Perez Comes Back Strong

The Angels weren’t seeking a lot in return for third baseman Dave Hollins this spring. They got shortstop Tomas Perez from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Now it seems as if they got the better of the deal.

Hollins was hitting .222 with two home runs and six RBIs before being released Monday. Perez, meanwhile, has returned from a knee injury and was hitting .309 through Sunday for triple-A Edmonton.

Perez, 25, tore cartilage in his knee April 16. He was placed on the disabled list April 23 and missed nearly two months.

He returned last week and homered in his first game, a 9-1 victory over Calgary. He extended his hitting streak to nine games--including three before he was injured--and was nine for 30 in his first nine games back.

Erie (40-29): Pitcher Ramon Ortiz, a possible September call-up, has won eight consecutive games since starting the season 0-4. Steve Green was brought up from Lake Elsinore to pitch for Erie in an exhibition against the Angels Monday. He is 4-6 with a 4.41 earned-run average for Lake Elsinore and was the winning pitcher Monday.

Lake Elsinore (30-40): Outfielder Juan Rodriguez recently served a three-game suspension, imposed by the team. The offense? Rodriguez flashed an obscene gesture at the official scorer after being charged with an error. The joke? It was the Storm’s official scorer. Rodriguez does just a little better waving a bat than a finger. He is hitting .367 in 27 games.

Cedar Rapids (30-38): Brad Downing, son of former Angel Brian Downing, had two hits and three RBIs in a 8-6 victory over Rockford Sunday.

Boise (3-0): Gerald Johnson, a 19th-round draft pick who played at BYU, had six hits in his first nine at bats, driving in six runs.

Butte (2-4): Francisco Rodriguez, a 17-year-old pitcher from Venezuela who received signing bonus of about $900,000, made his professional debut and pitched two shutout innings in relief.