Clips (May 25, 2016)

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1 May 25, 2016 Page 1 of 21 Clips (May 25, 2016)

2 May 25, 2016 Page 2 of 21 Today s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Johnny Giavotella an unusual choice for No. 5 spot in Angels lineup, but it could work FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 4) Final: Angels offense cools off in 4-1 loss to Rangers Despite better offensive numbers when he plays first base, Angels Albert Pujols says he s fine with more games at DH Angels lineups: Mike Trout to hit as DH as series resumes at Texas Tyler Skaggs not yet cleared to throw off mound On deck: Angels at Rangers, Wednesday, 11 a.m. Fryer: Angels looking ready to make a run in the weak AL West FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 12) Offense stalls vs. Rangers behind Chacin Trout in familiar spot atop WAR charts Trout, Santiago bring day-game prowess to Texas finale Tropeano continues to step up for Angels Pujols producing more at 1B than DH FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 16) Rangers youngsters Martin Perez, Nomar Mazara key 4-1 win over Angels FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 18) Angels-Rangers Preview FROM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUE (Page 20) Salt Lake Bees await Lincecum, but will he pitch in SLC?

3 May 25, 2016 Page 3 of 21 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Johnny Giavotella an unusual choice for No. 5 spot in Angels lineup, but it could work Bill Shaikin Albert Pujols hit 13 home runs last June. Johnny Giavotella has hit 10 home runs in his major league career. Yet there was Giavotella batting fifth for the Angels on Tuesday, the guy on deck when Pujols bats and opponents say, Pitch to a Hall of Famer with 569 career home runs, or pitch around him and go after the guy on deck? I wouldn t mind being that guy to come up behind him and do some damage, Giavotella said. If they walk him, I think they have a tough out in me. Giavotella entered play Tuesday riding a 12-game hitting streak. He was batting.279, including.359 over the previous 21 games. The Angels moved him into the No. 5 spot on Sunday. You want to have a guy swinging the bat well, first of all, behind Albert, Manager Mike Scioscia said. I think Johnny fits that bill. He puts the ball in play. He s hitting the ball very hard. Hopefully, he ll get some RBI opportunities. An unconventional lineup is not unusual for Scioscia. In the Angels World Series championship year of 2002, their comeback from a 6-14 start coincided with Scioscia's moving a similar linedrive hitter, Orlando Palmeiro, into the No. 3 spot in the lineup. I know that Scioscia likes to jumble the lineup every once in a while to get things going, Giavotella said. Is it a position I see myself lasting the whole season? Probably not. But, wherever I need to be to help the team out is where I m fine. It s pretty special once you think about it. It s quite an ascent for Giavotella, who hit.238 in parts of four seasons for Kansas City. The Royals traded him for a minor league pitcher who finished last season in the Mexican League, and Giavotella won a four-way battle for the Angels second-base job last year. Any time you get big league playing time, it s an opportunity in itself, whether it s four at-bats or 400, he said. You have to make the most of each opportunity you get. I m still proving myself to everyone, including myself. Ol 55

4 May 25, 2016 Page 4 of 21 Paul Sorrento, the Angels assistant hitting coach, is not sure what he ll ask oftim Lincecum in exchange for the right to wear No. 55. A dozen golf balls or something, Sorrento said. Sorrento said he plans to switch to No. 44, the number he wore proudly in his major league career, in honor of Reggie Jackson. Lincecum is expected to make his debut for triple-a Salt Lake next week and make at least two starts there before joining the Angels, perhaps as soon as June 12. For all the talk about whether the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner still can win in the major leagues, Sorrento remembered back to last May, when Lincecum pitched eight shutout innings for the San Francisco Giants against the Angels at AT&T Park. Lincecum made 15 starts last season; his earned-run average after the first 13 was He s only going to help our club, Sorrento said. If anything, he ll have guys competing in the starting rotation. He should be a welcome addition. Someone of his stature and experience can only help. Short hops The Angels, Dodgers, Giants and Oakland Athletics each won via shutout on Monday the first time that has ever happened, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Pitcher C.J. Wilson and infielder Cliff Pennington are scheduled to start minor league rehabilitation assignments Wednesday at Class-A Inland Empire. Pennington could be activated as soon as this weekend. The Angels assigned relievers A.J. Achter and Al Alburquerque to Salt Lake after each cleared waivers. FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Final: Angels offense cools off in 4-1 loss to Rangers By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER ARLINGTON, Texas The Angels offense that was teeming with potential for most of May was a rare sight Tuesday night. After scoring 102 runs in their first 21 games this month, fifth most in the major leagues, they brought in only one in their 22nd game, a 4-1 loss to the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park.

