Press Clips (July 14, 2018)

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1 July 14, 2018 Page 1 of 18 Press Clips (July 14, 2018)

2 July 14, 2018 Page 2 of 18 CLIPS CONTENT FROM THE OC REGISTER (PAGE 3) Angels Kole Calhoun giveth and taketh away in adventurous game against Dodgers Angels Albert Pujols has injection in knee, goes on 10-day DL FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (PAGE 6) Calhoun, Muncy homer as Dodgers edge the Angels, 3-2 Angels put Albert Pujols on the DL FROM ANGELS.COM (PAGE 10) Angels lose lead after Calhoun homers twice Pujols goes on DL with left knee inflammation FROM THE ATHLETIC (PAGE 13) The unfortunate truth behind Albert Pujols struggles this season FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (PAGE 14) Muncy homers, singles in go-ahead run; Dodgers top Angels FROM BASEBALL ESSENTIAL (PAGE 16) What Does the Future Hold for Garrett Richards?

3 July 14, 2018 Page 3 of 18 FROM THE OC REGISTER Angels Kole Calhoun giveth and taketh away in adventurous game against Dodgers By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES In an adventurous season, Kole Calhoun played his most adventurous game Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Calhoun hit a pair of solo home runs against Dodgers starter Walker Buehler to give the Angels an early lead. When his throw home from right field sailed over the head of catcher Jose Briceño, the Dodgers were able to score the go-ahead run in the seventh inning. The run held up and the Dodgers won 3-2 before an announced crowd of 53,368 at Dodger Stadium. On a night when Kenley Jansen was unavailable to close, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts turned to lefthander Scott Alexander in the ninth inning of a one-run game. Alexander had an adventure of his own before locking down his first save as a Dodger. With one out, pinch hitter Shohei Ohtani lined a double into left-center field. The next batter, Jose Briceño, beat out an infield single. Rookie David Fletcher, who hit his first career home run a day earlier, was up next. Roberts visited the mound briefly, he said, to kind of slow (him) down a little bit. Fletcher hit the first pitch he saw on the ground to third baseman Max Muncy, who threw to Logan Forsythe at second base for the easy forceout. Forsythe s relay throw to first baseman Cody Bellinger was a bit wide of the bag. But umpire David Rackley ruled that Bellinger tagged out Fletcher before he crossed the base a dramatic double play to end a close game. I m always looking for ground balls, said Alexander, whose ground-ball rate is higher than any active pitcher. All I m focused on, besides the one pitch to Ohtani, I felt like I was still making good pitches. Sometimes you re going to make good pitches and these guys are still going to get on base. Just a great team effort. I was glad I was able to help out. Muncy got the Dodgers on the board with a first-inning home run, and his single in the seventh inning off Cam Bedrosian (3-2) led to the second and third runs. Muncy finished 2 for 4. Calhoun (2 for 4) looked lost at the plate before going on the disabled list in June with an oblique injury. He was hitting.145 at the time, his only home run to that point coming on Opening Day. His two solo blasts Friday were his sixth and seventh home runs in 23 games since. In the seventh inning, Calhoun all but undid his own damage.

4 July 14, 2018 Page 4 of 18 Forsythe and Joc Pederson led off the inning with a single and double, respectively, against Angels pitcher Cam Bedrosian. That put runners at second and third base for Muncy, who delivered a single to right field. Forsythe jogged in with the tying run. Pederson initially held up after rounding third base. But when he saw Calhoun s throw sail into the protective netting behind home plate, he trotted home easily with the Dodgers third run. I got it kind of on my right side, Calhoun said of the throw, and I don t think I ever really got closed all the way, and just kind of sailed that throw. With Joc on second, it felt like I might have to hurry a little bit. Turns out, he wasn t even going. It was just a throw that s gotta be down and not executed by me. After allowing Muncy s 22 nd home run of the season, Angels right-hander Felix Peña got through four innings without incident. He walked three batters and struck out five while dancing in and out of danger. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the first inning on two walks and a Bellinger double. Peña got Chris Taylor to ground into a double play, ending that inning. When Chase Utley, a left-handed batter, was announced as a pinch hitter for Buehler in the fifth inning, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia countered by replacing Peña with left-hander Jose Alvarez. Utley s single against Alvarez was his first hit against a southpaw since May 9; it came on the same day Utley announced he would retire at the end of the season. But again, the Dodgers could not cash in the leadoff runner on base. Buehler s five-inning start was his longest since June 8. The rookie had spent most of the meantime recovering from a rib microfracture. His last major league appearance a disastrous relief outing against the Chicago Cubs on June 28 offered little reassurance. Since then, Buehler had thrown three innings in a minor league rehab game and a five-inning simulated game against teammates. This time he threw 79 pitches over five innings, walking one batter and pitching around every rally the Angels tried to muster. Kind of a battle. One of those grinder games, Buehler said. First game back. I was happy with it. Four of the Angels six hits against Buehler were singles. Base hits by Andrelton Simmons and Mike Trout in the first inning put runners on first and third with one out, but Buehler came back to strike out Justin Upton and Luis Valbuena to end the inning. In the third inning, Buehler again struck out Valbuena with two runners on and one out. Kinsler nearly drove in a run with a line drive headed for right field, but Bellinger dove to his right to snag the baseball on the fly. The Angels only other hits against Buehler were the solo home runs by Calhoun. Still, those were enough to leave Buehler in line for the loss. Caleb Ferguson didn t allow a run in two innings of relief. Right-hander Erik Goeddel pitched a scoreless eighth before handing the ball to Alexander.

