Clips (May 29, 2016)

Transcription

1 May 29, 2016 Page 1 of 28 Clips (May 29, 2016)

2 May 29, 2016 Page 2 of 28 Today s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Angels shut down C.J. Wilson again, this time because of biceps tendinitis It s not exactly a command performance by Jered Weaver in another Angels loss Once short on arms, Angels are about to have a glut of starting pitchers His velocity may be down, but Tim Lincecum is on fast track to return to big leagues with Angels FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 9) Astros Dallas Keuchel reverts to Cy Young form against Angels Final: Angels fall to reigning Cy Young Dallas Keuchel, Astros Angels Notes: Tim Lincecum passes a test with extended spring outing Mike Scioscia upset with recent streak of Angels ejections Rehabbing C.J. Wilson shut down after being diagnosed with biceps tendinitis Miller: Sometimes a fan deserves fanfare On deck: Astros at Angels, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., FSW FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 18) Trout joins elite company with 150 th homer Wilson shut down with left biceps tendinitis Halos bats silenced after Trout, Pujols blasts Escobar ejected after arguing strike call Lincecum progresses, set for Minors start Tropeano takes on former team in rubber game Angels host local Pitch, Hit & Run competition FROM THE ASSSOCIATED PRESS (Page 25) Keuchel finishes strong to end skid; Astros beat Angels 4-2 FROM YAHOO SPORTS (Page 26) Astros-Angels Preview FROM CBS SPORTS (Page 28) Angels Jered Weaver: Struggles with control and long ball again Angels C.J. Wilson: To make rehab start at Triple-A Monday

3 May 29, 2016 Page 3 of 28 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Angels shut down C.J. Wilson again, this time because of biceps tendinitis Zach Helfand Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson made his second rehab start on Wednesday, and all seemed to be going well. He threw 56 pitches through more than four innings. On Saturday afternoon, Manager Mike Scioscia said Wilson was scheduled to start again on Monday. Some time between then and Saturday night, something didn t feel right. Wilson was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. His Monday start has been scratched. The Angels are shutting him down until he undergoes more testing next week. Wilson has now gone 10 months between appearances in the majors. In that span, he has sustained injuries to much of his throwing arm. His last start was on July 28, when he gave up six runs in four innings to the Houston Astros. After that outing, Wilson hit the disabled list. His left elbow had lost much of its range of motion. Later, while demonstrating before reporters, he could not fully bend nor fully straighten his arm. He underwent surgery at the end of August and expected to return fully recovered in Then, at the beginning of spring training, Wilson was shut down again with shoulder inflammation. He d been working his way back from that injury when he sustained this latest setback. He was slated to start at triple-a Salt Lake City, and was expected to be available to rejoin the Angels rotation some time in June. It s not exactly a command performance by Jered Weaver in another Angels loss Zach Helfand Like many hitters of his generation, Astros shortstop Carlos Correa alters his pregame routine to prepare for the powerful young arms that populate the game. To simulate high speeds, Correa often takes batting practice in the cage from up close, at 50 feet.

4 May 29, 2016 Page 4 of 28 He did not Saturday. On the mound for the Angels was Jered Weaver. Weaver, diminished by nagging injuries and nagged by a diminished fastball, has instead relied on deception and smarts. It is thin line to walk. His fastball, which hovers around 83 mph, makes dominating nearly impossible and leaves little room for error. But he has also become a routine-obliterator, an asterisk on opposing schedules. The Astros, for example, had to decide how best to simulate Weaver s tricky offerings. Manager A.J. Hinch had to bench left fielder Colby Rasmus, who actually struggles against slower pitches. And for a while, the Astros were fooled. But Weaver s mistake pitches are punished with regularity. In the sixth inning, his mistake pitch was an 82-mph sinker on a 1-2 count. Jason Castro timed it, and blasted it over right-centerfield wall. It was the difference in a 4-2 Angels loss, their third defeat in four games. Saturday s game offered a matchup of decorated pitchers who have encountered tough times. Before the game Angels Manager Mike Scioscia sat in the home dugout, as he has for 17 seasons. He is the longest tenured manager in the majors, and he has seen many players come and go. What any player in this game has done a month ago or a year ago evaporates very quickly, he said. Saturday s lineup cards offered proof. Starting opposite Weaver: Dallas Keuchel, last year s American League Cy Young Award winner, now grinding through a season even worse than Weaver s. Each has been reminded of how quickly fortunes can change on the mound. And each is looking to resurrect, or salvage, his season. Weaver yielded first, on a run-scoring groundout by Correa in the first inning. The Angels countered with back-to-back home runs from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. It was Trout s 150th career home run. He is 24 years old. After that inning, Keuchel settled down. The Angels managed only one more baserunner against him. The Astros tied the score in the fifth inning, on Jose Altuve s sacrifice fly, before Castro shattered the stalemate.