5 May 25, 2016 Page 5 of 21 That came in the eighth inning, when they were already trailing 3-0. Kole Calhoun reached on a hard-hit single to right field, Mike Trout followed with a double into the right-center field gap, then Calhoun scored onalbert Pujols groundout. The Angels struggled to produce all night, going 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. We ve been playing pretty well lately, Calhoun said. We re not going to hang our hat on just this one. That put a premium on pitching, and they were not perfect there. In his third start since being acquired in a trade with Atlanta, Jhoulys Chacin threw a seasonhigh 96 pitches, but only 52 for strikes. He struck out four and walked two in six innings. Chacin (0-1) made it through the first three innings unscathed, a fact he later called weird. I had trouble getting ahead of the count, Chacin said. Then after the third inning, I started settling down and getting ahead more, but that s when I gave up the runs. In the fourth, Elvus Andrus turned on his first pitch, an 87-mph cutter, and lined it down the third-base line for a one-out, RBI double. But when he got behind in the count later, it cost him. An 84 mph changeup in the sixth stayed up, and Nomar Mazara took the 2-and-0 offering and deposited it 422 feet away, into the upper deck in right field, for a two-run home run. Maybe I didn t throw it with a lot of conviction, Chacin said. He wanted it to sink. It did not. The right-hander has allowed seven runs in his last two starts, pushing his ERA to But Chacin got little run support from an offense that has scored three runs through the first 18 innings of this three-game series. Even with five position players on the DL, the Angels have been productive at the plate. It s pretty much the same group of guys we had in spring training, Calhoun said. We know what the other guys bring to the table. They re all ballplayers. They re all going to go out and play hard and they ve been playing well lately. They had trouble against the Rangers left-handed starter Martin Perez (2-4), who threw six scoreless innings Tuesday and has a 2.25 ERA in six career starts against the Angels.

6 May 25, 2016 Page 6 of 21 That s one of the best I ve seen him, Calhoun said. Perez s fastball averaged 95 mph and hit 97. That s the firmest we ve seen him, Scioscia said. He was throwing the ball hard. They had chances late. The leadoff batter reached base to start the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Their best chance might have been in the sixth after Shane Robinson and Yunel Escobar hit a pair of singles to put runners at the corners with no outs for Kole Calhoun. Calhoun grounded out to Rangers first baseman. Robinson ran on contact toward home and Moreland s throw got there in time. Perez then struck out Trout and walked Pujols to load the bases. The 25-year-old Perez gestured empathically after finishing the 31-pitch inning with a strikeout of Johnny Giavotella, who went 0 for 4 and had a 12-game hitting streak snapped. You hope first and third, nobody out, at least you re coming out of that inning tied in the ballgame, Scioscia said. He made some pitches, and they made some plays on the defensive side. He got in a jam there and made his pitches, Calhoun said. Perez was winless for the month despite a 2.59 ERA in four starts coming in, and the lefthander dropped that number to Despite better offensive numbers when he plays first base, Angels Albert Pujols says he s fine with more games at DH By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER ARLINGTON, Texas Albert Pujols shrugged off the question, but the numbers, at least through the first eight-plus weeks of this season, remain rather clear. He hits better when he plays first base, as he did here Monday when he drove a two-run home run to left field to offer all the offense in a 2-0 victory over the Texas Rangers. Pujols started at first base for the second straight game Tuesday night. In his first 48 at-bats while in the lineup at first base, Pujols had a.313 batting average,.400 on-base percentage and.604 slugging percentage.

