Angels return to field with Adenhart on minds

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Torii Hunter and John Lackey stood on the pitcher's mound at Angel Stadium, each holding Nick Adenhart's jersey, their caps off and heads bowed.

The rest of the Angels took their places along the third-base line, while the Boston Red Sox lined up on the first-base side. The pregame music went quiet and a hush fell over the red-clad crowd.

The Angels paid tribute Friday night with a moment of silence for Adenhart and two of his friends who were killed about 36 hours earlier in a car crash after being broadsided by a suspected drunk driver.

Andrew Thomas Gallo, a 22-year-old from San Gabriel, was charged with three counts of murder by the Orange County district attorney on Friday. He ran a red light in his minivan and hit the car carrying Adenhart and his friends, police said.

Hours later, Adenhart's smiling face appeared on the stadium's video board, followed by clips of him pitching six scoreless innings Wednesday against Oakland in the best game of his brief major league career.

Cameras flashed in the stands as the teams and crowd stood silently. Then Lackey and Hunter hugged before Lackey carried Adenhart's jersey back to the dugout.

Hunter jogged slowly toward center field, headed to the black-and-white picture of Adenhart on the wall. Hunter touched the photo next to No. 34 and Adenhart's name in a black circle, then took his position to start the game.

Angels players wore a No. 34 patch on their uniforms. Adenhart's number also was painted in red on the back slope of the pitcher's mound, where he struck out opposing batters two nights earlier.

He was at his locker that night when teammate Joe Saunders leaned over, patted the rookie on the back and said, "Great job."

Saunders now wishes he had said so much more. But at the time those simple words let Adenhart know what he had longed to hear — that he finally belonged in the big leagues.

"He gave us a chance to win and I knew he was really proud of that," Saunders recalled. "I know he felt elated that he pitched such a great game. That's what I'm going to remember."

The Angels, their fans and Adenhart's parents held tightly to their memories Friday, cold comfort to a group still stunned by the sudden deaths of the 22-year-old pitcher and his friends Courtney Stewart and Henry Pearson.