5 July 14, 2018 Page 5 of 18 Andrelton Simmons went 2 for 4 with a stolen base for the Angels (48-47), who are 10 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the American League s second wild card position. The Dodgers (52-42) extended their stay in first place in the NL West to two straight days. Staff Writer Joey Kaufman contributed to this report. Angels Albert Pujols has injection in knee, goes on 10-day DL By Joey Kaufman LOS ANGELES Angels slugger Albert Pujols will not surpass Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place on baseball s all-time home run list this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Pujols tied Griffey with his 630 th blast on Thursday, his second homer during the Angels 11-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners, but the future Hall of Famer was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Friday with what the club described as inflammation in his left knee. Pujols, who received a platelet-rich plasma injection on Friday, had been dealing with knee pain for awhile, according to Manager Mike Scioscia, and was estimated to be about 50 percent in recent days. Maybe this will get him to a little higher of a percentage and it s not as taxing, Scioscia said.the extent of Pujols stay on the DL, which spans the All-Star break, is expected to be the minimum 10 days, with a return slated for July 23 against the Chicago White Sox. That means, if all goes well, he would miss a total of six games, including the Freeway Series against the Dodgers this weekend, and a three-game series against the Houston Astros immediately after the break. Scioscia said Pujols had consulted with the Angels medical staff to establish a time for his DL stint. The All-Star break helps minimize the time the 38-year-old slugger will be out of the lineup. Albert at times has been superhuman, Scioscia said. He s been dealing with a lot of things. And he s played with them. This has been bothering him for awhile. But he s really managed to stay in the lineup, playing first base a lot and doing things that are important for the club. After he was used mostly as a designated hitter in 2017, Pujols has been healthy enough to see more time at first base, where he has been for 48 games, compared to 38 at DH. Pujols has hit.251 this season with 16 home runs and 52 RBIs. This will be his first trip to the DL since 2013, previously his only other stint since signing with the Angels, when he missed the final two months because of a foot injury. In a corresponding move, the Angels recalled Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Salt Lake. Fernandez was in the lineup for Pujols on Friday night against the Dodgers. Pujols did not travel with the team Friday.

6 July 14, 2018 Page 6 of 18 TROUT ON UTLEY An hour after Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley announced he would retire at the end of the season in a news conference at Dodger Stadium, Mike Trout reflected on the veteran s career in the visiting clubhouse. Trout, who was raised in New Jersey, rooted for Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies as a teenager and was in attendance when they won the 2008 World Series. In past interviews, Trout described Utley as his favorite player, along with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter. Just the way he played the game, Trout said. He played hard every pitch. If it was a big situation, it seemed like he d come through. And as a fan growing up, you couldn t ask for more effort or dedication to the game. Trout has since met and kept in touch with Utley since making his major league debut with the Angels in It s pretty crazy that growing up, watching him, and having the chance to play against him, is pretty cool to me, Trout said. ALSO The Angels signed Junichi Tazawa to a minor-league deal. The right-handed relief pitcher had been waived by the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Tazawa was designated for assignment by the Miami Marlins in May after posting a 9.00 ERA in 22 appearances. Outfielder Jabari Blash was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, while outfielder Michael Hermosillo was optioned. FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Calhoun, Muncy homer as Dodgers edge the Angels, 3-2 By Mike DiGiovanna Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun cleared the outfield fence twice and the glove of his leaping catcher once Friday night. The former was good for the Angels. The latter was not. Calhoun hit two solo homers as he continued to emerge from a two-month, season-opening slumber. However, he also airmailed a throw to the backstop in the seventh inning, allowing the Dodgers to score the winning run in a 3-2 victory before a sellout crowd of 53,368 in Dodger Stadium, the third one-run game the Southern California rivals have played in four games since last weekend. The Dodgers trailed 2-1 when Logan Forsythe led off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit single to center field off Angels reliever Cam Bedrosian.