7 May 25, 2016 Page 7 of 21 As the designated hitter, those numbers are a.195 batting average,.270 on-base percentage and.333 slugging percentage over 123 at-bats. It doesn t make any difference for me, Pujols said. I still have to prepare myself. I don t get caught up in those numbers. For most of the 36-year-old slugger s career, he has been in the lineup as the first baseman. But since singing with the Angels, he has increasingly spent more time as the designated hitter as a way to keep him healthy while under contract through He underwent foot surgery last winter. This season, he is on track to start more games at designated hitter than in the field for the first time in his career. He started a career-high 62 games as the DH last season. When he plays first base, it s like he s in a baseball game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. He s definitely more comfortable. But Scioscia cautioned against using Pujols too frequently there. Eventually, I think with Albert, if he pushes too much at first base, no matter how comfortable he feels, he might not be as strong in the batter s box as he needs to be, he added. Pujols said he is fine with that. It s not about me, he said. It s about our ball club. Whatever I can do to help our ball club. SKAGGS NOT THROWING Tyler Skaggs was cleared to begin throwing last week, but he has not yet thrown off a mound, Scioscia said Tuesday. The 24-year-old left-hander started the season at Triple-A Salt Lake as part of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, but that was stalled due to a bout with biceps tendinitis. It s frustrating for Tyler, Scioscia said, but he understands there s a rehab process. It has been more than a month since Skaggs last pitched in a game. That was April 20 when he went 67 pitches over 32/3 innings at Fresno. He began building up his innings late in spring training, and was planning to see an uptick in innings before the setback.

8 May 25, 2016 Page 8 of 21 I don t know if we re knocked back to ground zero, but there s no doubt, Scioscia said, when asked if Skaggs throwing program would have to be reset. He was ready to take that four- to five-inning jump, and he s going to have to start slower obviously. Before he was sidelined in 2014, Skaggs was 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 30 walks in 18 starts with the Angels. ALSO Shortstop Andrelton Simmons, out until at least late June after thumb surgery, started baseball activities this week, including swinging off a tee, taking ground balls, throwing and running. It s baby steps right now, to lengthen out the time so he can go at a slower pace with some things, Scioscia said. He s still weeks away. Infielder Cliff Pennington (hamstring) is scheduled for a minor league rehab assignment Thursday. He is eligible to be activated from the disabled list Saturday. Right-handed relievers AJ Achter and Al Alburquerque cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. Angels lineups: Mike Trout to hit as DH as series resumes at Texas By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mike Trout was in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers as the designated hitter, getting a day off from playing in center field. Trout has been in the starting lineup for all 45 games this season. This is the second time he will be the Angels' DH, a role he took for a win over Kansas City last month. Last season, he started 159 of the Angels' 162 games, a career high. Kole Calhoun, who had an off-day on Monday, was back in the lineup.c.j. Cron was not in the lineup with Trout as the DH and Albert Pujols at first base. Tonight's lineups: ANGELS (21-24) 3B Yunel Escobar RF Kole Calhoun DH Mike Trout 1B Albert Pujols 2B Johnny Giavotella C Carlos Perez SS Gregorio Petit LF Rafael Ortega

9 May 25, 2016 Page 9 of 21 CF Shane Robinson SP Jhoulys Chacin (0-0, 4.76 ERA) RANGERS (25-20) 2B Roughned Odor CF Ian Desmond DH Prince Fielder 3B Adrian Beltre RF Nomar Mazara SS Elvis Andrus 1B Mike Moreland LF Jared Hoying C Bryan Holaday SP Martin Perez (1-4, 3.48) Tyler Skaggs not yet cleared to throw off mound By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER ARLINGTON, Texas Tyler Skaggs was cleared to begin throwing last week, but has not yet thrown off a mound, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Tuesday. The 24-year-old left-hander started the season at Triple-A Salt Lake as part of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, but that was stalled due to a bout with biceps tendinitis. It s frustrating for Tyler, Scioscia said, but he understands there s a rehab process. It has been more than a month since Skaggs last pitched in a game. That was April 20 when he went 67 pitches over 3 2/3 innings at Fresno. He began his innings build up late in spring training, and before the setback, was planning to see an uptick in innings. That would no longer be the case. I don t know if we re knocked back to ground zero, but there s no doubt, Scioscia said, when asked if Skaggs throwing program would have to be reset. He was ready to take that four-tofive inning jump, and he s going to have to start slower obviously. Before he was sidelined in 2014, Skaggs was 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA, 86 strikeouts and 30 walks in 18 starts with the Angels.

