Clips (July 16, 2016)

Transcription

1 July 16, 2016 Page 1 of 20 Clips (July 16, 2016)

2 July 16, 2016 Page 2 of 20 Today s Clips Contents FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3) Hector Santiago is sharp again in 7-0 shutout Angels Tyler Skaggs and Carlos Perez are impressive in triple-a performance FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6) Hector Santiago reminds Angels of his value with seven shutout innings in 7-0 victory over White Sox Tyler Skaggs appears to be one Triple-A start from joining Angels after recordtying outing for Salt Lake Angels extend to the limit to sign draft pick Jack Kruger Final: Hector Santiago pitches seven shutout innings in 7-0 victory over White Sox On deck: White Sox at Angels, Saturday, 6 p.m. FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 11) Angels take advantage of White Sox miscues Santiago knew he was in zone from first batter Shoemaker hopes to avenge earlier loss to Sox Skaggs impressing in rehab starts Angels reach deals with 35 of 40 Draft picks FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 17) Santiago blanks former team again, Angels beat White Sox 7-0 FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 19) White Sox-Angels Preview

3 July 16, 2016 Page 3 of 20 FROM THE LA TIMES Hector Santiago is sharp again in 7-0 shutout By Pedro Moura Nine hundred feet from Angel Stadium s home plate, a building has been under construction since the winter. It will be called The George, after Anaheim founder George Hanson, and it ll join an array of newly forged apartment complexes across the Platinum Triangle that encompasses the ballpark. Recently, a sign has sprouted up in front of The George: Coming Fall 2017, it reads. Over the two weeks that remain until the nonwaiver trade deadline, the Angels must decide whether they can beat that timetable and contend next season or set their sights on That shall dictate whom they choose to trade. Outcomes such as Friday s 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox may only serve to muddle the decision-making process. Facing his former team for the second time this season, Hector Santiago threw seven scoreless innings for the second time this season. Angels Manager Mike Scioscia would have left him out for the eighth, and potentially the ninth, if the Angels had not taken so long to score in the latter half of the seventh. He threw 94 pitches, struck out seven and did not walk anyone. It s a combination of really good stuff with command, Scioscia said. You didn t see many mistakes from Hector. It was Santiago s third straight start sans an earned run. His performance has surged, and the Angels can unilaterally choose to retain him through next season. But if they cannot compete next season, why not trade him now, when opposing clubs will presumably pay more in return than at any point to come? That is the question General Manager Billy Eppler must confront and clarify by Aug. 1. It is also one he will not touch publicly. Until then, there are baseball games to be played, and the Angels played one of their best of the season Friday night and their shortest since June 20. They had set a franchise record at 18 straight games that lasted longer than 3 hours. Friday s was 2 hours 39 minutes. A dozen years ago, the Angels signed Miguel Gonzalez out of L.A. Mission College as an undrafted free agent. They developed him for four years, then declined to put him on their 40- man roster and lost him to Boston in the 2008 Rule 5 draft. It took him four more years to reach the majors, but eventually he did, and he entered his start Friday against the Angels owning a 3.88 earned-run average in 650 big league innings.

4 July 16, 2016 Page 4 of 20 His success story is similar to that of Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, another undrafted free agent who emerged at age 27. He will start against the White Sox on Saturday, with his value at perhaps its highest point to date, another man in whom opponents have expressed interest. The Angels did not torment Gonzalez, but they converted their opportunities. Ji-Man Choi laced a single to center to begin the third inning and endured a combination kick at first base. When Geovany Soto lined out to third, Choi raced back to the bag, where Chicago s Jose Abreu leaped to secure the throw and kicked him in the face and stepped on his hand on his way down. Choi stayed in the game and soon scored on a Yunel Escobar single. Escobar soon scored on a Kole Calhoun double. Later, in a protracted bottom half of the seventh, the Angels added five runs against Gonzalez and three White Sox relievers. The only man to trouble Santiago for most of the night was Adam Eaton, the White Sox right fielder whom the Angels could have had instead of the left-hander. At the 2013 winter meetings, the Arizona Diamondbacks offered Eaton and left-hander Tyler Skaggs for Mark Trumbo, then the Angels homegrown slugger. But the Angels sought two starting pitchers if they were to part with him, and so they engaged the White Sox and orchestrated the three-team trade. Eaton, to date, has been the best player involved in the deal, but Skaggs and Santiago proved a worthy return too. On Friday, Eaton doubled and singled off Santiago, and, in the sixth, he drove a ball deep to center field for apparent extra bases. Mike Trout, though, lured the ball in just before the outfield wall. In his last inning, Santiago yielded two two-out singles, and a poor throw from Daniel Nava in left field allowed those White Sox to take second and third. The Angels had not yet amassed their late rally, so a single would ve tied the game. Up stepped Dioner Navarro. Santiago fired a sharp sinker inside, and Navarro popped it up into foul territory. I did exactly what I wanted to do, Santiago said. The threat was over. The construction could continue.