7 July 14, 2018 Page 7 of 18 Joc Pederson doubled past the glove of diving first baseman Luis Valbuena, advancing Forsythe to third. Max Muncy, who hit his team-leading 22 nd homer of the season in the first inning, ripped an RBI single to right to tie the score 2-2. Calhoun, a 2015 Gold Glove Award winner who has one of baseball s strongest and most accurate throwing arms, thought he had a shot at Pederson, so he launched a throw toward home as Pederson was held at third. The ball sailed high over the head of catcher Jose Briceño, allowing Pederson to score for a 3-2 lead and Muncy to take second. Muncy took third on Matt Kemp s roller to second but was stranded when righthander Justin Anderson relieved Bedrosian and struck out Yasmani Grandal and got Chris Taylor to fly to left. Just sailed the throw, Calhoun said. With Joc on second, I felt like I had to hurry a little bit. Turns out he wasn t even going. It s just a throw that s gotta be down. I just didn t execute. The Angels put a runner on with two outs in the eighth when Justin Upton walked against reliever Erik Goeddel. Valbuena hit a sharp grounder into right field, but second baseman Forsythe, about 30 feet into the outfield grass, lunged to his left to snag the ball and made a long, off-balance and accurate throw to first to end the inning. Closer Kenley Jansen was not available after pitching in San Diego on Wednesday and Thursday night, so the ninth inning belonged to left-hander Scott Alexander, who got Ian Kinsler to ground to second for the first out. Shohei Ohtani, whose pinch-hit homer lifted the Angels to a win over the Dodgers on Sunday night, delivered again in a pinch, one-hopping the left-center field wall for a double. Briceño beat out a slow roller to shortstop for a single, putting runners on first and third. Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, the flame-throwing right-hander who gave up two runs and six hits in five innings, striking out five and walking one, in his first start since June 8, was watching the game in the clubhouse with Goeddel when David Fletcher came to the plate with a chance to tie the score. He s gonna get a ground ball right here, Goeddel said he told Buehler after the television announcer made mention of how they blew a similar situation last Friday night. He threw a sinker, and he did. It was a hard ground ball, ripped by Fletcher but right to Muncy at third. Muncy fielded it and fired to Forsythe, whose throw to first pulled Cody Bellinger far off the bag. But Bellinger made a lunging backhanded grab and managed to swipe a tag on Fletcher to end the game. That was a huge play, a game-saver, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, relieved that he didn t have to tap any more of his bullpen. If that one goes awry and they score, things could get dicey. Muncy gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when he sent a full-count fastball from Angels starter Felix Pena into the right-center pavilion for a solo homer.

8 July 14, 2018 Page 8 of 18 He s a winning player, Roberts said of Muncy, who will participate in the home run derby next week. Whether it be with the bat or on defense, he s sort of in the middle of everything. Pena escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first when he got Taylor to ground into an inning-ending double play, and he blanked the Dodgers on two hits over the next three innings before departing after the fourth. Calhoun crushed a 96-mph fastball from Buehler over the center-field wall for a solo homer that tied the score 1-1 in the top of the third. The Angels went on to put runners on first and third with two outs, but Bellinger snuffed out the rally when he made a nice diving catch of Kinsler s check-swing line drive. Calhoun gave the Angels a 2-1 lead in the fifth when he lined an 88-mph changeup from Buehler over the wall in left-center. Got a couple of pitches to drive, and I put some good swings on them, said Calhoun, who is hitting.276 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 23 games since June 18. Fortunately, they left the yard. Jose Alvarez (fifth) and Hansel Robles (sixth) threw scoreless innings for the Angels before Bedrosian faltered in the seventh. A couple of mistakes, a few bad locations, and they made some good swings, said Bedrosian, who had given up one earned run in 181/3 innings of his previous 18 games before Friday. Left-hander Caleb Ferguson struck out three in two scoreless relief innings for the Dodgers before handing the ball to Goeddel and Alexander, who walked a tightrope in the ninth inning but managed to get the Dodgers home safely as they remained in first place in the NL West. Angels put Albert Pujols on the DL By Jeff Miller Albert Pujols two homers and three hits Thursday against Seattle became even more impressive a day later when the extent of what he s been dealing with was revealed. The future Hall of Famer received an injection of platelet-rich plasma in his left knee Friday and was placed on the 10-day disabled list. Manager Mike Scioscia said Pujols has been managing inflammation in the joint for weeks. Pujols has been rested periodically because of the swelling. He goes out there and he plays at 50 percent, Scioscia said. Maybe this will get him at a little higher percentage where it s not as taxing. Scioscia said the decision had been in the plans for some time. By doing it now, Pujols and the Angels can take advantage of the upcoming All-Star break, which means he ll miss only six games before returning July 23.