5 May 29, 2016 Page 5 of 28 For Keuchel, who has endured what Hinch described as a roller-coaster year, it was his best start since April 15. His return to form could jolt the Astros from their malaise. Currently, they re tied for last in the American League West with the Oakland Athletics. Keuchel, who went seven innings, outdueled Weaver (4-4), who lasted six innings, allowing six hits, four walks and a hit batter. Keuchel allowed only three hits and walked none in improving to 3-6 with a 5.58 ERA.. The game illustrated Weaver s challenge: To win with his stuff, his pitch selection and command must be near perfect. He thrives on teasing you with different velocities and slower-than-slow breaking balls and an occasional changeup, Hinch said. It s a cat-and-mouse game. It was a game the Astros won Saturday. Once short on arms, Angels are about to have a glut of starting pitchers Zach Helfand The Angels rotation was thin to begin with, but injuries to right-hander Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney meant the team lacked arms in both quality and quantity. Top-level pitching remains an issue, but soon, the Angels may have more depth. The roster could soon be replenished by four fresh arms, which will require Manager Mike Scioscia to tinker with the rotation. Right-hander Matt Shoemaker is already back. Once the worst pitcher in the league, statistically, before he was sent to the minors, Shoemaker has been nearly unhittable in his last two starts. On Saturday, right-hander Tim Lincecum pitched in an extended spring training game for the first time this season and appears on his way to the majors by mid-june. Left-hander Tyler Skaggs will pitch next week in extended spring training. Skaggs, who is returning from elbow surgery, made three starts at triple-a Salt Lake before being shut down with biceps tendinitis. But left-hander C.J. Wilson suffered a setback. His scheduled rehab start on Monday has canceled after he was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis. He will undergo imaging this week.

6 May 29, 2016 Page 6 of 28 It is not exactly an embarrassment of riches. One festering problem remains: the Angels still lack firepower at the front end of the rotation. None of the returning arms will change that. The fates of Heaney and Richards this season depend on a relatively untested medical procedure, stem-cell therapy. Before Richards return, the Angels patched together a rotation of Hector Santiago, Nick Tropeano, Jered Weaver and Jhoulys Chacin. Cory Rasmus made a spot start before he, too, was sent to the disabled list with a groin strain. Now, the Angels will have decisions to make. Will Chacin be optioned? Will Wilson rejoin the rotation when he s healthy? Scioscia didn t commit. We ll take it one step at a time, he said. But, he said, the logjam wasn t an issue. Rather, he said, When you re adding depth, it s anything but an issue. Who s at short? Despite the return of Cliff Pennington from the disabled list, Gregorio Petit started at shortstop on Saturday. After shortstop Andrelton Simmons retreated to the disabled list with a thumb injury, Pennington served as his replacement. Then Pennington, too, went down with a hamstring injury. In his absence, Petit has excelled. The 31-year-old journeyman ranks ninth in the American League in wins above replacement, despite appearing in just 15 games. Asked whether he expects to regain his former role, Pennington deferred to Scioscia. It s his lineup card, Pennington said. We re all trying to win a ballgame. Scioscia said Pennington will start Sunday. We re going to need them both, for sure, Scioscia said. They re both going to play. Street s road to recovery Right-hander Huston Street followed Lincecum to the mound in an extended spring training game against Seattle minor leaguers Saturday. With his fastball failing to surpass 85 mph, Street

7 May 29, 2016 Page 7 of 28 yielded two hits and a run in one inning. It was the Angels closer's first game action since he strained his oblique in pregame warmups April 27. Scioscia said he would rejoin the team this weekend, and the staff would evaluate when he will be activated. His velocity may be down, but Tim Lincecum is on fast track to return to big leagues with Angels Pedro Moura The International Drone Racing Assn. held its North American Cup West championships at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Saturday. A quarter-mile away, forced onto a back field at the Angels spring training complex by the high-flying event, Tim Lincecum warmed up for his first game with his new team. He taught a Venezuelan teenager named Keinner Pina the signs he d need to use behind the plate. He danced for a few seconds in the outfield, demonstrating something to a coach. And, at exactly 10 a.m., he took the mound, wearing the No. 55 he wore throughout nine seasons with San Francisco. The former All-Star and two-time Cy Young Award winner faced Mariners minor leaguers for five innings of an extended spring training game, as his father and scouts from at least two teams the Angels will soon face gathered behind the backstop to watch. Everything felt pretty good, Lincecum said. What I asked for and what the Angels are giving me is just time to move along at my own pace and figure out things that I need to. Lincecum threw approximately 75 pitches. Baseball s standard time frame is not so standard in extended spring training; he notched five outs in the first inning and two outs in the fifth. The adjustments ensured he both reached and did not surpass 15 pitches per inning. Next, he will start for triple-a Salt Lake on Thursday in Tacoma, Wash., a half-hour from his suburban Seattle hometown. He called that fortuitous timing surreal. He has pitched in his home state only once since the Giants selected him 10th in the 2006 draft out of the University of Washington. The plan calls for him to remain with the Angels triple-a affiliate and start on the afternoon of June 7, in Reno, Nev. Then the big leagues beckon. The scheduled date for his major league return is June 12 against Cleveland, which would place his second start on June 18, in Oakland, across the bay from the city where he made his name.