5 July 16, 2016 Page 5 of 20 Angels Tyler Skaggs and Carlos Perez are impressive in triple-a performance By Pedro Moura Tyler Skaggs impressed the Angels organization with his 14-strikeout, no-walk performance Thursday with triple-a Salt Lake, convincing the team his return from August 2014 elbow surgery is, at last, imminent. And, according to Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, Skaggs catcher, Carlos Perez, did the same in his first minor league game in 14 months. He really caught a good game, Scioscia said. We wouldn t expect anything different from him. Scioscia said the major impetus for Perez s demotion last week was his offense. He opened 2016 as the team s starter. He does not have a track record of above-average production, but the major league staff thinks he can be better than the.563 on-base-plus-slugging percentage he logged in the first half. Carlos, from a defensive aspect, was playing at a high level, the manager said. What he really needs is to get some at-bats to find a little more consistent approach in the batter s box that s going to let him contribute offensively. He was putting pressure on himself when he was getting into a game. Thursday was Perez s first start in triple A. He called Skaggs pitches and homered. Skaggs will start at least once more for Salt Lake, Tuesday in Iowa, before he joins the Angels rotation. He reached 84 pitches in the seven-inning start Thursday. The reports, were as encouraging as the stat line, Scioscia said. When Tyler comes back into our rotation, we want to make sure that he s pitching up to his capabilities and all his pitches are working well. It ll take as much time as it takes. We re not going to rush him. Short hops As the signing deadline passed Friday, the Angels announced they signed 35 of their 40 selections from last month s MLB draft. Most notable of the five unsigned is 13th-round righthander Anthony Molina, a Florida high schooler profiled in the book The Arm. Left-hander C.J. Wilson underwent shoulder surgery Friday, performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. He is out for the season; he will conclude his five-year contract with the Angels having last pitched for the team in July 2015.

6 July 16, 2016 Page 6 of 20 Left-hander Andrew Heaney returned to the team for the first time since he underwent elbow surgery, also with ElAttrache, on July 1. Infielder Cliff Pennington remains at least several days away from beginning a rehab assignment for his strained left hamstring, sustained May 31. He has played three games in the last two months, interrupted by two instances of the strain. FROM THE OC REGISTER Hector Santiago reminds Angels of his value with seven shutout innings in 7-0 victory over White Sox By ELLIOTT TEAFORD / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Left-hander Hector Santiago struck out the first batter he faced Friday at Angel Stadium, gave up a double and then struck out the next two. Then he struck out the leadoff hitter in the second, retired the next one on a pop-up and struck out the next one. And so it went for Santiago during a command performance that propelled the Angels to a 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in front of 42,031 in their first game after the All-Star break. Santiago never trailed and was in serious jeopardy only once while throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and giving up five hits. He didn t allow a runner past second base until the seventh inning. He said he knew he was locked in after the game s third pitch. First hitter for me is always the hardest one, Santiago said of striking out Chicago leadoff hitter Tim Anderson. Getting those first three strikes of the game, it was like, Alright, here we go, let s take advantage of this and keep it rolling. It was just what the last-place Angels needed to hit the reset button on a season that s gone off the rails in so many ways, but especially in the standings. It also was a reminder of Santiago s potential value to the club, either in keeping him or trading him. Santiago (7-4) kept the White Sox off balance and off base. He departed after the Angels fiverun seventh inning extended their lead to 7-0. Right-handed reliever J.C. Ramirez replaced Santiago, who threw 94 pitches (71 for strikes). You can t control that part of the game, Santiago said when asked about the trade deadline at month s end. You come out here and try to throw the ball well and, hopefully, you can be here all year with the guys you ve been grinding with since spring training.