9 July 14, 2018 Page 9 of 18 He s been playing with it banged up for awhile and he s been very productive, Scioscia said. This is really to try to get him to a little higher level and get him more comfortable and maybe a little more durable. At age 38, Pujols entered Friday leading the Angels with 52 RBIs and was batting.304 with runners in scoring position. With Shohei Ohtani joining the Angels, Pujols has played 48 games at first base after playing there only 34 times the past two years combined. Scioscia said the Angels believe this plan will allow Pujols to continue playing defensively as much as possible after the break. We anticipate that he will be able to come back and play first base enough in the second half to make sure we can have a deeper lineup with Shohei s bat in there, Scioscia said. Skaggs not happy at All-Star snub Two pitchers were added as replacements to the American League All-Star team Friday and neither was Tyler Skaggs. Instead, Tampa Bay s Blake Snell and Houston s Charlie Morton will be going to Washington D.C., a place where Skaggs believes he belongs. I thought I had a good opportunity, the left-hander said. They decided to go somewhere else. I m not happy about it. Skaggs has been one of baseball s best pitchers, particularly in the past six weeks. Since June 3, he s 4-1 with a 0.95 ERA. He has missed two starts because of an adductor strain. Skaggs 2.57 ERA is tied for sixth in the AL. The six players ahead of or even with him all are All-Stars. It s very disappointing, Skaggs said. I feel like I ve thrown the ball pretty consistently the past month. I d say I ve been up there with the big boys, the guys who are consistently All-Stars. It s tough. He still could receive an invitation should another AL spot become available this weekend. Short hops The Angels signed veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa to a minor league contract. He ll report to the team s spring training complex in Tempe, Ariz. Tazawa, 32, was released this week by Detroit. Reliever Jim Johnson is scheduled to make his next rehabilitation appearance this weekend.

10 July 14, 2018 Page 10 of 18 FROM ANGELS.COM Angels lose lead after Calhoun homers twice Dodgers rally with 2-run 7 th to take Freeway Series opener By Maria Guardado ANAHEIM It had been a month since Cam Bedrosian had yielded an earned run, but the Dodgers brought that streak to an end on Friday, scoring twice in the seventh inning to rally for a 3-2 win over the Angels in the Freeway Series opener at Dodger Stadium. The Angels entered the seventh with a 2-1 lead after Kole Calhoun launched a pair of solo home runs off right-hander Walker Buehler, but Bedrosian fell into trouble after surrendering a leadoff single to pinchhitter Logan Forsythe and a double to Joc Pederson, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Max Muncy then tied it with an RBI single to right field. Calhoun fielded the ball and fired home, but his throw sailed over the head of catcher Jose Briceno, allowing Pederson to score the go-ahead run from third. With Joc on second, I felt like I had to hurry a little bit, and it turns out he wasn t even going, Calhoun said. It s just a throw that s got to be down. Just not executed by me. Bedrosian, who entered Friday with a 0.49 ERA in his previous 18 appearances, was charged with the loss after giving up two runs over one-third of an inning. He hadn t allowed an earned run since June 12, a stretch that spanned 12 2/3 innings. It looked like he had a little problem with his breaking ball, getting it where he wanted to, manager Mike Scioscia said. He wasn t that far off, but obviously, he missed some spots with some pitches. With closer Kenley Jansen unavailable, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts summoned left-hander Scott Alexander to protect his club s one-run lead in the ninth. The Angels made it interesting after pinchhitter Shohei Ohtani lined a double into the left-center-field gap to put the tying run on second with one out. Briceno kept the uprising alive by beating out a grounder to shortstop to put runners on the corners, but Alexander worked out of the jam by inducing a game-ending double play from David Fletcher. First baseman Cody Bellinger was forced to come off the bag to snag an errant throw from Forsythe, but he managed to tag Fletcher for the final out. Of the options we had, we were comfortable putting Shohei up in that situation, Scioscia said. We just scratched together, but they made a nice play to end the game. Calhoun accounted for both of the Angels runs with the fourth multi-homer game of his career, but rest of the lineup struggled to capitalize on several opportunities and finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