8 May 29, 2016 Page 8 of 28 All of this has been dictated by Lincecum. The Angels general manager, Billy Eppler, deferred to the 31-year-old right-hander to set his schedule after agreeing earlier this month to pay him $2 million. It was kind of different being catered to in that way, Lincecum said. Refreshing, in a sense, but different, just because I never knew how to tell myself what I needed. That s why they re giving me this time to dictate it. We mapped it out in a conservative mind-set, and hopefully these games get me good. During Saturday s fifth inning, Lincecum tired and lost command. He walked a hitter, and two Mariners minor leaguers whacked doubles to score two runs. Earlier, in the third, Lincecum lost the timing within his lever-driven mechanics, heading toward home too fast without gathering his body in unison. He said he fixed the issue in the fourth. I m just trying to stay and do everything over the mound, he said. Those are the things I m trying to refine and corral as I get closer to a big league game. Lincecum said he was not paying particular attention to his fastball velocity. Two radar guns behind home plate clocked him most often at 89 mph. That is a far cry from the 94 he once averaged, but it s an increase on the 87 he worked with last season. I know I m not going to blow the doors off, he said. I already feel pretty confident with what I got. I had to pitch with the stuff that I had the last few years. Now that my velo s just a couple ticks up from where it was last year, I feel like that can make a huge difference. From 2012 to 2015, Lincecum averaged 154 innings per season at a 4.68 earned-run average. He averaged 8.4 strikeouts and 3.9 walks per nine innings. From 2007 to 2011, Lincecum averaged 206 innings at a 2.98 ERA. He struck out 9.9 and walked 3.3 per nine innings. He won the NL Cy Young Award in 2008 and 09. Eppler said the Angels are unconcerned about Lincecum s ERA in recent seasons. The GM implied he was more enticed by the innings he has thrown and his ratio of strikeouts to walks in doing so. When you look more into the peripherals, you can capture a little bit of what he ll be able to bring for us, Eppler said. And I think that ll be impactful. Lincecum had September surgery to correct instability within his hip. He said it had long prevented him from completing the sort of corrections he did Saturday. Pitching isn t perfect timing all the time, and you have to be able to work within a couple degrees and percentages, he said. That s what I wasn t able to do. That s why I was catapulting myself with my leg, almost whipping myself home with my leg.

9 May 29, 2016 Page 9 of 28 He knew he was out of whack when he fell during his delivery, which he estimated happened about 10 times last season. Now that I m gathering myself over the mound and figuring out how to stay within that world right there and then go, I haven t dealt with anything like that since, Lincecum said. So, that s a good indication. On a conference call with reporters a week ago, Lincecum said he would consider the season a success if he finished it healthy. He said Saturday that was only part of the picture. Coming in through this and being apprehensive on it, going through a first-time surgery, it s hard to break that mental crutch, in a way, Lincecum said. Basically, what I m trying to do is not treat myself as if I m not healthy. Just go out with no apprehension, 100%, and come out at the end of the year feeling the same way I did going into it. I think that was more of an expectation than a goal. Lincecum said he has not watched any baseball this season, reluctant to approach the sport from an altered perspective. It s one thing when you re watching when you re a part of it, he said. It s another thing when you re watching from the outside looking in, trying to get back. And that s where I found myself. FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Astros Dallas Keuchel reverts to Cy Young form against Angels By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Jered Weaver and Dallas Keuchel were both trying to turn back the clock to better days. One succeeded. Weaver couldn t revert to his ace form from a few years ago, but Keuchel did a fair approximation of the pitcher who won the Cy Young just last year. The Angels managed three hits in seven innings against Keuchel, and Weaver was beaten by Jason Castro s tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night.

10 May 29, 2016 Page 10 of 28 Two of the Angels hits were back-to-back homers, by Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the first inning. For Trout, it was the 150th homer of his career. After that, though, the Angels barely touched Keuchel. He retired 18 in a row after Johnny Giavotella s single to lead off the second. The Astros lefty looked more like the guy who won the Cy Young last year, going 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA. This season, however, had been mystifying. He went into Saturday s game with a 5.92 ERA. Before the game, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said their recent looks at Keuchel on video indicated he wasn t pitching as poorly as the numbers. It s not like his command is so far off from what we ve seen his last couple starts, Scioscia said. He s not missing by that much or his ball is that much up. He s tough. He s having a tough go right now. As for Weaver, it s unlikely he will ever be the pitcher he was for most of his career, up until the velocity started to melt away a couple years ago. However, he had shown signs throughout this season that he could still be effective. Jered when he has his fastball and can put it into good spots, it gives him that balance to bring in his breaking pitches, Scioscia said before the game. If he relies too heavily on fastballs or breaking balls, hitters are going to be on the pitches more than he wants them to be. That blend is important. The fastball command is really important to Jered. Lately, it had been pretty good. In his past two outings, he d managed consecutive seven-inning performances, allowing just five earned runs. He d totaled five quality starts in his first nine outings. What he did on Saturday was typical of his season. Weaver can get through the order without much trouble at least once, but as the opponents get more opportunities to time his slow stuff, they hit him harder. The Astros had two baserunners the first time through the order, four the second time through and four the third time through. In the sixth, Weaver hit Evan Gattis with a 69 mph curveball and then walked Luis Valbuena. A double-play ball seemed to be just what he needed to escape the jam.

11 May 29, 2016 Page 11 of 28 However, Weaver then left an 82 mph fastball over the middle of the plate, thigh high, and Castro hit it over the trees beyond the center-field fence for a two-run homer. Final: Angels fall to reigning Cy Young Dallas Keuchel, Astros By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Jered Weaver and Dallas Keuchel were both trying to turn back the clock to better days. One succeeded. Weaver couldn t revert to his ace form from a few years ago, but Keuchel did a fair approximation of the pitcher who won the Cy Young just last year. The Angels managed three hits in seven innings against Keuchel, and Weaver was beaten by a tie-breaking Jason Castro homer in the sixth inning of a 4-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Two of the Angels hits were back-to-back homers, by Mike Trout and Albert Pujols in the first inning. For Trout, it was the 150th homer of his career. After that, though, the Angels barely touched Keuchel. He retired 18 in a row after Johnny Giavotella s single to lead off the second. The Astros lefty looked more like the guy who won the Cy Young last year, going 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA. This season, however, had been mystifying. He came into Saturday s game with a 5.92 ERA. But after the first inning Saturday, he showed no signs of struggles. "He definitely found his groove," Scioscia said. "He kept the ball down and we didn't get many good looks at him." After Keuchel was done working over the Angels, relievers Pat Neshek, Tony Sipp and Luke Gregerson combined to retire the last six. All told, the Astros retired 24 straight hitters to end the game. As for Weaver, it s unlikely he will ever be the pitcher he was for most of his career, up until the velocity started to melt away a couple years ago. However, he had shown signs throughout this season that he could still be effective.

