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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Although the shutout pleased Ricky Nolasco, he would have preferred to pitch this superbly a whole lot earlier in the season.The rest of his fellow Los Angeles Angels realize they also waited far too long to get rolling this year.Even if this season is lost, the right-hander and his new team both enjoyed a victory requiring no help from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols.Nolasco pitched a four-hitter for his fifth career shutout and his first victory for Los Angeles, leading the Angels to an interleague sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 3-0 victory Wednesday night.C.J. Cron drove in two runs for the Angels (59-74), who have won five straight and eight of 10 to climb out of last place in the AL West.Nolasco (5-12) had gone winless with a 5.70 ERA in his first five starts for the Angels, who acquired the native of nearby Corona, California, from Minnesota at the trade deadline. He finally came up with a gem against the Reds, and he even won at home for the first time in 16 consecutive starts with the Twins and Angels.Obviously, I would have liked to win earlier, but I like where Im at, as far as where Im throwing the ball, Nolasco said. I feel good. Im eating up innings, and Im just trying to give my team a chance to win games.With his slider moving splendidly, Nolasco retired 12 straight Reds to end it. The shutout was his first since Sept. 9, 2012, and his 11th career complete game was his first since May 2, 2014.I know its been a while, but Ill enjoy it for the rest of the night with the family, Nolasco said. Its definitely nice, a good feeling being out there and trying to get the last out.Los Angeles even won without Pujols and Trout, who didnt play in an early starting game before the Angels day off. Trout and Pujols didnt start in the same game for the first time since Sept. 18, 2014.Brandon Finnegan (8-10) struck out nine during seven strong innings of five-hit ball for the Reds, who have lost four straight and eight of 10.(Finnegan is) a kid who has evolved into a three-pitch pitcher with command who is pitching to both sides of the plate, Cincinnati manager Bryan Price said. (He) has kind of found a devastating changeup (and) the ability to throw a slider for a quality strike when hes behind in the count and locate his fastball. ... His development has been exceptional. Really a highlight of the season.Finnegan had only one poor inning during the former Royals relievers latest strong start for the last-place Reds.He had retired nine straight before the sixth, when Andrelton Simmons popped a double and scored on Crons two-out single to center. Jefry Marte then drove in Cron from first with a double to the right-field corner.Nolasco faced more trouble than Finnegan, but still escaped jams caused by errors by Marte and Kaleb Cowart. Ramon Cabrera got to third with one out in the sixth for Cincinnati, but Nolasco coolly retired Zack Cozart and Joey Votto.He has pitched some good games for us, better than his linescores have shown, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.THROWING BLANKSDespite their dismal overall record, the Angels matched Cleveland for the major league lead with their 10th shutout of the season. They have six shutouts since the All-Star break, tying Cincinnati for the big-league lead.TRAINERS ROOMReds: Dan Straily and Tim Adleman will move up one day in Cincinnatis rotation this weekend to give extra rest to Homer Bailey, who has a sore muscle in his right arm.Angels: The club has no plans to shut down Pujols despite some nagging plantar fasciitis in his right foot, Scioscia said. Pujols, who hit his 586th homer earlier this week, has managed plantar fasciitis in his left foot for long stretches of his career.UP NEXTReds: After a travel day, Anthony DeSclafani (8-2, 2.96 ERA) opens a homestand against St. Louis.Angels: After a day off, Brett Oberholtzer (3-2, 5.16 ERA) makes his second start since the Angels claimed him off waivers from Philadelphia. He made it through just three innings at Detroit last weekend.Zach Allen Womens Jersey . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Zach Allen Youth Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.nflcardinalsrookiestore.com/Cardinals-Chandler-Jones-Jersey/ . It was the second consecutive win for the Pacers (2-5), who lost their first five preseason games. Jeff Teague led the Hawks (1-5) with 17 points and eight assists and Al Horford had 12 points and seven rebounds. Mike Scott scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half. Byron Murphy Jersey . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Patrick Peterson Jersey . Jay Feely kicked a 41-yard field goal in overtime, and the Cardinals edged the Tennessee Titans 37-34 in overtime after blowing a 17-point lead late in the fourth quarter.A year ago tonight was the most terrifying hour of NBA referee Billy Kennedys life.It wasnt the night Rajon Rondo called him a m-----f---ing f----t. Nor was this the moment Kennedy released a statement a few days later acknowledging, to a big audience for the first time, I am proud to be an NBA referee and I am proud to be a gay man.Kennedy then did something that evening he has done literally since elementary school: He put on a refs uniform and prepared to call a game. This night though, for the first time, he took to an NBA court as someone new, feeling the full weight of being true to himself. How would fans react? Would a player humiliate him? What if someone ran onto the floor and tried to stab him?The route from locker room to court during warmups is the most familiar terrain in Kennedys life. In any NBA arena Kennedy could complete the walk blindfolded. But the most lonely place in the world can be a building packed with 19,000 strangers, with your friends a thousand miles away. Kennedy admits he was a wreck that night.This game happened to be in San Antonio, which at first seemed to matter not at all. But a few steps down the hall Kennedy bumped into Spurs executive R.C. Buford. Buford asked if Kennedy was OK, and Kennedy surprised them both by hugging the general manager. To Kennedys even bigger surprise, Buford didnt let go.At the most vulnerable moment of Kennedys life, Buford had several options. He couldve offered a pleasantry -- just enough to clear the threshold of compassion. He could have stressed the optics of one teams general manager offering aid and comfort to a person who can swing his teams fortunes. He could have shrunk from the sheer awkwardness in a professional setting of being pulled into the body of a man he didnt really know. Instead, Buford just hugged him.On the court, Utahs Trevor Booker -- now the Brooklyn Nets starting power forward -- saw Kennedy standing in a daze alone near the scorers table. Booker took the opportunity to breeze over to Kennedy. Much respect to you, Booker said with a nod, then was on his way.It was the right thing to do, Booker says looking back.Like just about every player in the NBA, Booker has no relationship with Kennedy. By edict of the league, Booker and Kennedy arent even allowed to exchange pleasantries should they run into each other at a restaurant. For Booker, the decision to acknowledge Kennedys achievement wasnt inspired by political conviction or any great affinitty for Kennedy.dddddddddddd What inspired Booker was empathy for someone enduring a life experience of incredible magnitude.Eventually the house lights dimmed for introductions. Thats when Spurs coach Gregg Popovich approached Kennedy and delivered a pep talk that Kennedy swears he remembers verbatim.You have more guts, you have more balls than anybody I know, Popovich told him. You have more courage than anybody I know. Now, go out there and kick ass.When Kennedy later called fellow NBA referee Scott Twardoski and shared Popovichs words with his friend, I could tell he was smiling as he was saying it. Through the phone I could tell how much that interaction meant. It was like, if you can have a smile and a tear in your eyes at the same time, thats how he came across on the phone.Three and a half minutes into the game, Kennedy whistled Rodney Hood for a shooting foul on LaMarcus Aldridge underneath, but Hood hadnt made contact with Aldridge. At the first opportunity, Kennedy walked over to Utah head coach Quin Snyder to acknowledge the error.I said, Hey, I kicked the play. Its an absolute wrong call, says Kennedy. [Snyder] looked at me and he goes, We dont get them all right. Youre OK.Like Buford, Snyder had any number of reactions available to him -- a simple nod of muted appreciation, a few grousing words under his breath, an imperative to Kennedy to make it up to the Jazz later in the game, silence. Presented with a full menu of options, Snyder composed a message that spoke to Kennedys professional pride, something Kennedy values as much as anything. To a man who was alone in the world that night, Snyder used the first person plural -- We dont get them all right.Kennedy has been the beneficiary of similar interactions this season from the likes of Blake Griffin, Steve Kerr and Mike Breen, each of whom made a point to approach Kennedy and honor his personal achievement. Those individuals, like Buford, Booker, Popovich and Snyder, exhibited awesome acts of generosity and it didnt cost them anything other than a mindful awareness of another mans burden. Isolation is a force multiplier of lifes struggles. Recognition, bearing witness and a little human contact can bring real relief. A touch, a few words, an expression of empowerment, a willingness to let something go. Small acts of generosity that play big. ' ' '