10 May 25, 2016 Page 10 of 21 ALSO Shortstop Andrelton Simmons, out until at least late June after thumb surgery, started baseball-related activities this week, including swinging off a tee, taking ground balls, throwing and running. It s baby steps right now, to lengthen out the time so he can go at a slower pace with some things, Scioscia said. He s still weeks away. Infielder Cliff Pennington (hamstring) is scheduled for a minor-league rehab assignment for Thursday. He is eligible to be activated from the disabled list on Saturday. Right-handed relievers AJ Achter and Al Alburquerque cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake. On deck: Angels at Rangers, Wednesday, 11 a.m. By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER Where: Globe Life Park, Arlington, Texas TV: FSW, 11 a.m. Did you know? The Angels 444 wins all-time against the Texas Rangers are their most against any team. THE PITCHERS ANGELS LHP HECTOR SANTIAGO (3-2, 3.93) Vs. Rangers: 6-3, 3.54 At Globe Life Park: 5-1, 2.63 Hates to face: Rougned Odor, 10 for 21 (.476) Loves to face: Elvis Andrus, 5 for 31 (.161) RANGERS RHP COLBY LEWIS (3-0, 2.75) Vs. Angels: 7-11, 6.08 At Globe Life Park: 34-28, 5.05 Hates to face: Mike Trout, 13 for 33 (.394) Loves to face: Yunel Escobar, 4 for 18 (.222) UPCOMING MATCHUP Friday Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker (2-5, 6.81) vs. Astros RHP Mike Fiers (3-2, 4.35), 7 p.m., FSW

11 May 25, 2016 Page 11 of 21 Fryer: Angels looking ready to make a run in the weak AL West By STEVE FRYER / STAFF COLUMNIST What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here... All of a sudden, things are looking up for the Angels. The team is creeping up on.500, Albert Pujols is smacking the ball with increasing regularity, Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun are consistently contributing wherever they can, and the pitching staff is about to get deeper and healthier. The Tim Lincecum signing might work out, when he starts pitching for the Angels in mid- June. Starting pitcher C.J. Wilson and closer Huston Street are making progress with their injury rehabs. Gregorio Petit has been a nice surprise at shortstop since Andrelton Simmons thumb injury, and the team is averaging a satisfactory five runs a game in May. Oh, and the rest of the division is weak. That helps, too. Suddenly, it looks like this team can put together good months in June and July and be American League West contenders in August and September. Everyone has noticed his fine hitting of late, but Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella s defense has improved, too, and MLB.com this week published a story on that. Giavoltella committed only one error in his first 124 chances and has made some spectacular plays here and there. He s no Bobby Grich or Knoop at second base, but he s starting to resemble Sandy Alomar, Johnny Ray and Jerry Remy. As long as Pujols is hitting home runs and he s on pace to hit 33 and driving in runs, don t worry about his batting average. Of course, you and I are not paying him $25 million this season. Of course, you and I would not turn down $25 million. As for on pace to Mike Trout in on pace to post an 11 wins above replacement, which is a statistic for measuring a player s total contributions to his team. Sabremetic folks consider it a very important number. An 11 would be the highest of Trout s already spectacular career. Pujols is 36. Just looking around at other all-time greats and what they did at age 36, one of the more impressive 36-year-old seasons was Hank Aaron s in Aaron batted.298 with 38 home runs and 118 RBI in 70 and he hit.327 with 47 homers and 118 RBI the following season.

