

“Then the Los Angeles native went home and helped usher in a new part of baseball history with great class,” Selig said Sunday.

Eight time all-star Snider played in six World Series, smacked 407 career home runs and hit .295.

“Duke was a fine man, a terrific hitter and a great friend,” Willie Mays said in a statement. “It was great playing centrefield in New York in the 1950s, along with Mickey and Duke.”

Snider was often compared to New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle and Mays.

“The newspapers compared Willie, Mickey and I, and that was their thing,” Snider said previously.

“As a team, we competed with the Giants, and we faced the Yankees in the World Series. So we had a rivalry as a team, that was it. It was an honour to be compared to them, they were both great players.”

Snider is the Dodgers’ franchise leader in home runs (389) and RBIs (1,271). In the 1950s, he led all major leaguers with 326 homers and 1,031 RBIs.