Brandon Davis of Huntington Beach won the NASCAR Late Model race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on Saturday night.

It was Davis' second Late Model win in a row and seventh of the season.

He leads the Late Model standings at the track by 56 points over rookie Nik Romano of Wilton.

Go to Haddock in the Paddock for more on the races from Irwindale.

-- Tim Haddock

Jered Weaver (12-4) gave up two runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, and the Angels held on for a 4-2 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader at the Oakland Coliseum.

Reliever Scott Downs survived a shaky eighth inning, allowing a one-out double off the right-field wall to Hideki Matsui, a hit that was reviewed--and upheld--by the umpires, and a two-out walk to David DeJesus. But Downs got Conor Jackson to ground to shortstop, ending the inning.

The Angels took advantage of A's shortstop Cliff Pennington's error to score an insurance run and gain some breathing room in the top of the ninth, as Bobby Abreu's two-out, run-scoring single gave the Angels a 4-2 lead.

Rookie closer Jordan Walden threw a scoreless ninth for his 21st save.

Angels shortstop Erick Aybar had a hand in two of his team's three scoring rallies and a big hand in snuffing out a potential A's rally.

The leadoff batter opened the first inning with a single and broke for second on a pitch Torii Hunter chopped to Pennington. Aybar hesitated for a moment around second and broke for third on Cliff Pennington's throw to first, diving in safely. Aybar scored on Abreu's single for a 1-0 lead.

DeJesus broke up Weaver's no-hitter in the fifth with a one-out single to center, and after Jackson popped out to first, Kurt Suzuki doubled into the left-field corner.

Vernon Wells played the ball cleanly off the wall and fired a throw to Aybar, who spun and fired a strike home that beat DeJesus by about 12 feet. DeJesus was such an easy out that he didn't bother sliding or trying to knock down catcher Jeff Mathis, who applied the tag to end the inning.

"That was big," Weaver said. "Vernon got the ball in real quick, and Aybar made an accurate throw. I was happy to see the third-base coach wave him home because I felt we had a good shot at him. It was a great play."

A Wells single, an Alberto Callaspo double and a Howie Kendrick run-scoring groundout gave the Angels a 2-0 lead in the sixth, and Aybar lined his seventh home run of the season over the right-field wall for a 3-0 lead in the seventh.

Aybar has seven homers through 79 games (317 at-bats) this season, matching his home run total from his previous 190 games (782 at-bats).

The A's rallied for two runs in the seventh when DeJesus doubled with one out, took third on Jackson's single and scored on Suzuki's sacrifice fly. Pennington singled, and Jemile Weeks singled to right to score Jackson and move Pennington to third.

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia pulled Weaver for Downs, whose wild pitch allowed Weeks to take second. Coco Crisp hit a low laser to short that Aybar was unable to snag on the fly. But Aybar knocked the ball down, scooped it up and threw to first in time to get Crisp to end the inning.

Though Weaver, who started the All-Star game for the American League Tuesday night, looked sharp, he didn't feel very sharp early on. He threw only one inning in the All-Star game and hadn't pitched for the Angels since July 7.

"The first inning was real awkward--I felt like I had a month off," Weaver said. "I needed to knock the cob webs off. I had to get a feel for the speed of the game. It almost felt like a spring-training game in the first inning."

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Angels should stay in contention in the second half of the season

--Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Angels left fielder Vernon Wells steals third base before Oakland's Scott Sizemore can get the tag down in the first inning Saturday. Credit: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images

Vernon Wells, who was scratched from the lineup Friday night because of a stomach ailment, is back in left field for the Angels for Game 1 of Saturday's doubleheader against the Oakland Athletics.

Wells said he could not keep food or liquids down for most of the day Friday, but by late in Friday night's 5-3 loss to the A's, he was feeling better and available to pinch hit.

Today will be the Angels' first scheduled doubleheader since 1978. Manager Mike Scioscia said he would "consider" using the same reliever in both games, but his preference is to avoid it.

"You never know where a game is going to take you, and you try to set yourself up to have everyone available," Scioscia said. "But if you run into a 13-inning game, that could change things."

If the Angels hold a slim lead in the late innings of the first game, Scioscia will use setup man Scott Downs and closer Jordan Walden. He will not hold either reliever back for Game 2.

"Like any game, if pitchers are available who can help you win a game, you don't hold them back," Scioscia said. "You might have a save situation in Game 1, save a guy for Game 2 and there is no need for that reliever. You kind of play the hand your dealt."

The Angels Game 1 lineup: SS Erick Aybar, RF Torii Hunter, DH Bobby Abreu, LF Vernon Wells, 3B Alberto Callaspo, 2B Howie Kendrick, 1B Mark Trumbo, C Jeff Mathis, CF Mike Trout, P Jered Weaver.