12 May 25, 2016 Page 12 of 21 FROM ANGELS.COM Offense stalls vs. Rangers behind Chacin By Alden Gonzalez and Ryan Posner / MLB.com ARLINGTON -- Martin Perez threw six scoreless innings and Nomar Mazara belted a two-run home run as the Rangers beat the Angels, 4-1, Tuesday night at Globe Life Park, evening the three-game series. Perez recorded his first win in May, despite a 2.59 ERA in his previous four starts of the month. He entered the game receiving an average of 2.10 runs per start, the lowest in the American League. The left-hander struck out six, walked two and allowed five hits in six innings of work. "It was good to get a win," Perez said. "The team, too. Everybody did a good job. I got some runs but I still have to do my job and keep the game close. Good job by everybody." Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, making his third start for the Angels since being acquired from the Braves on May 11, worked six innings and allowed three runs on five hits, while striking out four. Johnny Giavotella's career-high 12-game hitting streak ended, as he struck out twice in an 0-for-4 effort. Perez has held the Angels to 10 runs in 40 innings throughout his career, good for a 2.25 ERA. "That's the firmest we've seen him," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He threw the ball hard, used his changeup well, and he was throwing strikes early on. He got away from it a little bit in the sixth inning, but he pitched a strong game for those guys." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Perez escapes trouble in sixth: Shane Robinson and Yunel Escobar opened the inning with singles for the Angels, with Robinson moving to third on Escobar's hit, putting runners at first and third with nobody out and the middle of the order due up. Perez got Kole Calhoun to ground to Mitch Moreland, who threw out Robinson at home. Perez then struck out Mike Trout looking. After a walk to Albert Pujols to load the bases, he struck out Giavotella on a 95- mph fastball to end the inning. Left stranded: That sixth inning marked the third straight frame in which the Angels got the leadoff man on and could not score him. Carlos Perez led off the fifth and seventh by reaching base, but the bottom third of the Angels' lineup -- shorthanded with injuries to Andrelton Simmons and Daniel Nava, and without C.J. Cron for the night -- didn't bring him in. The Angels have managed only three runs despite 16 hits in 18 innings this series.

13 May 25, 2016 Page 13 of 21 "We had some chances, but Perez threw the ball, man," Calhoun said. "That's one of the best I've seen him. Hats off to him. He made pitches when he had to. He got in a jam there in the sixth inning and made his pitches." Mazara hits blast at home: Mazara hit his first career home run at Globe Life Park, a two-run shot in the sixth inning that landed in the upper deck in right field. It was Mazara's seventh home run of the season. It traveled an estimated 422 feet and was 104 mph off the bat, according to Statcast. Chacin gave it up on a 2-0 changeup. "Nomar is a guy that we've seen that stays calm in the box, and when he gets a quality pitch to hit, he finds the barrel," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "There's a lot of energy in that dugout and the guys feed off each other." Gotcha: The Rangers tacked on an additional run in the eighth by baiting catcher Carlos Perez into an unwarranted throw. Mazara, who singled to put runners on the corners with two outs, faked an attempt to steal, prompting Perez to quickly fire to second and allowing Ian Desmond to easily score from third. The play ended Cam Bedrosian's streak of 14 consecutive appearances (12 1/3 innings) without allowing an earned run. "They timed it really well," Scioscia said. "Good job on the delay by Maz," Desmond added. "That was big, to get that run. Well executed by him. It made it easy for me, I didn't even draw a throw." QUOTABLE "It felt good for the fans to see me hit a home run. We have the best fans." -- Mazara SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS It was the first time this season that the Rangers won without getting a hit with runners in scoring position. They are 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position this series. WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Left-hander Hector Santiago will start the series finale for the Angels at 11:05 a.m. PT Wednesday. He is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in two daytime starts this year. Rangers: Right-hander Colby Lewis gets the start for Texas at 1:05 p.m. CT Wednesday. He is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA through four starts in May.