12 May 29, 2016 Page 12 of 28 I don't have a fastball anymore, apparently, from what everybody says, so I'm just going out and trying to pitch," Weaver said. Lately, he had been pretty good. In his last two outings, he d managed consecutive seven-inning performances, allowing just five earned runs. He d totaled five quality starts in his first nine outings. What he did on Saturday was typical of his season. Weaver can get through the order without much trouble at least once, but as the opponents get more opportunities to time his slow stuff, they hit him harder. The Astros had two baserunners the first time through the order, four the second time through and four the third time through. In the sixth, Weaver hit Evan Gattis with a 69 mph curve ball and then walked Luis Valbuena. A double play ball seemed to be just what he needed to escape the jam. However, Weaver then left an 82 mph fastball over the middle of the plate, thigh high, and Castro jacked it over the trees beyond the center field fence, for a two-run homer. "I was trying to get it in there," Weaver said, "but it came back over the middle and he put a good swing on it like he should." Angels Notes: Tim Lincecum passes a test with extended spring outing By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Tim Lincecum did well enough in one milestone outing on Saturday that you can now pencil in the next one. After Lincecum threw the equivalent of five innings in an extended spring training game in Arizona, his first competitive outing since last June, the Angels scheduled him to make his first minor league appearance on Thursday for Triple-A Salt Lake City. Lincecum, a native of the Seattle area, will pitch at Tacoma in his first official game. Manager Mike Scioscia said Lincecum will pitch at least twice at Triple-A. His next turn would line up for June 7 at Reno. After that, Lincecum could join the Angels as soon as June 12, at home against the Cleveland Indians.

13 May 29, 2016 Page 13 of 28 Projecting that, however, is a bit of a stretch, considering that Lincecum, a former Cy Young winner trying to work his way back from hip surgery, has not even pitched in a real game yet. The competition in extended spring is the lowest level of affiliated professional baseball. The players are mostly those who will be headed to rookie ball next month. Games are played on back fields of minor league complexes, with crowds measured in the dozens. Teams have the option to end innings before there are three outs. The Angels wanted to see Lincecum s stuff on Saturday, more so than the results. Scioscia said reports he got indicated Lincecum was throwing mph with good offspeed stuff. He gave up two runs on two hits, with six strikeouts. Lincecum will be joined in the Triple-A rotation, temporarily anyway, by C.J. Wilson. Wilson is scheduled to start for Salt Lake City on Monday, his second rehab outing. Wilson said he felt better on Saturday, before throwing a bullpen session, than he did while pitching on Wednesday at Class-A Inland Empire. Wilson, who has been out with shoulder issues since the spring, got into the fifth inning and threw 56 pitches in that game. He is expected to get up to around 75 on Monday. He likely will need at least one more start at Triple-A after that. With both Lincecum and Wilson as little as two weeks away from being available to the big league rotation, the Angels could be facing an interesting decision. There is no obvious choice to come out of the rotation. Scioscia obviously won t mind if the Angels have a difficult choice. When you re adding depth, it s anything but an issue, he said. ALSO Huston Street threw 20 pitches in an inning after Lincecum pitched on Saturday. Street, who is out because of strained oblique, could be ready to be activated or he may need another outing in the minors... Matt Shoemaker's past two games have put him in a class by himself. He is the first pitcher in Angels history to have back-to-back games with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks. Shoemaker has 23 strikeouts in his last two games... Gregorio Petit remained in the starting lineup as the shortstop on Saturday, even though Cliff Pennington was activated from the disabled list. Scioscia said Pennington would start on

14 May 29, 2016 Page 14 of 28 Sunday, against right-hander Doug Fister. He said both Petit and Pennington would get some starts at short while the Angels wait for Andrelton Simmons to come back. Simmons, out after thumb surgery, is expected back sometime in mid to late June. Mike Scioscia upset with recent streak of Angels ejections By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM The Angels keep getting players ejected, and Mike Scioscia is looking for answers. Yunel Escobar was tossed from Saturday s game by plate ump Vic Carapazza after he questioned a called strike in the sixth inning. Last week, Escobar and Hector Santiago were ejected. What s frustrating on our part is it seems like it s getting pretty easy to get thrown out of a game, Scioscia said. That s not what it s about. If our guys are acting that irresponsibly that s one thing. But Esky questioned a pitch and got thrown out of the game, just like some of their guys (the Astros) questioned some pitches. We ll have to address that. Asked to elaborate, Scioscia said he would go to the MLB officials to get some kind of clarification of what s going on. Last Friday, Santiago was ejected by umpire John Tumpane. Santiago said later he was yelling at catcher Carlos Perez, not the umpire. A night later, Escobar was tossed by umpire Dale Scott, who called him out on a strike that appeared to be low. The call that upset Escobar this time appeared to be a borderline strike. Rehabbing C.J. Wilson shut down after being diagnosed with biceps tendinitis By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER ANAHEIM Just when C.J. Wilson was taking another step forward, he has taken another step back. Wilson complained of shoulder discomfort on Saturday and was shut down with what was initially diagnosed as biceps tendinitis.