The Athletics lineup: 2B Jemile Weeks, CF Coco Crisp, DH Josh Willingham, LF Hideki Matsui, 3B Scott Sizemore, RF David DeJesus, 1B Conor Jackson, C Kurt Suzuki, SS Cliff Pennington, P Trevor Cahill.

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Angels' offense misfires in 5-3 loss to A's

Center fielder Peter Bourjos goes on the disabled list

Angels should stay in contention in the second half of the season

-- Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Angels left fielder Vernon Wells hangs in the dugout between innings of a game this spring. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

You might say Omri Casspi is a history-making kind of guy.

He became the first Israeli to play in the NBA, having been drafted by the Sacramento Kings in 2009. And now, Casspi stands as part of the last NBA trade made before the doors shut for business.

Will it be for weeks? Months? Years?

It will only seem that way as the NBA lockout is ending its second week. Casspi and a future first-round pick were sent from Sacramento to Cleveland in exchange for J.J. Hickson on June 30, a few hours before the start of the lockout.

Casspi happened to be in the Los Angeles area when the trade came down, holding his Impact Skills basketball camp at the Jewish Community Center in West Hills. Earlier that week, he met with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at City Hall for a special presentation.

If Casspi had any indication that he was about to be moved to the Cavaliers -- or anywhere else -– he did a good job of masking it during a brief phone chat the night before the trade, talking about his camps, his summer plans and his legacy.

After West Hills, he held another youth basketball camp in Israel and will next join Israel’s national team on July 25 to start practicing for the European Championships later this summer in Lithuania.

His oft-told story of making it in the NBA never gets old.

“First of all, nobody ever made it from Israel,” Casspi said. “It was hard growing up. Everybody was asking who was going to be the first one playing in the NBA: Who was going to break that barrier to make it?

“I never really expected me to make it. And then when I was growing up and getting better and better as a basketball player, I was going to take that talent and work as hard as I can to make it.

“The sky was the limit for everyone.”

The natural question is: Who, and how many, eventually will follow Casspi to the NBA? What is the old crystal ball telling him?

“I don’t know -- hopefully as many as we can,” he said. “When you are 18 in Israel and leave junior team and start to play professional, it’s a big step.

“And going overseas is another big step. And it’s another huge step to make the NBA. It’s hard. Hopefully as many as we can.

“Ten. Five. Even one more.”

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--Lisa Dillman

Photo: Omri Casspi (red shirt) at his Impact Skills camp at the Jewish Community Center in West Hills. Credit: Sports Media World

Angels left fielder Vernon Wells was scratched from Friday night's game against the Oakland A's because of a stomach ailment about 30 minutes before the first pitch.

Manager Mike Scioscia moved designated hitter Bobby Abreu to left field and inserted Russell Branyan into the lineup as the designated hitter.

The Angels' new lineup: SS Erick Aybar, 2B Howie Kendrick, RF Torii Hunter, LF Bobby Abreu, 3B Alberto Callaspo, 1B Mark Trumbo, DH Russell Branyan, C Jeff Mathis, CF Mike Trout, P Dan Haren.

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Center fielder Peter Bourjos goes on DL; Alexi Amarista recalled

Angels should stay in contention for AL West title in the second half

--Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Angels left fielder Vernon Wells heads to first base after singling against the Seattle Mariners last week. Credit: Kirby Lee / US Presswire

Peter Bourjos' injured right hamstring tightened up after he did agility drills and ran wind sprints, and the Angels center fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday, retroactive to July 8.

Utility player Alexi Amarista was recalled from triple-A Salt Lake and was expected to be in uniform for the Angels' game against the Oakland Athletics in the Oakland Coliseum.

"It didn't really respond well," said Bourjos, who hit .417 (15 for 36) in his last 11 games before slighty straining of his hamstring. "It's frustrating. It felt really good [Friday] morning. It stinks to sit here and watch, but that's where I'm at right now."

Friday's move means that 19-year-old center fielder Mike Trout, who was called up from double-A Arkansas to replace Bourjos, will remain in the big leagues a little longer than expected. Bourjos won't be eligible to be activated until July 23.

"He's making progress, but not enough to where we project him playing this weekend or the beginning of next week," Manager Mike Scioscia said. "The medical staff has drummed it into our heads that hamstrings are different animals. If you're going to try to determine when a guy is going to be ready, it's better to [bring him back] three days later rather than three days sooner. Peter's speed is critical to what he does and to the team. We want him to get strong for next Saturday."

The Angels lineup: SS Erick Aybar, RF Torii Hunter, DH Bobby Abreu, LF Vernon Wells, 2B Howie Kendrick, 3B Alberto Callaspo, 1B Mark Trumbo, C Jeff Mathis, CF Mike Trout, P Dan Haren.

The Athletics lineup: 2B Jemile Weeks, CF Coco Crisp, LF Josh Willingham, DH Hideki Matsui, 3B Scott Sizemore, RF David DeJesus, 1B Conor Jackson, C Kurt Suzuki, SS Cliff Pennington, P Brandon McCarthy.