14 May 25, 2016 Page 14 of 21 Trout in familiar spot atop WAR charts Angels star continues to thrive in two-strike situations By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com ARLINGTON -- Baseball's 2016 season is more than a quarter old. And while Trevor Story, Bryce Harper and David Ortiz have traded places grabbing the national attention over the first seven weeks, Mike Trout is the one who once again leads position players in Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs. It is a rite of spring. "I really believe that every year, every game, every day, he is looking to be better," Angels bench coach Dino Ebel said. "There's never a day, for me, that goes by and he's like, 'Hey, I'm Mike Trout. I'm just showing up and playing tonight.' No. It's, 'I have to do something today to help my team win; I have to get better in this category.' That's who he is. That's what I'm seeing." Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for Trout and other #ASGWorthy players Trout's 3.1 fwar on Tuesday trailed only Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, with a score of 3.8. Trout is on pace for an 11.2 mark that would represent a career high. The 24-year-old center fielder began the season with five hits in his first 27 at-bats, and has since posted a OPS over a 37-game stretch. He began Tuesday's game with a.325 batting average, sporting an American League-best.413 on-base percentage and slugging.568. He's on pace for 36 home runs, 112 RBIs and 18 stolen bases, and he sports an otherworldly OPS on 0-2 counts -- nearly three times greater than the Major League average in those situations. "I'm just comfortable hitting there," Trout said of facing two-strike counts. "I don't mind it. I do it a lot." Since his first full season in 2012, Trout has registered 1,594 plate appearances with two-strike counts, by far the most in the Major Leagues. Hitting with two strikes is extremely difficult in the Major Leagues, even for someone like Trout. But his OPS has increased in that situation each of the last four years, from.676 to.729 to.746 to, this year,.849. Asked what sticks out about Trout this season, Ebel, who has been coaching Angels outfielders for the past 11 years, noted Trout's calmness, saying he's "more ready for the moment, where maybe earlier in his career he was a little antsy." It's evident on two-strike counts.

15 May 25, 2016 Page 15 of 21 "I'm just trying to get a pitch, not try to do too much with it," said Trout, who has led AL position players in fwar each of the last four years. "It calms me down a little bit. Just try to make good contact as opposed to swinging so hard." Worth noting Right-handed relievers Al Alburquerque and A.J. Achter each cleared waivers and accepted an outright to Triple-A, allowing the Angels to preserve some bullpen depth. Alburquerque and Achter were both designated for assignment over the weekend. Andrelton Simmons, who underwent surgery on his left thumb May 10, has been swinging off a tee, fielding grounders and playing catch in Arizona. But Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Simmons is "still weeks away" from being activated off the disabled list. Diminutive second baseman Johnny Giavotella, listed at 5-foot-8, batted fifth for the third straight day on Tuesday. With others struggling, Scioscia wants someone batting behind Albert Pujols who can put the ball in play. Giavotella entered riding a 12-game hitting streak. Utility man Cliff Pennington (left hamstring) will play for Class A Advanced Inland Empire on Wednesday and Thursday, with hopes of being activated by Saturday. The Angels would then have to choose between keeping Gregorio Petit orbrendan Ryan on the roster. The Angels announced a multiyear partnership with The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, making them the sole coffee provider at Angel Stadium. Their products will be available at all concession stands. Starting Friday, extra-inning games at Angel Stadium will give fans a free next-day iced or hot regular coffee at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf locations throughout Southern California if they bring a ticket stub. Trout, Santiago bring day-game prowess to Texas finale By Ryan Posner / MLB.com Mike Trout has been a menace to opposing pitchers again this season, but the Angels center fielder has been an especially tough out during day games, leading the American League with a.419 average in those games. Rangers right-hander Colby Lewis will be tasked with slowing down Trout on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series in Arlington. Lewis has gone exactly seven innings in his last five starts and is 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA through four starts in May. In his last outing, he escaped an injury scare after taking a line drive to the head.

16 May 25, 2016 Page 16 of 21 "I feel good, probably as good as I've felt since when I first came up in Japan," Lewis said. "Maybe not throwing as hard, but a little more crafty." Opposing Lewis will be left-hander Hector Santiago, who is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances at Globe Life Park in his career. Santiago's start last Friday against the Orioles was cut short at eight pitches after he was ejected by home-plate umpire John Trumpane. Things to know about this game Lewis is 7-11 with a 6.08 ERA in 23 starts and two relief appearances against the Angels. Like Trout, Santiago also has found more success during the day, with a 2.03 ERA in those games compared to a 4.58 ERA at night. His day ERA is seventh-best in the AL. Trout has four career home runs off Lewis, tied with retired outfielder Josh Willingham for the most off Lewis by any opponent. FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Rangers youngsters Martin Perez, Nomar Mazara key 4-1 win over Angels ARLINGTON, Texas -- Martin Perez pumped his fist and shouted -- and the Texas left-hander kept on hollering as he came off the mound when he escaped a sixth-inning jam against the Los Angeles Angels. Part of the reason for the excitement was that the 25-year-old kept calm even with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols coming to the plate in a one-run game. Perez finally got a win after another strong May start and rookie Nomar Mazara homered in his home park for the first time, leading the Rangers to a 4-1 victory Tuesday night. "It was probably as calm as we've seen him in those type of situations all year long," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "Early on in the season, those type of situations he let speed up on him and seemed to get out of control and would lose the strike zone." Perez (2-4) was winless for the month despite a 2.59 ERA in four starts coming in, and he dropped that number to 2.08 with six strikeouts in six shutout innings.