15 May 29, 2016 Page 15 of 28 He will undergo further tests, presumably including an MRI, and the Angels will decide where to go from there. Wilson has been dealing with shoulder trouble from the start of spring training. He missed almost all of spring training and then began a gradual throwing program throughout April. He had just pitched in his first game, throwing 56 pitches in a Class-A outing on Wednesday. Wilson said he felt some fatigue toward the end of that outing, but he said Saturday afternoon, just as he was about to go out for a bullpen session, that he was feeling better. Apparently, something didn t go well after that, though. Wilson has not pitched for the Angels since last July. He had elbow surgery in early August. He arrived at spring training saying his elbow felt fine, but instead his shoulder has been the issue. Wilson said that changing his mechanics because of the elbow injury caused him to hurt his shoulder. He has since tweaked his delivery to take stress off his shoulder. Wilson, 35, is in the final year of a five-year deal with the Angels. He is making $20 million this season. Miller: Sometimes a fan deserves fanfare By JEFF MILLER / STAFF COLUMNIST The ball was a little low and just a touch outside. But this was about the pitcher, not his pitch, and an annual weekend of national appreciation officially began Friday night at Angel Stadium with a retired hero proving certain things never retire, like pride. It was such a privilege to wear my country s uniform, the pitcher explained later. They used to tell us in the Air Force, When you leave the military, you ll see that everywhere you go is pretty much a step down. That s really true. It s an honor to wear that uniform. Sean Mercadante gave America two decades of his life, 20 years during which he was deployed five times, stationed everywhere from Riverside to Germany and spent the hours immediately after 9/11 as part of Operation Noble Eagle, protecting the skies as New York and Washington D.C. trembled below. A lifelong Angels fan and Anaheim native, Mercadante was invited by the team Friday to leave the season seats first purchased by his father more than 40 years ago to throw out the opening pitch. No matter the results, the box score says it was a strike.

16 May 29, 2016 Page 16 of 28 It was a little different being out there, Mercadante, 55, said. That mound is a lonely spot. The appreciation from a country, that s the essence of Memorial Day weekend, paying tribute to those who sacrificed so much and were so instrumental in bringing us to where we are today. Maybe this isn t the real reason, but it s nice to think that the event is so significant that they have to extend the weekend every year, year after year, just to squeeze in all the gratitude. Like Friday s pregame ceremony, this column also is about the pitcher and not his pitch. But appreciating Lt. Col. Mercadante can only happen after, in the unyielding spirit of a solider, 11 years after he retired, he appreciates first. So Mercadante thanked his wife, Karen a real unsung hero to me for doing much of the raising of the couple s two sons. Steven is now 29 and Michael 27. Then he thanked those two sons, recalling the sting he felt when, during a phone call home one year wishing Steven a happy birthday, the boy joked about not remembering what Dad looked like because they d been apart so long. Military families, Mercadante said, deserve all the recognition they get and more. He talked about his father, Dominic, the former Rockwell employee who was a lead engineer in the Apollo program but only after lying about his age so he could join the Army during World War II, a first-generation American fighting for the U.S. in Europe and spending his final months of service in a German POW camp. Then there s Mercadante s sister, Marion, who survived bone cancer as a child, losing one of her legs to amputation at age 7 but always refused special attention. Marion s now-husband dated her for three months before even realizing she was an amputee. She is one of the people I admire most in the world, Mercadante said. She s a great source of inspiration for me. He thanked Chuck Smith, the late pastor from Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, and Smith s three associates who helped him through the most difficult times during his various deployments the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Finally, Mercadante praised the man who made so much of this possible, the 40th President of the United States. I m just so grateful because Ronald Reagan was building up our country s military at the time, he said. That s what gave me the chance to wear the uniform. I ll always be grateful to him for that.

17 May 29, 2016 Page 17 of 28 Mercadante grew up fascinated by aviation and what was waiting above the clouds, feeding his passion by going out to LAX just to watch the planes take off and land. A graduate of Mater Dei and USC, his pursuit of the dreams he saw as clear as any blue sky began by joining the Air Force in Mercadante then spent his first years of service stuck in buildings that typically lacked windows. But he was stationed in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, spending part of one day even dancing atop the wall with others. For five years, he was a crew commander aboard an E-3 Sentry, a surveillance aircraft that, among other missions, patrolled the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq. My boss used to say, You re always 30 seconds away from being on CNN here, so you really need to pay attention, Mercadante said. We had real-world responsibilities and there were real-world threats that we faced. It was a fascinating job. Numerous medals and decorations later, his military career ended with a job at the Pentagon, where Mercadante managed some $350 million annually in Air Force operational funds. And, all the while, he never once stopped being an Angels fan, going back to the day he saw Mickey Mantle hit a mammoth home run at Anaheim Stadium to the Donnie Moore game to all the other playoff disappointments. In 2002, Mercadante attended Game 1 of the World Series. With his father. It s always special to sit in those seats, he said. My dad was the one who started us off there. He s the one who really gave me my love of baseball. That s just one of the many things I owe him. Well, conveniently, that s what this weekend is all about, an opportunity to remember and to say thank you, to show respect in whatever way works best. It could be with a cemetery visit. Or well-placed flowers. Or some heartfelt spoken words. Who knows? Maybe even with a first pitch. Some of us, though, are lucky. We re blessed with just enough blank space to write it all down.