11 July 14, 2018 Page 11 of 18 Right-hander Felix Pena, a converted reliever, gave up one run on three hits over four innings in his fifth start of the season. He walked three, struck out five and threw 74 pitches. Pena warmed up to start the fifth inning, but Scioscia decided to replace him with left-hander Jose Alvarez after the Dodgers sent up lefty bat Chase Utley to pinch-hit for Buehler. Muncy, who is set to participate in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday at Nationals Park, put the Dodgers on the board in the first inning by blasting a 3-2 fastball from Pena to right-center field for his 22 nd home run of the season. The Dodgers continued to threaten after Kemp walked, Cody Bellinger doubled and Yasmani Grandal walked to load the bases with one out, but Pena escaped further damage by inducing a double play from Chris Taylor to end the inning. The Angels put runners on the corners with one out in the first inning after Andrelton Simmons and Mike Trout strung together back-to-back singles, but Buehler extricated himself from the jam by striking out Justin Upton and Luis Valbuena. In the third, Buehler misplaced a fastball to Calhoun, who deposited it 433 feet over the center-field fence to tie the game at 1. Two innings later, Calhoun tagged Buehler for another home run, blasting a changeup to left-center field to put the Angels ahead, 2-1. Calhoun is now batting.276 with seven home runs and 14 RBIs since returning from the disabled list on June 18. He had been batting just.145 prior to the injury. I got a couple pitches to drive and put some good swings on them, Calhoun said. Fortunately enough, they left the yard. It s been good since coming off the DL, and hopefully I just continue to go that way. It s nice to get in there and go and compete and help this ballclub. SOUND SMART Ohtani is now 6-for-36 (.167) with two doubles against left-handed pitchers this year. UP NEXT Left-hander Andrew Heaney (5-6, 3.84 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday as the Angels play the second of three Freeway Series games against the Dodgers at 4:15 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium. He ll be opposed by lefty Alex Wood (5-5, 3.88 ERA). Heaney earned the win in his last start against the Dodgers on Sunday after giving up three runs over seven innings at Angel Stadium. He is seeking his first road win since Sept. 2, 2015 at Oakland. Pujols goes on DL with left knee inflammation By Maria Guardado LOS ANGELES One day after homering twice to tie Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place on the all-time list with 630, Angels first baseman Albert Pujols landed on the 10-day disabled list with left knee inflammation. Manager Mike Scioscia said Friday that Pujols had been playing through knee trouble for a while, so the Angels decided to use the All-Star break to give the 38-year-old slugger an extended period of rest while

12 July 14, 2018 Page 12 of 18 only missing six games. Pujols also wouldn t have had the option to serve as the designated hitter this weekend, as the Angels will close out the first half with three games at Dodger Stadium. Scioscia said Pujols received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his ailing knee on Friday and is expected to return from the DL after the requisite 10 days. This guy is such a gamer, Scioscia said. He s been playing with it banged up for a while, and he s been very productive. This is really to try to get him to a little higher level, to make him more comfortable, maybe a little bit more durable on the knee, because he goes out there and plays at 50 percent. It s just to give him at a little higher percentage to where it s not at taxing. But he s going to play. There s no doubt about it. The way it s been for a while, he s played on it, he s played very well. We re very confident that this will help him. Pujols is batting.251 with a.723 OPS, 16 home runs and a team-high 52 RBIs this season. In an effort to free up at-bats for Shohei Ohtani at the DH spot, Pujols has shouldered a heavier workload at first base. He already has 48 starts at first this year, more than his previous two years combined (34). Pujols has dealt with several lower-body injuries since joining the Angels, though this marks his first DL stint since Albert at times is superhuman, Scioscia said. He s been dealing with a lot of things, and he s played and he s played well with it. This has been bothering him for a while, but he s managed to stay in the lineup, play first base a lot, manage to do things that were important for the club. Hopefully this will move him a little bit forward. The Angels recalled infielder Jose Fernandez from Triple-A Salt Lake to replace Pujols on the roster. Fernandez, a left-handed hitter, started at first base on Friday night against Dodgers righthander Walker Buehler in the Freeway Series opener. The Angels also optioned Michael Hermosillo and recalled outfielder Jabari Blash. Worth noting The Angels have signed Japanese right-handed reliever Junichi Tazawa to a Minor League deal. Tazawa, 32, was released by the Tigers earlier this week after posting a 9.39 ERA over 7 2/3 innings in nine appearances for Triple-A Toledo. He has a 4.16 career ERA in 379 Major League games. He s a guy that was really throwing the ball well a couple years ago, Scioscia said. If he can regain that, there s no doubt that he can be part of a good bullpen. Right-hander Nick Tropeano (shoulder inflammation) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits over four innings in his first rehab start for Class A Advanced Inland Empire on Friday. He walked one, struck out five and threw 71 pitches.

