Clips (April 18, 2016)

April 18, 2016 Page 1 of 18 Clips (April 18, 2016)

April 18, 2016 Page 2 of 18 Today s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Angels Johnny Giavotella: The hits just aren t coming Bats and bullpen falter in Angels 3-2, 12-inning loss to the Twins FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6) Angels Hector Santiago stays in control while upping velocity Angels bullpen fails again, but offense is real problem in 12-inning loss to Twins Final: Angels bats go quiet in 12-inning loss to Twins Angels Notes: A weekend off for the shift Streaky C.J. Cron is streaking the wrong way for Angels On deck: Angels at White Sox, Monday, 5 p.m., FSW FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 12) Pujols 562 nd homer isn t enough vs. Twins Angels still looking for cold bats to warm up Angels have no timetable for Heaney s return Santiago tabbed as Angels clash with White Sox FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 16) Arcia s hit in the 12 th lifts Twins over Angels 3-2

April 18, 2016 Page 3 of 18 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Angels Johnny Giavotella: The hits just aren t coming Pedro Moura Johnny Giavotella did not move for a long time after he struck out swinging to end Sunday's fourth inning with two runners stranded in scoring position. The Angels second baseman stared off into the distance, frustrated by the failure that has dominated his 2016 season so far. Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson had toyed with him during a straightforward four-pitch at-bat. "I'm just getting off to a slow start," Giavotella said. "I know that I'm a way better hitter than what I've been showing the last couple weeks. But I haven't lost any of my confidence. I'm up there expecting to get hits in every situation." Giavotella has rarely done what he has expected. In 30 plate appearances this season, he has just three singles and one walk. His.138 on-base percentage is the second-worst in the majors among players with as many chances as he has had. "The hits just aren't coming," he said. "That's how baseball is." Utilityman Cliff Pennington replaced him in Sunday's seventh inning. Manager Mike Scioscia hinted Pennington could garner more playing time at Giavotella's expense this week, but declined to spotlight Giavotella's struggles above the other everyday players hitting under.200, including Albert Pujols, C.J. Cron, and Carlos Perez. Cron is hitting just.100, but he has reached base in each of the Angels' last five games. Perez went 0 for 5 Sunday to drop his average to.172. Giavotella's 2015, in which he hit.272 with a.318 on-base percentage, was a success. Still, he entered spring training without his starting role secured, according to Scioscia, and it's conceivable he could lose the job with continued poor play. Short hops - The Angels remain without a timetable for the return of left-hander Andrew Heaney, who has been on the disabled list for 10 days but has not yet graduated to long tossing. "He's got a ways to go," Scioscia said. Heaney was diagnosed with a left flexor muscle strain following his first start of the season April 5.

April 18, 2016 Page 4 of 18 - Shortstop Andrelton Simmons has singled once in eight consecutive games and not reached base by any other means in that time. That is the longest streak of those particulars in baseball since Michael Young did it in nine straight games during the 2013 season. Simmons has a 10- game hitting streak. - Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe had eight hits in the three-game series against the Angels but exited in Sunday's 10th inning with a right intercostal strain. Bats and bullpen falter in Angels 3-2, 12-inning loss to the Twins Pedro Moura There are conventional no-hitters and combined no-hitters, and then there are what the Angels experienced Sunday afternoon into the evening at Target Field: hidden no-hitters. From the fourth inning until the 12th, 10 Angels combined to go 0 for 27 against a medley of six Minnesota pitchers, forcing their own bullpen's eventual depletion in a third consecutive defeat to the Twins. This time, the Angels lost, 3-2, in those 12 innings, after Cory Rasmus issued a leadoff walk and Huston Street, their closer and the bullpen's last man standing, gave up a walk-off single to Oswaldo Arcia. "After the fourth inning, we didn't pressure those guys at all," Manager Mike Scioscia said. The closest they came was in the eighth, when Albert Pujols nearly powered a ball out to left center. In the first inning, Pujols provided the Angels' only offense, homering to the second deck in left field after Yunel Escobar walked to the lead off the game. Mike Trout doubled in the third inning, Andrelton Simmons singled in the fourth, and the day's worth of production was done. The Twins had not won a game before the Angels came to town, and the Angels did not trail when the eighth inning began throughout the series. Their bullpen bore the loss each time. "We play six months. Don't tell me I'm the greatest after one month," Street said. "But also don't tell me I'm the worst." As he ran to back up home plate in the seventh inning, reliever Jose Alvarez blanketed his mouth with his glove. The left-hander had entered to a situation remarkably similar to the one he faced Friday night. The once-great Joe Mauer stood at the plate, Eduardo Nunez a few feet off second, with the Angels up by one run, needing one more out to get out of the seventh inning.