18 May 29, 2016 Page 18 of 28 On deck: Astros at Angels, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., FSW By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 12:30 p.m. Did you know? The Angels acquired Nick Tropeano and Carlos Perez from the Astros for Hank Conger in November THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP NICK TROPEANO (3-2, 2.86) Vs. Astros: 0-0, 0.00 (41/3 innings) At Angel Stadium: 3-3, 3.93 ASTROS RHP DOUG FISTER (4-3, 4.22) Vs. Angels: 2-3, 2.86 At Angel Stadium: 0-2, 4.34 Hates to face: Mike Trout, 4 for 10 (.400) Loves to face: Albert Pujols, 1 for 8 (.125) FROM ANGELS.COM Trout joins elite company with 150 th homer Pujols goes back-to-back for 571 st career blast By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Angels center fielder Mike Trout continued his quick rise through the historical ranks Saturday, launching his 150th career home run in the first inning of a4-2 loss to the Astros. He hit a 90 mph fastball from Astros lefty Dallas Keuchel a projected 401 feet away to rightcenter field, according to Statcast. The blast tied the game at 1-1 in the first inning. "I was just looking for a fastball, something I could hit. I got that pitch I could get," Trout said. Trout became one of eight players all-time to record 150 career home runs and 500 career runs scored before his age-25 season, joining Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx,

19 May 29, 2016 Page 19 of 28 Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson and Albert Pujols. Trout is one of just 10 players all-time to record 500 career runs scored before his age-25 season. "It's pretty cool," Trout said of the accomplishment. "Obviously, I'm not trying to hit homers. Just putting good swings on the ball and see what happens." Pujols followed Trout with a homer of his own to left-center field, giving him 571 home runs for his career and putting him two behind Harmon Killebrew for 11th all-time. This marked the 27th game in which Trout and Pujols have both homered. Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon are the only Angels duo to do it in more games (28). Wilson shut down with left biceps tendinitis By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Just as it looked like he was nearing his Major League return, Angels lefthander C.J. Wilson has hit a setback. The veteran lefty, who made his first rehab start with Class A Advanced Inland Empire on May 25, has been shut down and will have tests done, the team announced after Saturday's 4-2 loss. Wilson threw a bullpen session on Saturday and experienced some tightness in his left biceps. He was diagnosed with left biceps tendinitis. Wilson, 35, was slated to make his second rehab start with Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday. He was on track to return in the next coming weeks if all went well with his rehab starts. Wilson has not pitched in the Major Leagues since July 28, and has been on the 60-day disabled list with left shoulder tendinitis. Wilson was not available for comment. Halos bats silenced after Trout, Pujols blasts By Earl Bloom and Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Jason Castro's two-run blast in the sixth inning led the Houston Astros past the Angels, 4-2, at Angel Stadium on Saturday night to earn the team's fourth win in the last five games. Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel overcame back-to-back first-inning home runs from Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to dominate the Angels, allowing just one more hit over seven innings,

20 May 29, 2016 Page 20 of 28 striking out five and retiring 18 in a row following Johnny Giavotella's single to lead off the second inning. Keuchel was replaced by Pat Neshek and the bullpen pitched two perfect innings, capped off with closer Luke Gregerson getting Trout to ground out to earn his 11th save. "He had trouble finishing at-bats the first time through, giving up three two-strike hits," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "After that, he settled in, pounded the strike zone, and finished hitters." Angels right-hander Jered Weaver meandered in and out of trouble, giving up four runs on six hits over six innings, with his fastball being clocked as high as 86 mph. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he thought Weaver pitched well until he was unable to avoid trouble in the sixth inning. "That hit by pitch to [Evan] Gattis, that's uncharacteristic of Jered," Scioscia said. "He got the double-play ball, and he couldn't get Castro. He missed his spot on a fastball, and he knocked it out of the park." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The Castro Connection: Castro broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth with a two-out, two-run home run to center field off a 1-2 Weaver fastball. Castro's third career homer off Weaver in 23 at-bats was projected at 433 feet away, according to Statcast. "Earlier in the game, he threw me a front-door sinker that I took for a strike," Castro said. "[In the sixth], I just kind of had a feeling he'd come in with a front-door sinker like that again. He kind of left it out over the middle a little bit." Back-to-back: Trout and Pujols were quick to supply the power at Angel Stadium, launching back-to-back blasts off of Keuchel in the first inning. Trout became just one of eight players alltime to record 150 career home runs and 500 runs before his age-25 season, and Pujols moved within two homers of 11th place all-time with his 571st career blast. "It's pretty cool," Trout said of the accomplishment. "Obviously, I'm not trying to hit homers. Just putting good swings on the ball and see what happens." Gettin' in the groove: After allowing a Giavotella leadoff single in the second, Keuchel retired the next 18 Angels in order -- seven on ground balls, and five via strikeouts -- before he was relieved by Neshek to start the eighth. Keuchel picked up his first win since April 15, snapping a five-game losing streak. "[Keuchel] really only threw two bad pitches all night," his catcher, Castro, said. "After that, he was back to the old Dallas."