7 July 16, 2016 Page 7 of 20 When I got traded in 2013 (from the White Sox to the Angels), I was at a (Dallas) Cowboys game. I wasn t in the front office trying to control whether I was traded or not. I just try to sit back and have fun, come out there and try to do my job every day and whatever happens, happens. Yunel Escobar s run-scoring single and Kole Calhoun s RBI double in the third inning gave Santiago a little bit of breathing room, although a 2-0 lead was hardly a healthy cushion, especially considering all that s gone haywire this season. Santiago made it seem as if it was a 20-0 advantage, though. When a guy has his heater, changeup, curveball and is hitting his spots, it s fairly easy, Angels catcher Geovany Soto said of Santiago, who extended his scoreless streak to 22 consecutive innings over his past three starts. Great command on his part. Great game overall. How great a game? Consider that it was the first time in 2016 the Angels won without a hit from either Mike Trout or Albert Pujols. Trout was 0 for 3, striking out twice and walking once in four plate appearances. Pujols was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. The Angels were 5 for 9 with runners in scoring position, though. Tyler Skaggs appears to be one Triple-A start from joining Angels after recordtying outing for Salt Lake By ELLIOTT TEAFORD / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Left-hander Tyler Skaggs didn t get the call from the Angels after he tied Jered Weaver s club record of 14 strikeouts while pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday. It could come as soon as next week, though, after Skaggs makes his next start Tuesday for the Bees. Skaggs certainly seemed ready to make his first major league appearance since undergoing Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery in He gave up one hit and did not walk a batter in seven scoreless innings (84 pitches) against the Omaha (Neb.) Storm Chasers. In three starts in July, Skaggs has a 1.59 ERA (three runs allowed in 17 innings) with 23 strikeouts and no walks. He improved his overall record to 2-2 with Salt Lake after giving up a two-out single in the first inning, then retiring 19 consecutive batters Thursday in Omaha. Manager Mike Scioscia stopped short of saying Skaggs would be back with the Angels next Wednesday, but he did say it could happen if there are no setbacks after Skaggs next start. If all goes well, Skaggs could join the Angels rotation for a July 24 game against the Astros.

8 July 16, 2016 Page 8 of 20 The reports were as impressive as his stat line, Scioscia said. Tyler maintained his velocity (hovering around 92 mph), pitched deep into the game, very pitch-efficient, pitch-effective. He s certainly getting closer to where he s going to work his way into our rotation. We ll evaluate him after his next start and see where he is. It s safe to say when Tyler comes back into the rotation, we want to make sure he s throwing the ball to all his capabilities and all his pitches are working. How much time that takes, it takes. We re not going to rush things. Skaggs last pitched in the majors July 31, POKEMON MANIA No, All-Star center fielder Mike Trout didn t take his smartphone with him onto the field to play Pokemon Go during the Angels game against the White Sox. Yes, there was a Gym, a place to fight other Pokemon players, located in the rock pile just beyond the center-field fence. There was quite a bit of pre-game chatter in the Angels clubhouse about Pokemon, the augmented reality game that has become something of a national obsession in recent days. It certainly sounded as if the Angels were as hooked as the rest of country during the All-Star break. WILSON SURGERY Left-hander C.J. Wilson underwent season-ending shoulder surgery Friday, but Scioscia said he hadn t received an update other than it went well. Wilson s contract expires at the end of the season. Angels extend to the limit to sign draft pick Jack Kruger By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER The Angels signed Mississippi State catcher Jack Kruger, a 20th-round pick, to a $395,000 bonus on Friday, the deadline for inking 2016 draft picks. The Angels ended up signing 35 of their 40 picks, pushing their spending nearly to the limit they could extend without sacrificing any future draft picks. Any money over $100,000 that teams give to draft picks beyond the 10th round count against their bonus pool, so Kruger s deal pushed the Angels just shy of 5 percent over their allotment. At 5 percent, teams forfeit their first-round pick in the next year.