17 May 25, 2016 Page 17 of 21 Run support for Perez has been among the worst in the majors. But Mazara's seventh homer was a two-run shot into the upper deck in right field off Jhoulys Chacin (0-1) for a 3-0 lead in the sixth right after Perez escaped after putting runners on first and third with no outs. "He's been pitching great, just, we couldn't score runs," said the 21-year-old Mazara, who had his third three-hit game and reached base all four times. "But today we finally did, so pretty good for him." After Shane Robinson was thrown out at home trying to score on a hard grounder to Mitch Moreland at first base, Perez struck out Trout looking and walked Pujols to load the bases. Perez finished the 31-pitch inning with a strikeout of Johnny Giavotella, who had a career-best 12-game hitting streak snapped. Perez has six quality starts in six appearances against the Angels. "You hope first and third, nobody out, at least you're coming out of that inning tied in the ballgame," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He made some pitches, and they made some plays on the defensive side." The Rangers lost the shutout bid when 30-year-old rookie reliever Matt Bush gave up his first run in his sixth outing on a run-scoring groundout by Pujols in the eighth. Sam Dyson struck out two in a perfect ninth for his third save in three chances since becoming the closer and fifth overall this season. WAITING FOR WORD Rougned Odor went 0 for 4 in the leadoff spot for Texas on the day his appeal was heard in New York for an eight-game suspension for punching Toronto slugger Jose Bautista during a brawl on May 15. SHORT HOPS Texas' Ian Desmond, who had three hits, has multiple hits in 10 of his last 14 games.... Elvis Andrus extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a fourth-inning double that scored Mazara. TRAINER'S ROOM Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson (left shoulder inflammation) and 2B Cliff Pennington (strained left hamstring) will start rehab assignments with Class A Inland Empire on Wednesday. Wilson hasn't pitched this season, and Pennington has been on the disabled list since May 13.

18 May 25, 2016 Page 18 of 21 Rangers: Pitching coach Doug Brocail anticipates RHP Yu Darvish having a pitch limit around 90 for his first major league start Saturday since elbow surgery last year. That limit is similar to his final rehab appearance. Darvish last pitched in the majors on Aug. 9, UP NEXT Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (3-2, 3.93 ERA) makes his first start since getting ejected in the third inning of a 9-4 loss to Baltimore on Friday for gesturing toward plate umpire John Tumpane. Santiago, who was upset over balls and strikes, had already given up three home runs. Rangers: RHP Colby Lewis (3-0, 2.75) has allowed four earned runs in 21 innings (1.71 ERA) over his last three starts with 17 strikeouts and one walk. He got his 100th career win in the majors and Japan combined with a 2-1 victory over Houston on Friday. He has pitched at least seven innings in a career-high five straight starts. FROM FOX SPORTS Angels-Rangers Preview The Texas Rangers' starting rotation has been the best in the AL, and the consistency of Colby Lewis is paving the way. The veteran will look to continue that success Wednesday in the conclusion of a three-game series with the visiting Los Angeles Angels. The Rangers lead the AL with a 3.29 ERA that is third in baseball behind the Chicago Cubs and Washington. Lewis (3-0, 2.75 ERA) has gone at seven innings in five straight starts and made it through six in all nine of his outings while allowing four runs once. He might be coming off the best outing of the bunch after giving up four hits without a walk in seven scoreless innings of Friday's 2-1 win in Houston. "He does a really good job of pounding the strike zone," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "There's a lot of first-pitch strikes, he can throw a couple of different styles of breaking balls and never really makes a mistakes against us. We just couldn't generate any offense against him." The first of those seven-inning starts was his second win of the year and it came in a 4-2 home final against the Angels on April 29. Lewis allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings for his