21 May 29, 2016 Page 21 of 28 Can't Weave: Weaver fell down early after giving up a leadoff double to George Springer to open the ballgame, but was quickly picked up by a couple runs of support in the first inning. From there, he battled trouble just about all night. He gave up the tying run, but looked like he could get out of the sixth inning cleanly in a 2-2 game before giving up the homer to Castro. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Saturday marked the 27th game in which Trout and Pujols have both homered. Garret Anderson and Tim Salmon are the only duo in Angels history to do so more often, accomplishing the feat 28 times. QUOTABLE "I don't have a fastball anymore, apparently, according to what everybody says. I'm just going out there and trying to pitch." -- Weaver, on his velocity Saturday night WHAT'S NEXT Astros: Right-hander Doug Fister (4-3, 4.12) will be on the mound at 2:35 p.m. CT Sunday as the Astros wrap up their three-game series at Angel Stadium. Fister is 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA in nine career starts vs. the Angels. He had a streak of consecutive quality starts ended at six in his last start -- by one-third of an inning. Angels: Right-hander Nick Tropeano (3-2, 2.86 ERA) takes the mound for the series finale against the Astros. He has now gone at least six innings in back-to-back starts after failing to do so in his first seven starts this season. First pitch is scheduled for 12:35 p.m. PT. Escobar ejected after arguing strike call By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar was ejected in the sixth inning of Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Astros for arguing after a called strike. Escobar's ejection was the 11th of his career and second this season. He was replaced by Kaleb Cowart, who struck out on the next pitch to end the at-bat. Escobar took a 1-1 pitch that was called a strike by home-plate umpire Vic Carapazza. Escobar turned around and seemed to argue that the pitch was low before being ejected. Angels manager Mike Scioscia left the dugout to speak to Carapazza. This was the second time in the last week Escobar was ejected from a game. He was tossed in the ninth inning of a 3-1 loss to the Orioles on May 21 for arguing after a strikeout. The day before, left-hander Hector Santiago was ejected from a 9-4 loss in the third inning for the same reason.

22 May 29, 2016 Page 22 of 28 "It's frustrating on our part," Scioscia said. "It seems like it's getting pretty easy to get thrown out of a game, and that's a problem. If our guys are acting that irresponsibly to get thrown out, that's one thing, but [Yunel Escobar] questioned a pitch and he got thrown out of the game." Scioscia said he's looking to find a way to stop this recent run of ejections, even if it means addressing the issue with Major League Baseball. Lincecum progresses, set for Minors start Angels starter targets mid-june to join rotation By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Injuries have been the Angels' biggest storyline through the first two months of the season, but the rotation could soon get a reinforcement with Tim Lincecum Lincecum threw a five-inning, 75-pitch simulated game Saturday in extended spring training in Tempe, Ariz., giving up two runs on two hits while striking out six. Lincecum was signed to a Major League contract on May 20 and is still working his way back from offseason surgery on his left hip. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he was encouraged by the reports on Lincecum, which showed that his off-speed pitching was solid and that his fastball velocity ranged mph. Lincecum's next outing will come Thursday with Triple-A Salt Lake in Tacoma, Wash. Scioscia said Lincecum will likely need a minimum of two more rehab starts, which would line up with another start on June 7 in Reno, Nev. before joining the Major League club for a series June against Cleveland at Angel Stadium. Worth noting Angels closer Huston Street threw a one-inning, 20-pitch simulated game in extended spring training in Tempe on Saturday. Scisocia said he expects Street to be reevaluated before they decide whether or not to send him on another rehab assignment. Left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who was expected to throw a two-inning simulated game this weekend, will instead likely throw at extended spring training in Tempe on Monday. It will be his first time throwing in a game since leaving his April 20 start in Triple-A with left shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with left biceps tendinitis. He was optioned to Triple-A just before the end of Spring Training as he was working his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Angels activated infielder Cliff Pennington from the 15-day disabled list on Saturday. Scioscia said he expected Pennington and Gregorio Petit to mix in for playing time, with Pennington likely starting Sunday. Petit has hit.267 in 14 games entering play Saturday.

23 May 29, 2016 Page 23 of 28 Tropeano takes on former team in rubber game By Earl Bloom / MLB.com The Astros and Angels conclude their first series of 2016 on Sunday afternoon, when Astros right-hander Doug Fister opposes Angels right-hander Nick Tropeano at Angel Stadium. Tropeano, drafted in the fifth round by the Astros in '11 out of Stony Brook, was traded to the Angels in a November '14 deal. He has done a great job filling a spot in Mike Scioscia's injurydiminished rotation, which is missing Garrett Richards, C.J. Wilson, Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney. Tropeano, who is 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA, is coming off a combined shutout victory over the Rangers in his last start. He's started just once against the Astros, allowing no earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of a 6-5 Angels victory on Sept. 23. Fister, in his first season with the Astros after splitting seven years between Seattle, Detroit and Washington, is 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA in nine career starts vs. the Angels. This will be the first time he's faced them for Houston. Fister is 4-3 with a 4.12 ERA in nine starts this season, and had a streak of six consecutive quality starts snapped in his last outing when he allowed two runs over 5 2/3 innings. Things to know about this game Mike Trout is hitting.400 (4-for-10) vs. Fister. Fister has held Albert Pujols to a.125 average in eight at-bats, but the lone hit was a home run. Tropeano went 1-3 with a 4.57 ERA in four September '14 starts for the Astros. Angels host local Pitch, Hit & Run competition 24 children take part in team championship stage By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Several children got to live out their dreams Saturday morning -- playing on the field at Angel Stadium. Scotts MLB Pitch, Hit & Run, the official youth skills competition of Major League Baseball, held its latest event Saturday morning as 24 participants boys and 12 girls -- took part in the team championship stage.