9 July 16, 2016 Page 9 of 20 The Angels had an allotment of $6,120,500 for their top 10 picks, plus overages on picks beyond that. They spent about $6.425 million toward their pool, including $295,000 for Kruger. A 5-percent overage would have been $6,426,525. The Angels will pay a tax of about $228,000, but they will not lose any draft picks next year. Kruger visited Angel Stadium in late June, but it took the Angels until the 11th hour to reach a deal with the catcher/designated hitter. He hit.358 with a.451 on-base percentage at Mississippi State this year. Kruger is a Southern California native who played at Oaks Christian High in Westlake Village and Orange Coast College before transferring to Mississippi State. Among the five draft picks who went unsigned was Florida high school right-hander Anthony Molina, the Angels 13th-round pick. Molina was featured in the book, The Arm, because of attention he got as a hard-throwing teenager. He had run into legal trouble that affected his draft standing, though. Final: Hector Santiago pitches seven shutout innings in 7-0 victory over White Sox By ELLIOTT TEAFORD / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Angels left-hander Hector Santiago struck out the first batter he faced Friday at Angel Stadium, gave up a double and then struck out the next two. Then he struck out the leadoff hitter in the second, retired the next one on a pop-up and struck out the next one. And so it went for Santiago during a commanding performance that propelled the Angels to a 7-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in front of 42,031 in their first game after the All-Star break. Santiago never trailed and was in serious jeopardy only once while throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out seven and scattering five hits. He didn t allow a runner past second base until the seventh inning. It was just what the last-place Angels needed to hit the reset button on a season that s gone off the rails in so many ways, but especially in the standings. It also was a reminder of Santiago s potential value to the club, either in keeping him or trading him. Santiago (7-4) kept the White Sox off balance and off base. He departed after the Angels fiverun seventh inning extended their lead to 7-0. Right-handed reliever J.C. Ramirez replaced Santiago, who threw 94 pitches (71 for strikes).

10 July 16, 2016 Page 10 of 20 Yunel Escobar s run-scoring single and Kole Calhoun s RBI double in the third inning gave Santiago a little bit of breathing room, although a 2-0 lead was hardly a healthy cushion, especially considering all that s gone haywire in the Angels bullpen this season. Santiago, who has not allowed an earned run in 22 innings, made it seem as if it was a 20-0 advantage, though. At least until running into a rough patch in the seventh, that is. He got into and out of trouble easily enough, though, getting Chicago s Dioner Navarro to foul out to end the threat. Todd Frazier had singled and advanced to third on Brett Lawrie s single, and Lawrie took second on the throw to third. Santiago took a deep breath and Navarro helped him out by taking a hack at the first offering, hammering it straight overhead. In a moment, the ball settled into the mitt of Angels catcher Geovany Soto in foul territory, and the Angels maintained their 2-0 lead. The Angels chased White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (2-5) in the seventh, after Daniel Nava doubled and Johnny Giavotella reached on an infield single. Pinch-hitter Jefry Marte doubled off reliever Zach Duke to drive home pinch-runner Todd Cunningham to make it 3-0. White Sox manager Robin Ventura replaced Duke with Matt Albers, who then gave up runscoring singles to Soto and Andrelton Simmons as the Angels extended their lead to 5-0. Simmons extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games. The Angels added two more runs to pad their lead to 7-0. It was up to their bullpen to make it stand up. Before the game, Chicago re-instated first baseman Justin Morneau from the disabled list. He was not in the starting lineup Friday, but made an appearance as a pinch hitter in the eighth. The White Sox also purchased the contract of right-hander Carson Fulmer from Double-A Birmingham. On deck: White Sox at Angels, Saturday, 6 p.m. By ELLIOTT TEAFORD / STAFF WRITER Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 6 p.m. Did you know? Angels right-hander Jered Weaver is 19-2 with a 2.29 ERA in his July starts since 2011, the most victories in the majors in that month over that stretch.

11 July 16, 2016 Page 11 of 20 THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP MATT SHOEMAKER (4-9, 4.45) Vs. White Sox: 0-2, 6.35 At Angel Stadium: 11-13, 2.92 Hates to face: Brett Lawrie, 6 for 16,.400 Loves to face: Jose Abreu, 2 for 9,.222 WHITE SOX RHP JAMES SHIELDS (4-10, 5.42) Vs. Angels: 6-3, 3.31 At Angel Stadium: 2-2, 5.54 Hates to face: Albert Pujols, 3 for 6,.500 Loves to face: Yunel Escobar, 8 for 32,.250 UPCOMING GAME Sunday: Angels RHP Jered Weaver (7-7, 5.27) vs. White Sox (TBD), 12:30 p.m., FSW FROM ANGELS.COM Angels take advantage of White Sox miscues By Fabian Ardaya and Scott Merkin ANAHEIM -- Hector Santiago shut down his former team over seven shutout innings and got plenty of run support in a five-run seventh inning as the Angels beat the White Sox, 7-0, on Friday night to open up the second half of the season. Santiago, facing the White Sox for the second time this season, got his team started on a positive note following the All Star break, delivering his fourth quality start in his last five outings to outduel Chicago right-hander Miguel Gonzalez. The White Sox wouldn't have a runner in scoring position after Adam Eaton's first-inning double until they recorded back-toback hits in the seventh, which Santiago got out of by inducing a foul popup. "He runs that cutter inside. Normally lefties aren't going to get good swings at him, but our lefties are the ones who ended up getting the hits off of him," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura of Santiago. "That cutter, it can be a little tricky. He crossfires and runs it inside and you have to be able to stay inside that thing." Gonzalez was let down by a lack of run support, as he was solid through six-plus innings of work. He was responsible for four runs (three earned), but left two runners on in the seventh as the Angels jumped on him and the bullpen to add five insurance runs.