13 July 14, 2018 Page 13 of 18 FROM THE ATHLETIC The unfortunate truth behind Albert Pujols struggles this season By Fabian Ardaya LOS ANGELES Albert Pujols latest impressive feat, even in a career full of them, had its full magnitude masked to the naked eye unless you looked hard enough. Pujols has continued his slow climb up baseball s all-time leaderboards, slugging career home runs No. 629 and 630 in an 11-2 victory over the Mariners on Thursday to move him into a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth all-time. He finished the night with three hits, which at 3,055 for his career matches him with Rickey Henderson for 25th all-time. Take a deeper look and you ll see an unfortunate truth. Health has failed Pujols, particularly in his lower half, sapping him of much of his speed and quickness. His latest ailment a balky left knee has lingered for much of the season, each night requiring extensive maintenance just to get him on the field. It even required a platelet-rich plasma injection and finally landed him on the disabled list on Friday. The move was strategic. With three games in a National League park going into the All-Star break, Pujols can get a head start on resting and recharging. He could miss as few as six games, if all goes well. He goes out there and plays at 50 percent, maybe we can get him at a higher percentage where it s not as taxing, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. He s going to play. That s the way it s been for a while, and he s played very well. We re very confident that this will help him. Pujols who had arthroscopic knee surgery in 2012, a bout of plantar fasciitis in 2013 and surgery on the plantar fascia in his right foot in 2016 entered 2018 in better shape after his first full, healthy offseason in years. However, he has ended up carrying a heaver load than in previous seasons with the arrival of two-way star Shohei Ohtani, playing more first base (48 starts) than the previous two years combined. The reality is Pujols has not been healthy. His left knee has given him trouble for a while, forcing him to miss a few days last month in an attempt to recharge. This potential short stint on the disabled list could render a similar result. Albert, at times, is super human, Scioscia said. He s been dealing with a lot of things, and he s played well with them. This has been bothering him for a while, and he s really managed to stay in the lineup, play first base a lot, do things that are important for the club. Hopefully, this will improve moving forward. In Pujols and the Angels eyes, he has remained productive even in spite of this spat of injuries that have reduced him from his status as the game s most-feared right-handed hitter. He has been worth just 0.3 bwar in the three seasons since his last All-Star stint in 2015 and has hit at a.251/.291/.432 clip with 16 home runs, 52 RBI and a 99 OPS+ this season.

14 July 14, 2018 Page 14 of 18 That last figure would mark just his second below-average season as a big leaguer in terms of OPS+, but it also represents an improvement from his 81 OPS+ last season. The reason for the Angels confidence? He still contributes with runners on base (he s batting.304 with runners in scoring position), and he s still hitting the ball hard. Among Angels regulars, Pujols average exit velocity of 90.7 mph ranks third, trailing only Mike Trout and Justin Upton. Pujols has posted just a.309 weighted on-base average this season, but using xwoba a player s woba, factoring in quality of contact with Stat Cast data that figure increases to.368, thirdhighest on the team. Pujols flashed some of his old form in his hobbled performance on Thursday, driving a two-run shot to the opposite field in the first inning before matching Griffey s career mark with a majestic homer pulled to left field. For me, I ve been hitting the ball hard all year, Pujols said. I don t look at the numbers, but the coaches tell me I m still one of the top players in hard-hit balls. When I m good, that s what I do. I hit the ball with authority the other way, hit the ball and away. Is it tough to stay consistent with it all year long? Of course. I don t always feel good, but I keep working and hopefully I can continue to do that. Pujols is clearly not the Pujols of old, and with his struggles with his knee s health to date, is clearly not the player he still feels he is capable of being. The Angels are still tied to the 38-year-old in the long term, with $87 million still owed to him even beyond this season. His contract comes off the books in 2021 right as Trout hits free agency when the Angels window for real postseason contention with the game s best player could come to a close. How big of a role Pujols can play by then, and how healthy he will be able to maintain his body and level of play, remains to be seen. FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Muncy homers, singles in go-ahead run; Dodgers top Angels By Beth Harris LOS ANGELES (AP) Max Muncy tuned up for next week s Home Run Derby and the Los Angeles Dodgers kept a slim hold on their lead in the NL West standings. Muncy homered and drove in the tying run in the seventh inning, helping the Dodgers rally past the Angels 3-2 on Friday night in the resumption of the Freeway Series. The Angels took two out of three last week in Anaheim. The series is tied 2-2 with two games remaining.