24 May 29, 2016 Page 24 of 28 The event took part in three stages. The pitch stage tested a player's ability to throw strikes either from 45 feet for baseball or 35 feet for softball. Each player got six attempts to throw into what is considered a standard Major League strike zone. The hitting portion required participants to hit off a tee, aiming for both distance and accuracy in their three attempts, while the running portion measured the participant's speed beginning from second base, rounding third and touching home plate. The competition, which is a collaboration between MLB, Scotts and USA Baseball and under the league's Play Ball initiative, is in its 20th season and has more than 650,000 participants across the country. Each of the 24 participants took part in local and sectional competitions to reach this stage at Angel Stadium. Only the first-place winners from each group at the team championships will be eligible to be national finalists, with the top three scores in each division's age group out of all 30 MLB team championships advancing to the nationals. National finalists receive an allexpenses paid trip to San Diego for the 2016 MLB All-Star Game. Finalists will participate in a national competition on the field before shagging balls at the Home Run Derby. Among the past winners of the event are current Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer and Braves right-hander Matt Wisler. "To get to play where the pros play, where their idols play, where their heroes play, it's a dream come true," Amy Ashbrock, a Scotts MLB PHR national headquarters representative, said of the event. Here are the winners of each division age group at Angel Stadium, who will now be eligible to be among those chosen for the nationals: Nicole Chandler (Ontario, Calif. -- 7/8 Softball Division) Kate Verhoef (Aliso Viejo, Calif. -- 9/10 Softball Division) Maya Taylor (Aliso Viejo, Calif /12 Softball Division) Jeralynn Wells (Menifee, Calif /14 Softball Division) Lukas Tello (Menifee, Calif. -- 7/8 Baseball Division) Jaxon Baker (Menifee, Calif. -- 9/10 Baseball Division) Michael Easter (Arcada, Calif /12 Baseball Division) Michael Downtain (Perris, Calif /14 Baseball Division).

25 May 29, 2016 Page 25 of 28 FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Keuchel finishes strong to end skid; Astros beat Angels 4-2 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel was all out of sorts. He had lost his last five decisions, his ERA was a dismal 5.92 and his record 2-6. Saturday night, however, all was again well in his personal pitching universe, the left-hander overcoming some first-inning trouble to return to his All-Star form. Keuchel retired his final 18 batters, and aided by Jason Castro's go-ahead homer, led the Houston Astros to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels to earn his first victory since April 15. "I knew it was going to turn around because I'm a pretty big competitor and I don't like to lose," Keuchel said. "Losing five in row didn't sit too well and I knew I was going to turn it around if I just stuck with it." Keuchel went seven innings, striking out five without allowing a walk. After Johnny Giavotella led off the second with a single, he did not allow another Angel to reach base. "A lot of stuff he's done early in the season has been noteworthy because we're not used to seeing him struggle with his command and control," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "But he's still Dallas Keuchel, he's still a very difficult matchup for an opponent and that doesn't change just because he had a couple of bad starts." Things started poorly for Keuchel in the first inning when he allowed back-to-back solo home runs to Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. "We didn't get good looks on him after the first inning," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. Keuchel suddenly resembled the pitcher who went 20-8 with a 2.46 ERA last season, and not the one who had surrendered seven earned runs to the Rangers in his last start. "It's the first nice start in a while where I can smile and the team won," he said. Pat Neshek, Tony Sipp and Luke Gregerson retired the Angels in order over the final two innings, with Gregerson earning his 11th save. Jered Weaver (4-4) took the loss. He used his offspeed pitches to limit the Astros to a pair of runs until Castro hit his homer in the sixth. It was his fourth home run of the season. SELECT COMPANY

26 May 29, 2016 Page 26 of 28 Trout is now one of eight players in baseball history to get 150 home runs and score 500 runs in their age 24-season or younger. The others: Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr., Frank Robinson and Pujols. SERIOUS RELIEF Houston's bullpen tossed two perfect innings and has allowed only three earned runs in 10 games (0.81 ERA). TRAINERS ROOM Astros: Unlike the Angels, who have nine players on the disabled list, Houston has only one (Carlos Gomez, rib bruise). "Everyone else is peachy," Hinch said. "I look around and there a few teams that have been a little less fortunate." Angels: RHP Tim Lincecum threw 75 pitches in five innings of an extended spring training game Saturday. He is expected to make a rehab start Thursday for Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels hope he can join the rotation by mid-june.... Closer Huston Street (oblique strain) also threw 20 pitches in the camp game and could soon rejoin the Angels. UP NEXT Astros: RHP Doug Fister (4-3) is scheduled to start for Houston on Sunday. Fister has gone at least five innings in each of his previous nine starts but never more than seven innings. Angels: RHP Nick Tropeano (3-2) will attempt to match the results of his last start /3 scoreless innings on four hits against the Rangers -- in the series finale against the Astros. Tropeano has won consecutive starts for the first time in his career. FROM YAHOO SPORTS Astros-Angels Preview Nick Tropeano has improved steadily this month and hopes to keep climbing against the team that parted ways with him prior to last season. The right-hander seeks his third straight win to lift the Los Angeles Angels to a series victory over the visiting Houston Astros on Sunday. Los Angeles (22-27) won Friday's opener 7-2 before Houston (21-29) evened the set with Saturday's 4-2 victory. Dallas Keuchel pitched seven strong innings to snap a personal five-game