12 July 16, 2016 Page 12 of 20 The Angels have won five of their last six games, and the White Sox have lost three of their last four games, all against last-place teams (Angels, Braves). MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Hello, Old Friend: Santiago, facing his old team for the second time this season, was once again dominant. He tossed seven shutout innings, giving up five hits and walking none while striking out seven on 94 pitches. He has tossed 14 shutout innings against the White Sox this season, giving up 54 runs in his 91 innings against non-white Sox opponents (a 5.34 ERA). "Tonight, it looked like [Hector] had the command," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Not only was he getting the ball in the zone, but he was getting it into good spots. He pitched in well, changed speeds, got the ball to the outside corner when he had to." Two-out hustle: White Sox right-handed hitters were 0-for-17 against Santiago until back-toback hits from Todd Frazier and Brett Lawrie with two outs in the seventh. When left fielder Daniel Nava was slow going after the ball on Lawrie's hit, the two White Sox runners moved up to second and third. But Dioner Navarro swung at the next pitch and popped out in foul ground to Yunel Escobar, ending the rally. Let's add on: The Angels clung to a 2-0 lead heading into the seventh, but quickly blew things open with a five-run outburst. Nava started things off with a leadoff double, and back-to-backto-back RBI hits from Jefry Marte, Geovany Soto and Andrelton Simmons paired with some poor White Sox defense to keep the rally going before Albert Pujols' inning-ending strikeout. "Good situational hitting," Scioscia said of the rally. "The guys put the ball in play and used the whole field. They did a good job with runners in scoring position and ran the bases aggressively and pressured them into five runs." Defensive shortcomings: After emerging as a very solid defensive team in the season's first half, the White Sox had their problems during a five-run seventh. Tim Anderson committed two errors, and Jose Abreu couldn't make the sliding play on a Nava double down the line to open the frame on a hit that looked playable. Three of the five runs were unearned. "There were a couple of plays you see some youth part coming out," said Ventura, referring to Anderson. "And we have to be better than that. We've played better than that." QUOTABLE "I thought so. But there's a racehorse out there apparently, and he just runs it down. He's a great athlete." -- Eaton on whether he was thinking three bases on a ball he hit to end the sixth, which Mike Trout ran down in right-center "My good friend Henry Blanco told me that when a pitcher has all the tools and he has his A game, it's easy. It takes a great catcher to guide a pitcher when he doesn't have his best stuff.

13 July 16, 2016 Page 13 of 20 It's easy when a pitcher has his best stuff, and [Hector] was commanding the ball really well." -- Soto, on what it was like to catch Santiago. LACK OF OFFENSIVE PUNCH The White Sox have been shut out five times in their last 13 games, after doing so twice in their first 76 games. They have not scored in the past 23 innings, extending back to the third inning on July 9 against the Braves. Santiago has now allowed zero earned runs in three consecutive starts, becoming the third starter in franchise history to do so. The others are Rudy May (April 23-May 4, 1973) and Joe Saunders (Sept. 18, 2008-April 6, 2009). WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: James Shields makes his eighth start for the White Sox and 19th overall Saturday night in Anaheim. Shields has a 2-1 record with a 2.21 ERA over his last three starts covering 20 1/3 innings. Angels: Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker is looking to continue his hot run at home. Over his last five outings at Angel Stadium, he has a 0.98 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 48-to-2. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. PT. Santiago knew he was in zone from first batter Angels starter throws seven scoreless innings, striking out seven By Fabian Ardaya ANAHEIM -- It didn't take Angels left-hander Hector Santiago long to figure out that he was in for a good night on the mound on Friday. Up 0-2 on the first batter of the 7-0 win, Santiago reared back and fired a perfectly placed fastball on the inside part of the plate past Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson for a strikeout. "Going 0-2 in the first part of the game is a big deal for me. The first hitter for me is always the hardest. I'm trying to figure out the mound, where the arm slot is going the be and the umpire's zone. After those first three strikes, I was like, 'Here we go.'" Santiago was in a zone almost all night, shutting out the White Sox over seven innings and striking out seven on 94 pitches as the Angels cruised to victory to open the season's second half. After a one-out double to Adam Eaton in the first inning, Santiago wouldn't have to deal with runners in scoring position again until he gave up back-to-back singles in the seventh inning.