19 May 25, 2016 Page 19 of 21 best outing of a dismal stretch in the series that dates to the start of In his last 11 starts in the series, the right-hander is 3-7 with an 8.28 ERA. In that time, Johnny Giavotella (5 for 11), Mike Trout (12 for 28 with four home runs, a triple and a double), Kole Calhoun (12 for 31 with a home run, triple and two doubles) and Albert Pujols (9 for 27 with three home runs and a double) have all pounded him. Lewis faces Hector Santiago, who followed his best outing of the season with his worst. Santiago (3-2, 3.93) limited Seattle to two hits in eight innings of a 3-0 win on May 15, then gave up four runs and four hits with three home runs and three walks in 2 2/3 innings of Friday's 9-4 home loss to Baltimore. The left-hander emerged with a no-decision after being ejected for apparently arguing balls and strikes on a few close pitches didn't go his way. He maintained that wasn't his intent. "Our bullpen was backing us, but it (was wrong) on my part for reacting in that situation, but I don't think it should have escalated that fast and I don't think I did something to get ejected," Santiago said. "I could have held my peace a little more, but I don't think I did anything to get myself ejected right there." Santiago is 6-3 with a 3.64 ERA in 15 career starts against the Rangers, though he's given up seven runs in 11 2/3 innings of two outings this season. Rougned Odor has hit him best at 10 for 21 with a home run and three doubles, but Elvis Andrus is 5 for 31. The Rangers (26-20) opened the series with Tuesday's 4-1 win as Nomar Mazara went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer to get to 9 for 23 with three home runs and six RBIs in his last six games. Ian Desmond remained hot with a 3-for-4 night and is 7 for 13 in his last three games. The Angels (21-25) are in danger of going a sixth straight series against Texas without a series win.

20 May 25, 2016 Page 20 of 21 FROM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Salt Lake Bees await Lincecum, but will he pitch in SLC? By Steve Luhm After former Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum signed with the Angels and it appeared his comeback from hip surgery would result in a handful of starts for PCL affiliate Salt Lake, the telephone rang in the Bees' ticket office. A member of the sales staff answered and spoke to someone in San Francisco obviously a Lincecum fan after those overpowering days with the Giants. The caller inquired about buying two season tickets because, he'd heard, Linecum would be soon be pitching at Smith's Ballpark and there wasn't any way he would miss it. The Bees' employee dutifully told the fan that nothing had been set in stone. At the time, there was no guarantee Lincecum would be assigned to Salt Lake or, if he was, how long he'd pitch for the Angels' top minor-league team. It didn't matter. The fan from San Francisco wanted the two best seats available, just in case Linecum EVER pitched in Salt Lake. "That's a pretty incredible Giants fan," Bees general manager Marc Amicone said. Problem? The Bees leave next Tuesday on a 12-game, 13-day road trip to Tacoma, Reno and Fresno. If current projections of Lincecum's schedule are accurate, he will make his debut with Salt Lake on June 2 at Tacoma. He would probably pitch again on June 7 at Reno. A third start, if deemed necessary, would likely occur on June 12 at Fresno. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Lincecum would make at least two starts with the Bees before joining the Angels. If he does pitch only twice in Triple-A, Lincecum will almost certainly be gone to the parent club by the time the Bees return home for a game against Tacoma on June 13. "We haven't heard anything about when he'd be ready," Amicone said. "It would be pretty exciting if we got him here. There is definitely a star quality about him. But that's part of the chair we sit in.

21 May 25, 2016 Page 21 of 21 "At our level, we get players like that sometimes. But sometimes we get them at home and sometimes we get them on the road especially pitchers because they don't play every day." Lincecum, who turns 32 on June 15, is scheduled to throw a simulated game in Arizona on Saturday. If all goes well, he will join the Bees. Lincecum did not pitch during the final three months of last season. He underwent the surgery on his hip in September with the hope of jump-starting his career. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Angels on Friday. If he meets incentives for starts and days spent on the active roster, he can earn another $1 million.