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Vernon Wells scratched from lineup with stomach ailment

Angels should stay in contention for AL West title in the second half

-- Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Angels center fielder Peter Bourjos rounds second base on his way to a triple against the White Sox earlier this season at Angel Stadium. Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times / May 11, 2011

Pitcher Trevor Bauer of UCLA has been selected the winner of the Golden Spikes Award as the top amateur baseball player in America, the U.S. Baseball Federation announced Friday.

The right-hander became the first Bruin to win the honor by leading UCLA to the NCAA tournament with a 13-2 record, a 1.25 earned-run average and nine complete games. Bauer (picture at left) led Division I pitchers with a Pacific 10 Conference record of 203 strikeouts. The Arizona Diamondbacks selected Bauer third overall in the amateur draft last month.

Virginia left-hander Danny Hultzen, the second pick in the draft by the Seattle Mariners, and Texas right-hander Taylor Jungmann, the 12th selection by the Milwaukee Brewers, were the other finalists. It was the first time in the 34-year history of the award that all three finalists were pitchers.

-- Dan Loumena

Photo credit: Nati Harnik

We are looking back at the greatness of the Angels with a series of polls choosing the best three players at each position. You had to have been the main starter at a position for at least three seasons to be listed on the poll.

Up next: third base. Who are the three greatest third basemen in Angels history? And remember, vote for three people.

The NBA Players' Assn. sent a memo to its members Tuesday encouraging them to play overseas during the lockout.

"This lockout is intended to economically pressure our players to agree to an unfavorable collective bargaining agreement," wrote union leader Billy Hunter. "It is important for the owners to understand that there may be significant consequences to their decision to put their own players in these difficult economic circumstances.

"If the owners will not give our players a forum in which to play basketball here in the United States, they risk losing the greatest players in the world to the international basketball federations that are more than willing to employ them."

The owners imposed the lockout on June 30. It was the league's first lockout since the 1998-99 season, which was shortened to 50 games.

New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams is working on a deal with Turkish team Bestikas, and both Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and New York's Amare Stoudemire have expressed interest in playing overseas.

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-- Melissa Rohlin

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker, left, talks to New Jersey Nets guard Deron Williams. Credit: Soobum Im / U.S. Presswire.

Sparks forward Candace Parker was voted to be a starter on the Western Conference All-Star team with 19,376 votes, making her the sixth-leading vote getter. 

Parker will most likely miss the game because of a torn lateral meniscus in her right knee that she sustained on June 26. She is expected to be sidelined for another month. 

Her replacement will by chosen by WNBA President Laurel Richie and announced next Wednesday or Thursday.The All-Star game will be played July 23 in San Antonio at 12:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ABC. 

Parker was averaging 17.7 points and 9.9 rebounds before she was injured. 

The players voted to start with Parker in the West are: Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore (21,379), Seattle Storm guard Sue Bird (25,077), Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi (22,406) and Storm forward Swin Cash (14,907). 

The players voted to start in the East are: Indiana Fever forward Tamika Catchings (32,706), New York Liberty guard Cappie Pondexter (20,226), Indiana guard Katie Douglas (18,598), Connecticut Sun center Tina Charles (17,205) and Atlanta Dream forward Angel McCoughtry (14,310).

The reserves, who are selected by WNBA head coaches, will be announced Tuesday during a nationally televised game between the Storm and the Chicago Sky on ESPN2. 

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--Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Sparks forward Candace Parker drives past Seattle's Ashley Robinson in an exhibition game in May. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Peter Bourjos, sidelined since last Friday because of a slight right hamstring strain, took batting practice and shagged balls in the outfield during a workout Thursday, and the speedy Angels center fielder is confident he will be able to play this weekend in Oakland.

"It feels a lot better," said Bourjos (pictured at left), who underwent physical therapy during the All-Star break in Arizona. "I ran on a treadmill [Wednesday] at about 75%, and it felt good. I definitely don't want to go on the disabled list. I feel like I can play this weekend at some point."

The Angels resume play Friday night in Oakland. The teams play a doubleheader Saturday and finish the series Sunday. Manager Mike Scioscia said he probably wouldn't decide until Friday afternoon whether Bourjos will return to the lineup this weekend.

Meanwhile, reliever Fernando Rodney, sidelined for more than a month because of an upper-back strain, completed a full bullpen workout Thursday and probably will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment with triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

The rotation coming out of the break has been set: Dan Haren will pitch Friday night, Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana will pitch Saturday, and Joel Pineiro will start Sunday. After an off day Monday, Tyler Chatwood, who is scheduled to pitch in a triple-A game Thursday night, will be activated to start Tuesday night against Texas at Angel Stadium.

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-- Mike DiGiovanna

Photo credit: Brace Hemmelgarn / US Presswire