14 July 16, 2016 Page 14 of 20 Everything was working: His fastball was humming at around 93 miles per hour, his changeup was spotted well and almost every offspeed pitch found its target. Santiago's performance made catcher Geovany Soto's job easy, Soto said, as he recalled some insight from his former teammate with the Cubs, Henry Blanco. "When a pitcher has all the tools and he has his A game, it's easy," Soto said. "It takes a great catcher to guide a pitcher when he doesn't have his best stuff. It's easy when a pitcher has his best stuff, and [Hector] was commanding the ball really well." Friday night was just the latest in a run of strong starts for Santiago, who has had issues with consistency ever since being named an All-Star midway through last season. He hasn't allowed an earned run in his last 22 innings, becoming the third starter in Angels history to compile three starts with zero earned runs along with Joe Saunders and Rudy May. "It's a combination of really good stuff with command," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Tonight, it looked like he had the command. Not only was he getting the ball in the zone, but he was getting it into good spots. He pitched in well, changed speeds, got the ball to the outside corner when he had to." Santiago is peaking at the right time. The non-waiver Trade Deadline is just a couple weeks away, and the left-hander -- who is controllable through 2018 and has a solid overall track record -- could easily find himself near the top of a very thin trade market for starting pitchers. "Hopefully you can be here with the guys you've been grinding with since Spring Training for the whole season, but you can't control when you get traded," Santiago said. "When I got traded in 2013 [to the Angels], I was at a Cowboys game. I wasn't in the front office trying to control if I got traded or not." Shoemaker hopes to avenge earlier loss to Sox By Scott Merkin Justin Morneau did not start for the White Sox in Friday's second-half opener at Angel Stadium, although he did ground out as a pinch-hitter leading off the eighth inning of a 7-0 loss. But with Angels' right-hander Matt Shoemaker on the mound Saturday night for a 6:05 PT first pitch, the newest White Sox designated hitter will get his chance. White Sox manager Robin Ventura certainly didn't indicate a platoon where Morneau was concerned, although Avisail Garcia was in the lineup against left-hander Hector Santiago Friday. He mentioned Morneau would go early on against right-handers, coming off 27 plate

15 July 16, 2016 Page 15 of 20 appearances during his Minor League injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham, but once Morneau gets going, he could be tough to remove. "Now is just the beginning," Morneau said. "Getting back here was difficult and now it's the beginning of hopefully the good stuff." Shoemaker will be making his 18th start of the season and second against the White Sox, after losing in Chicago on April 19 despite allowing two earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. Since May 16, Shoemaker has a 2.86 ERA over 72 1/3 innings across 11 starts. He is 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA lifetime against the White Sox. Things to know James Shields, the White Sox starter for Saturday, is 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA over his last three starts covering 20 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs in 7 2/3 innings on the Sunday before the All-Star break, but lost to the Braves. Mike Trout's.425 on-base percentage and 58 walks stood as career-bests for him at the All- Star break. Albert Pujols has 17 RBIs in his last 19 games. Skaggs impressing in rehab starts By Fabian Ardaya ANAHEIM -- At this rate, left-hander Tyler Skaggs' return to the Angels rotation by August is looking to be more of a certainty than it is a possibility. Skaggs was brilliant with Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday night, following back-to-back five-inning outings by tossing seven innings of one-hit, shutout baseball against Omaha. He struck out 14 batters, matching the Triple-A club record of 14, set byjered Weaver. Skaggs' fastball was reportedly around 92 mph, and his stuff was crisp as he remained pitch-efficient and exited after 84 pitches. Thursday's performance made an impression on Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who said earlier that day that Skaggs is prominently on the club's radar for a Major League return. "The reports were as impressive as the stat line," Scioscia said. "Tyler maintained his velocity, he pitched deep into the game and was very pitch-efficient and pitch-effective. He's certainly getting closer to where he can work his way back into our rotation."

