Angels’ Haren, Takahashi shine in 2-1 loss

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Pitchers Dan Haren and Hisanori Takahashi stretched themselves out a bit Saturday, combining to pitch seven innings in the Angels’ 2-1 Cactus League loss to the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, Ariz.

Haren, pitching efficiently for the second start in a row, needed only about 50 pitches to get through five innings on a warm afternoon in which he was scheduled to leave after four. Haren then went down to the bullpen to throw 10 more pitches.

‘I had to get more to a pitch count rather than innings,’ said Haren, who also worked on throwing inside to right-handed hitters.

Haren, who didn’t allow a hit in three innings against the Cubs earlier in the week, gave up two runs on four hits in his five innings Saturday, striking out one and not walking a batter. Thanks to two double players behind him, he faced just two batters over the minimum 15 in his stint.

Takahashi, meanwhile, went two innings for the second time this spring and he didn’t allow a baserunner, striking out three.

Asdrubal Cabrera made up most of the Cleveland offense, driving in the Indians’ first run and scoring their second. In the opening inning, Cabrera singled to center to score Michael Brantley, who had singled and stolen second. In the fourth, a ground-run double by Shin-Soo Choo brought home Cabrera, who had also doubled, to make it 2-0.

The Angels’ only run came on Chris Pettit‘s solo home run with two outs in the ninth. The Angels had six other hits, all singles, including one by Mark Trumbo and another by Brandon Wood. Catcher Jeff Mathis also had a single in three at-bats to raise his spring average to .316.

-- Kevin Baxter in Goodyear, Ariz.