Thanksgiving ought to be interesting at Chez Weaver, when the pitching brothers, Jered and Jeff, sit down to dine. That’s because the younger Weaver cost the older one his job with the Los Angeles Angels. Yesterday, Jered demonstrated why that happened. Weaver, unbeaten in his first major league season, worked six brilliant innings at Yankee Stadium, allowing just three hits, and won his eighth straight decision as the Angels defeated the Yankees 5–3.

Weaver gave up just three hits and struck out eight and dominated on the same mound where Jeff struggled when he pitched for the Yankees

“It was awesome,” Weaver said. “It was like a video game. I was definitely nervous. That lineup, anyone can hurt you any time.”

Weaver has been in this place before. When he was college at Long Beach State, he visited Jeff for a couple of weeks when his brother was a Yankee.

“I hung out with those guys,” he said. “It was a pretty good time for me. It kind of helped me being around to learn what to expect if I got up here.”

A disappointment with the Yankees, Jeff moved on to the Angels in 2004, the year Jered was picked by Los Angeles in the first-round of the amateur draft. When the Angels promoted the younger Weaver in June, the older one was designated for assignment and wound up in St. Louis.

“We talk every other day,” Jered Weaver said. “We stay in contact as much as possible.”

Sunday was almost certainly one of those days after the way Weaver (8–0) handled the Yankees and earning his sixth victory on the road and becoming the first pitcher to win his first eight career decisions since Livan Hernandez did it with Florida in 1997.

Manager Mike Scioscia was impressed.

“Not having a lot of innings of pro baseball under his belt, he’s pitched great,” Scioscia said. “He gave us a great ball game. That’s what we’ll need down the stretch. He’s pitching great baseball.”

Joe Torre liked Weaver’s approach.

“He’s unusual for a young pitcher,” Torre said. “To have as much command of as many pitches as he does. He can throw any pitch at any time in any count.”

The Yankees threatened to spoil Weaver’s day when Alex Rodriguez and Jason Giambi hit consecutive two-out home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning against Scot Shields. Francisco Rodriguez relieved and got the last out for his 30th save.

Rodriguez’s home run was his 25th of the season and 454th of his career, moving him past injured teammate Gary Sheffield into 30th place on the all-time list.

Los Angeles bunched six hits for three runs against Chien-Ming Wang in the first inning.Wang (13–5) lasted into the sixth inning, allowing five runs on 13 hits, all of them singles except for Chone Figgins’ leadoff homer.

Wang had won his last five decisions before yesterday.The 13 hits he allowed were a single-game career high.

Figgins, who had three hits, hit Wang’s second pitch for his sixth home run of the season. It was his first home run since July 7.

Singles by Howie Kendrick, who also had three hits, Orlando Cabrera, Juan Rivera and Adam Kennedy added two more runs and then Robb Quinlan beat out a tap in front of the plate, loading the bases before Curtis Pride hit into an inning-ending double play.

In the fifth, Figgins opened with a single and advanced to second on an infield out. With two out, Vladimir Guerrero was walked intentionally. After a double steal, Rivera’s single scored Figgins, making it 4-0.

Craig Wilson got a run back for the Yankees in the bottom of the fifth with a home run. It was Wilson’s second homer since being acquired from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline.

Until the homer, the only hit for the Yankees against Weaver was a swinging bunt to the left side by Jason Giambi. With the Angels in an exaggerated shift against the left-swinging Giambi, he beat out the ball easily.

Los Angeles loaded the bases against Wang in the sixth on singles by Quinlan and Figgins sandwiched around a walk to Mike Napoli. Kendrick’s second hit made it 5-1 and finished Wang.

The Angels improved to 4-2 against the Yankees this season and 53-50 since 1996. They are the only team in the Joe Torre era to have a winning record over New York.