16 July 16, 2016 Page 16 of 20 The left-hander will make at least one more start with Salt Lake, and he will then be evaluated to see if it's time to bring him up to the big league club. Skaggs, 25, is 23 months removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery on his left elbow. He hasn't pitched in the Majors since July 31, 2014, and has dealt with a few setbacks in his return. He began the season in Triple-A, making a pair of starts before complaining of discomfort and being shut down. He began a throwing program, including a simulated game on June 8, but was soon shut down again. Because of this history, Scioscia said he wants to make sure Skaggs doesn't have another if he returns to the bigs too soon. "When Tyler comes back into our rotation, we want to make sure that he's pitching up to his capabilities and all his pitches are working well," Scioscia said. "It'll take as much time as it takes. We're not going to rush him." The Angels are in need of some consistency in their rotation. Right-hander Tim Lincecum has struggled through his first five starts this season, and others such as Weaver and Hector Santiago have been plagued by inconsistency. Jhoulys Chacin was removed from the rotation and put into the bullpen for Nick Tropeano, who while having the team's best starter ERA has also struggled with going deep into starts. Santiago and right-hander Matt Shoemaker could also be on the trading block as the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline nears. Angels reach deals with 35 of 40 Draft picks Club inks 20 th -round pick Kruger at signing deadline By Fabian Ardaya ANAHEIM -- It took until the very last minute for the Angels to wrap up their MLB Draft signings. The Angels signed a deal with 20th-round pick Jack Kruger shortly before Friday's 2 p.m. PT deadline, giving the club 35 successful signings out of their 40 total selections. The club was allotted $6,120,500 for their top 10 selections, and had to spend less than $6,426,525 in order to keep their first-round pick for next year. They came in just under that, spending $6.425 million, as general manager Billy Eppler looks to boost the organization's farm system. They will pay a $228,000 tax for going over their Draft slot allotment. Of the five players left unsigned, the most notable is 13th-round selection and right-handed pitcher Anthony Molina out of West Broward High School in Florida. Molina gained attention for his power arm and was featured in Jeff Passan's book "The Arm," but has dealt with legal issues that negatively impacted his MLB Draft stock. Others unsigned players include USC outfielder David Oppenheim, Washington reliever Troy Rallings, California high school shortstop David Hamilton and future North Carolina right-handed pitcher Robbie Peto.

17 July 16, 2016 Page 17 of 20 Worth noting Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson underwent season-ending surgery Friday to remove fraying from the labrum on his left shoulder. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said the club will be debriefed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who performed the surgery. Wilson is a free agent after this season. Scioscia said Carlos Perez, who caught Tyler Skaggs' stellar outing in Triple-A on Thursday, needs to work on his approach at the plate before he can eye a big league return. Perez, who was optioned on July 9, has hit.204 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 186 at-bats in the Majors this season. "Carlos, from a defensive aspect, was playing at a high level [in the Majors]," Scioscia said. "What he really needs is to get some at-bats to develop a real consistent approach in the batter's box. We need him to contribute offensively, and hopefully he'll find it." FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Santiago blanks former team again, Angels beat White Sox 7-0 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- If the Los Angeles Angels trade Hector Santiagobefore the Aug. 1 deadline, they might want to consider shipping him to a National League team they rarely play. Just ask the Chicago White Sox. Santiago threw seven innings of five-hit ball against his former club, and the Angels beat Chicago 7-0 on Friday night. It was the second time this season Santiago blanked the White Sox 7-0. He has tossed 14 spotless innings against them, but given up 54 runs over 91 1/3 innings in his other 17 starts. "There's always a little bit more competitiveness, for sure," Santiago said. "You want to get back at them, get yourself to another level against your old team. When they come in, there's no doubt that I kind of step my game up." The left-hander did exactly that once again, striking out seven without issuing a walk Friday. Los Angeles supported him with two runs in the second and five in the seventh.