15 July 14, 2018 Page 15 of 18 Muncy singled to deep right-center off Cam Bedrosian (3-2), scoring pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe and Joc Pederson to put the Dodgers ahead 3-2. Muncy took second on right fielder Kole Calhoun s throw that sailed over the head of catcher Jose Briceno. Bedrosian scrambled to the backstop, but he bobbled the ball and had no throw to the plate as Pederson scored. I got it kind of on my right side, I don t think I ever really got closed all the way, Calhoun said. Just kind of sailed that throw and with Joc on second I felt like I might have to hurry a little bit and turns out he wasn t even going. It s just a throw that s got to be down and just not executed by me. Caleb Ferguson (2-1) got the win with two perfect innings of relief with three strikeouts. Scott Alexander induced a double play to end the ninth for his first save. The Angels got the potential tying run on in the ninth when pinch-hitter Shohei Ohtani doubled with one out. Briceno beat out the throw from shortstop to put runners on the corners. David Fletcher grounded into a game-ending double play to third base. Second baseman Logan Forsythe s throw pulled first baseman Cody Bellinger off the bag and he barely tagged Fletcher before he got to the bag for the final out. Cody did a lot to help us win defensively, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. If that goes awry and they score it could get a little dicey. Muncy s team-leading 22nd home run in the first off starter Felix Pena gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Calhoun tied it with a homer leading off the third and put the Angels ahead 2-1 with another solo shot leading off the fifth. It s been good since coming off the DL and hopefully it just continues to keep going that way, Calhoun said. Mike Trout went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts for the Angels, who were without slugger Albert Pujols. He went on the disabled list earlier Friday. Pena gave up one run and three hits in four innings. He struck out five and walked three. Dodgers rookie Walker Buehler came off the disabled list to make his first start since June 8. He allowed two runs and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked one. Kind of a battle, one of those grinder games, Buehler said. I m still trying to find my rhythm. The velocity was still up and down a little. TRAINER S ROOM Angels: Pujols (left knee inflammation) went on the 10-day DL after having an injection in his knee. He s expected to miss six games.

16 July 14, 2018 Page 16 of 18 Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner (left hip) got treatment and was available to hit. He initially hurt it on a checked swing and it bothered him running Thursday at San Diego.... LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (left groin strain) threw a bullpen session and will have another one in a few days.... LHP Rich Hill threw a bullpen session and could be used in relief this weekend to stay sharp. He isn t dealing with any injuries.... LHP Julio Urias (left shoulder surgery rehab) has clocked 92 mph while throwing to hitters and is progressing well. UTLEY NEARING THE END Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley announced that he will retire at season s end to spend more time with his wife and two young sons. He had a pinch-hit single leading off the fifth. BIRTHDAY BOY Bellinger, who turned 23 on Friday, was 1 for 2 with two walks. TROUT AS FASHION STATEMENT Before the game, Bedrosian, Taylor Cole, Oliver Drake, Deck McGuire and Noe Ramirez wore shirts with an oversized version of Trout s face on the front while they were in the outfield. The shirts were a recent giveaway at Angel Stadium. UP NEXT LHP Andrew Heaney (5-6, 3.84 ERA) starts for the Angels, having allowed three runs over seven innings in his last start against the Dodgers last weekend. LHP Alex Wood (5-5, 3.88) goes for the Dodgers after not factoring in the decision against their rivals last Sunday. FROM BASEBALL ESSENTIAL What Does the Future Hold for Garrett Richards? By Steve Zavala As Los Angeles Angels pitcher Garrett Richards threw a 93-mph fastball out of the zone to Nelson Cruz on Tuesday, catcher Martin Maldonado noticed that something was off. Maldonado quickly signaled for a mound visit and glanced over to the dugout to garner the attention of Angels manager Mike Scioscia and trainer Adam Nevala. After a quick discussion, Richards walked off the mound for what turned out to be the last time this season and quite possibly his last as a member of the Angels. Richards announced on Thursday that he has elected to undergo Tommy John surgery. He was given the option by Angels GM Billy Eppler to go for a more conservative approach or to just go with the surgery. Richards is expected to miss the rest of this season and a large part of the 2019 season. There is an

