Fans Show Appreciation for Cabrera

BOSTON —  Orlando Cabrera figured he’d get a warm reception in Fenway Park on Friday night, but this was more than even the Angel shortstop could have imagined.

When Cabrera, who helped the Red Sox win their first World Series championship in 86 years after being traded from Montreal to Boston last July 31, led off the third inning, a sellout crowd of 35,328 rose in unison and gave Cabrera a rousing and lengthy ovation.

Cabrera was so touched he took his helmet off, thumped his chest with it and waved it toward the crowd before pointing to the Red Sox dugout to salute his former teammates. Then, somehow, he made contact with a David Wells pitch, grounding out to his replacement at shortstop, Edgar Renteria.

“That was incredible,” said Cabrera, who spent much of the pregame stretch hugging ex-teammates around the batting cage. “Boston fans are far too kind. I was only here for three months, and they treated me like I was here for 20 years. I couldn’t even swing the bat. I don’t know how I even touched that ball. [Red Sox catcher] Jason Varitek was laughing, because he felt it too. That was awesome.”

Cabrera calmed himself by the fifth inning, when he doubled off the Green Monster in left and made a perfect read on Adam Kennedy’s bloop to shallow center, stopping near third and then taking off when he knew the ball would drop.

That decision enabled Cabrera to score and Kennedy to take second on center fielder Johnny Damon’s throw home. Kennedy scored on Chone Figgins’ ensuing home run to give the Angels a 4-1 lead.

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Vladimir Guerrero ran the bases at full speed before Friday’s game, the first time the right fielder has done so since suffering a partially dislocated left shoulder May 20, and he has been able to play catch --receiving the ball as well as throwing it -- for several days.

Guerrero remains on course to swing a bat for the first time early next week, but he won’t do so until being examined and cleared by a physician in Atlanta on Monday.

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Utility infielder Lou Merloni, who was considering retirement after undergoing season-ending ankle surgery May 11, plans to play winter ball in Latin America with an eye toward returning in 2006. Merloni, who grew up in nearby Framingham, Mass., joined the Angels in Fenway Park for the first time since his operation.

“I want to get some at-bats to see how it feels,” Merloni said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to take some batting practice by September.”

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The medical examination and tests on pitcher Jered Weaver, who agreed to terms on a $4-million signing bonus Monday night, were scheduled to be completed this morning.... Wells’ first-inning strikeout of Steve Finley was the 2,000th of his career, making the Boston left-hander the 60th pitcher all-time and 10th active pitcher with 2,000 strikeouts.... The Angels won’t catch any breaks when they resume interleague play Monday in Atlanta--they’ll have to face Brave right-handers John Smoltz, Horacio Ramirez and Tim Hudson in the three-game series at Turner Field.

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ANGELS TODAY

ANGELS’

BARTOLO COLON

vs.

RED SOX’S

BRONSON ARROYO

*--* THE MATCHUP 2005 2005 VS OPP TEAMS/PITCHERS W-L ERA TEAM W-L IP ERA ANGELS/Colon (R) 6-3 2.75 6-5 -- -- -- Boston/Arroyo (R) 4-2 3.98 6-4 -- -- --

*--*

Fenway Park, 10:15 a.m. PDT

TV -- Channel 11. Radio -- 710, 1020.

Update -- Colon struggled for the first time in six starts last Sunday against Kansas City, but the right-hander still got the win despite giving up four runs and 12 hits in 7 2/3 innings. Colon had given up six earned runs in 36 1/3 innings of his previous five starts. Arroyo, the Boston right-hander, has seven quality starts in 10 games this season.

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-- Mike DiGiovanna