18 July 16, 2016 Page 18 of 20 Santiago (7-4) has been pitching particularly well of late. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 22 innings. Chicago's offense has been going in the opposite direction. The White Sox have not scored in their last 23 innings, and they were shut out in consecutive games for the first time this season. "We didn't swing, and we didn't play that good of defense, either, but I thought (Santiago) threw well, too," manager Robin Ventura. "You tip your cap. "Coming back from the break, you expect the guys to swing a little bit better. It's just one day." The Angels are on the season, 15 1/2 games back of first-place Texas in the AL West. They are expected to deal veterans before the trade deadline, and Santiago's name has been prominently mentioned. Santiago insisted he shrugs it all off. "That's what you have to do," he said. "You can't control that part of the game. You just come out here and try to throw the ball well. Hopefully you can be here all year with guys you grinded through all spring and all season. "I just try to sit back, have fun, come out here and do my job every day, and whatever happens, happens." The first five Angels hitters in the seventh scored against four different White Sox pitchers. "We just kept pounding the ball in that seventh inning," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "Good situational hitting. Guys put the ball in play, used the whole field, good job with runners in scoring position, and ran the bases aggressively." Four of the Angels' nine hits were doubles, one each by Kole Calhoun,Geovany Soto, Daniel Nava and Jefry Marte. Andrelton Simmons also singled in the seventh to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. The Angels have won five of their last seven games. Four runs came against Chicago right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (2-5), though only two were earned. Rookie shortstop Tim Anderson committed two errors. "I thought he threw well enough to win a game, but we didn't swing very well," Ventura said. "(Santiago) coming off the break was sharp." Gonzalez has not won a road game since beating Tampa Bay on July 25, He tossed seven shutout innings against the Yankees in his previous start.

19 July 16, 2016 Page 19 of 20 TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: 1B Justin Morneau was called up from his rehab stint at Triple-A and added to the roster. The 35-year-old Morneau had offseason surgery to repair the primary flexor in his right elbow. Chicago signed him June 9 to a one-year contract. Angels: Despite a brilliant outing Thursday for Triple-A Salt Lake (seven scoreless innings, one hit, 14 strikeouts), LHP Tyler Skaggs (Tommy John surgery, shoulder tightness) will make at least one additional rehab start before joining the rotation, Scioscia said.... LHP C.J. Wilson had surgery to repair fraying within his labrum and rotator cuff, the team said. UP NEXT White Sox: RHP James Shields (4-10) is scheduled to make his eighth start Saturday night since coming to Chicago in a June 4 trade with the Padres. He is 2/3 with a 7.68 ERA for the White Sox, but 2-1 with a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts. Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (4-9) is 2-4 with a 2.67 ERA in his last 10 starts. FROM FOX SPORTS White Sox-Angels Preview Stats LLC ANAHEIM, Calif. -- James Shields entered the year having averaged 13 wins over the last nine seasons -- including 13 last season, his first with the San Diego Padres. But Shields was horrible in San Diego this season, going 2-7 with a 4.28 ERA in 11 starts and was traded to the Chicago White Sox on June 4 for reliever Erik Johnson and a minor leaguer. It might not have seemed possible, but Shields pitched even worse in his first four starts for Chicago. In those four games, he gave up 24 earned runs, 29 hits and 13 walks in 13 2/3 innings. He failed to last more than two innings in two of the starts. But when he takes the mound Saturday in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels, the White Sox are hoping they have the old Shields, who seems to have turned things around in his last three starts. He gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings on June 29 to beat Minnesota, then gave up two runs in six innings on July 4 to beat the New York Yankees. In his most recent start on July 10, he got the loss despite giving up just two runs in 7 2/3 innings against Atlanta.

20 July 16, 2016 Page 20 of 20 Some believe Shields was trying to do too much to impress his new teammates in Chicago and finally was able to slow things down and not rush his delivery. "I'll say this -- I've had more help trying to fix James Shields than everybody else combined in 14 years, getting it from everybody," White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper told MLB.com. "Those are four worse starts than anybody would ever have. They're nightmares for a guy. "For him now to start fighting his way out of that shows a lot to me about who he is. I knew we were going to get him out, but I wasn't sure how quick it would happen. You always hope the sooner, the better." The White Sox also likely will give Justin Morneau his first major league start of the season. The left-handed-hitting Morneau was activated before Friday's game but did not get the start because the Angels were throwing lefty Hector Santiago. He did get in the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, and grounded out to second. With the Angels starting right-hander Matt Shoemaker, Morneau -- who has been out all season recovering from elbow surgery last December -- figures to be in the lineup. Shoemaker, like Shields, has turned things around for the better after a slow start. Shoemaker was 1-4 with a 9.15 ERA in five starts in April, resulting in a demotion to Triple-A Salt Lake. But because of injuries to the starting staff, the Angels had little choice but to call up Shoemaker just 10 days later. And they were happy to see they got a pitcher who more closely resembled the Shoemaker who was the Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2014 when he went 16-4 with a 3.04 ERA. In May, June and so far in July, Shoemaker has an ERA of 3.18, and even more impressive is his strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has 81 strikeouts and 12 walks in 76 1/3 innings since the end of April. Shoemaker, though, has never beaten the White Sox in his career, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA, including a loss in April this season.