"I was thinking, `OK, it's 2 o'clock, I'm going to have to go get Nick somewhere,'" said Butcher, who in his three years as the Angels pitching coach had developed a special relationship with the can't-miss pitcher.

Instead, it was Nick's father, Jim, who summoned Butcher to UCI Medical Center. Nick has been in an accident. He's hurt. The doctors say he's in critical condition.

When Butcher arrived at the hospital, Jim was alone. The men talked as doctors shuffled in an out and a nurse fed them occasional updates.

"I knew we weren't in a good situation at that point," Butcher said. "It had been about three hours at that point. I tried to just make conversation. I found out a lot of things about Nick, about his family. We just kind of waited. I told stories, I heard stories about Nick - him throwing a no-hitter and losing, something about a passed ball; and the next week coming back against the same team and throwing a perfect game, getting the W.

"We shared stories about the weeks in spring training, how he went about his business, how I saw him mature as a human being, how I watched him develop as a major league pitcher. We talked about his outing. I gave him a little insight into what he was thinking, what we talked about pregame, during the game and then post game.

"It was only a few hours later where he lost his life. That was a very tough time for his family. I'm glad I was there for support, for his father, Jim. I know he was in constant conversations and phone calls with his family and relatives. It's something you never want to go through, obviously, as a parent. I was just glad I could be there just to help out in any way that I could."

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TRAGEDY MOVES ORTIZ

On the couch Wednesday night, watching Baseball with his son, D'Angelo, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz couldn't take his eyes off of a young Angels righty with the sharp-breaking ball.

"I was talking to my boy, telling him, `Wow, look at this kid. Anaheim is lucky to have this good pitcher.'"

When he turned on the television the next morning he found that same pitcher was dead, one of three killed by an alleged drunk driver.

Ortiz was moved.

"When I heard about that, it felt like I knew him forever," he said.

And Friday, when he arrived at Angel Stadium, Ortiz made a request: A chance to talk with Jim Adenhart, from one father to another.

The request was granted, and Ortiz spent five minutes in the tunnel below home plate meeting with Jim Adenhart.

"I look at my son and I'm like `I would die if I lose him,'" Ortiz said. "And I just give him my prayer."

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Angels ADJUST

Angels right-handed pitcher Shane Loux will start Tuesday's road game against the Mariners - a game in which Adenhart would have made his second start of the season. Outfielder Reggie Willits was called up from Class AAA Salt Lake after Friday's game to fill out the roster.

Joe Saunders will start today and Dustin Moseley will start Sunday against the Red Sox.

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WASTED OPPORTUNITY

Facing a bases-loaded jam with nobody out Friday, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield got Kendry Morales to pop out to right field, Gary Matthews Jr. to pop out to first base and Jeff Mathis to line out to left. No runs scored, and fans booed Matthews all the way back into the dugout.

Reach Michael Becker at mbecker@PE.com Matt Calkins contributed to this report.

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BIG NUMBER

34 . . . Number worn by Nick Adenhart. The Angels will wear a black "34" patch above the heart on both home and road uniforms this season.