17 July 14, 2018 Page 17 of 18 outside chance that he could pitch late in the 2019 season, but team officials are aiming for Richards to be ready to pitch for the 2020 season. Richards will become the eighth Angels pitcher since 2015 to have Tommy John surgery, joining Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, Keynan Middleton, J.C. Ramirez, John Lamb, and Blake Wood. Last year, the Angels and Richards discussed the possibility of Tommy John, but he opted instead for stemcell therapy in hopes of making a full recovery without having to undergo surgery. This is yet another major blow to an Angels team that has been decimated by injuries. In just under four months this season, the team has already had 21 players on the disabled list, which ranks in the top five in MLB this season. For the most part, the Angels have not had much luck with injuries to starters and relievers as it has forced the team to rely heavily on minor league call-ups and available players on the waiver market. Overall, the Angels have used 29 pitchers this season, which is the most among all teams. As they have done over the past couple of seasons, the Angels will now have to rely on some unsung heroes to save their season and push the team into a late run for a Wild Card berth in the American League. For Richards, this is just yet another chapter in the recurring theme of injuries in his career. The nagging issue of injuries has prevented him from truly reaching his full potential as a starting pitcher. The hope for him was to become the next great ace for the Angels. After the Angels drafted him in the first round of the 2009 draft, the team was patient and optimistic that he would turn into a generational starting pitcher. As Jered Weaver began to decline at a rapid pace, the Angels turned to Richards to be the long-term ace that would develop into a perennial All-Star and a consistent candidate for the Cy Young Award. But as seen over the years, his quality and potential was never on display on a consistent basis due to injuries. During the 2014 season when he was a Cy Young Award candidate, Richards was carted off the field at Fenway Park after an unfortunate leg injury that he suffered while trying to cover first base. In the past two seasons, Richards was able to make just 12 combined starts due to a nerve irritation in his biceps and the constant UCL injury issues. Even during his 15 starts this season, Richards did not look like his old self. At times, he was erratic with his command and struggled with his control when he needed to finish off an at-bat. Richards averaged 18.3 pitches per inning this season, the fourth-highest average in the big leagues. This is a main reason why Richards was only able to pitch at least six innings in four of his 16 starts this season. Richards fastball was suddenly not a pitch that opposing batters feared anymore. Opponents hit.287 against his fastball with a career low swing percentage of 41 percent. His sinker has been even worse opponents hit an astounding.365 against it, which is a significant turnaround considering Richards held batters to a solid.176 batting average last year. Even when healthy, Richards struggled to live up to the expectations as the Angels ace.

18 July 14, 2018 Page 18 of 18 Now Richards is at a crossroads in his career. He will be a free agent after this season and will now spend the next year rehabbing. But when he returns for spring training in 2020, there is no guarantee that the Angels or any other team will be aggressive in signing him a multi-year deal. From the Angels perspective, they might not need Richards services even if he is healthy and if the UCL injuries are not an issue anymore. The Angels will have Shohei Ohtani, Heaney, Skaggs, Jaime Barria, and Matt Shoemaker all under contract for at least the next three seasons. The Angels two most promising pitching prospects, Griffin Canning and Chris Rodriguez, will be sure to receive opportunities soon, and both pitchers have the potential to be long-term starters for the team. While a reunion with the Angels could be ruled out, several other teams will show interest but nothing is guaranteed. In this day and age in MLB, teams do not show much patience to injury-prone players and under-performers. Richards will be 31 by the time he fully recovers and will need to immediately prove that he is still capable of being a reliable starter while having a relatively healthy season. But ultimately, what matters the most is that he will receive an opportunity once again to show his true potential. Although he is not at the level of either of these pitchers, Richards should look to pitchers such as Patrick Corbin and Carlos Carrasco as motivation. Both pitchers elected for Tommy John surgery and not only were they able to successfully recover, but they each have gone on to produce All-Star type seasons. As Rich Hill has proved over the years, it is never too late for a turnaround in baseball. After he makes a full recovery, Richards will have opportunities to prove himself and to the teams across the league that his talent is much more than just potential.