April 18, 2016 Page 5 of 18 Like Friday, Alvarez had Mauer down to his last strike. Like Friday, he left a pitch over the plate. Like Friday, Mauer swung smoothly and placed the ball through a hole to left field. Like Friday, Nunez's helmet flew off before he touched third base. But, unlike Friday, the ball was hit with a bit more pace, and rookie left fielder Rafael Ortega, not veteran Craig Gentry, picked it up and quickly fired a one-hop, 94.3-mph throw home. Carlos Perez applied the tag south of the base and Nunez was out. "That was huge," Scioscia said, "at the time." It mattered little because only one of the 16 Angels hitters who followed reached base. After Greg Mahle, Mike Morin and Alvarez worked through the seventh, Joe Smith came in for the eighth, and, for the second straight day, gave up back-to-back hits. These were singles, though not the homers of Saturday. He induced consecutive groundouts to follow, but, with the Angels' infielders positioned at double-play depth, the first one traveled far enough to bring a run. Smith stayed in for the ninth and yielded a first-pitch single. The Twins then bunted. C.J. Cron picked it up quickly and tagged the bunter while Andrelton Simmons slammed his glove on second base in anger. He wanted Cron to try to get the lead runner. It would not matter, because Simmons soon scooped up a ball Mauer ripped to him to end the inning. Three innings later, Simmons got what he wanted when Byron Buxton bunted in a similar situation and Cron threw to second. The Twins also threatened to score in the 10th inning, when Byung-Ho Park launched a fly far and high up, but 10 feet short of the center-field wall. Nick Tropeano was the Angels' starting pitcher. He lasted 5 2/3 effective innings, and, in two starts, has now yielded just one run. He has struck out nine, and he has walked four. He was not on the team's opening-day roster, but he has been the best starter, and he figures to remain in the rotation for several weeks a thought he did not want to entertain on a somber Sunday evening in Target Field's visiting clubhouse. "I'm here now," he said.

April 18, 2016 Page 6 of 18 FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Angels Hector Santiago stays in control while upping velocity By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER MINNEAPOLIS -- After spending the first few years of his career adjusting the theoretical settings on his delivery, Hector Santiago believes he s finally at the optimum point. As he made the conversion from reliever to starter, he was continually dialing down his velocity to improve control. Not any more. Santiago said he has learned his delivery well enough that he can maintain his control, even while increasing the velocity. As a reliever, you come in and just let it eat, Santiago said. As a starter you have to find that medium. But now I m thinking forget that medium. Last year I trained myself to stay under control with velocity. Heading into his third start of the season on Monday in Chicago, Santiago s velocity is up 2-4 mph across the board. His average fastball last season was 90.9 mph and this season it s 93.0. There s been no cost in terms of his control either. He s thrown 65.5 percent strikes, which is slightly up from 63.5 percent last year. His walk rate is down from 9.2 percent to 5.5 percent. Granted, the sample size is still too small to make any accurate judgments about whether Santiago has truly taken another step as a pitcher. So far, he likes the results, though. It s just a matter of being under control, Santiago said. I have learned enough about my body. The velocity is up and the walks are down. It s just a matter of trying to maintain that. Angels bullpen fails again, but offense is real problem in 12-inning loss to Twins By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER MINNEAPOLIS The Angels 3-2, 12-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday will go down as the third loss this weekend for the bullpen.

April 18, 2016 Page 7 of 18 However, the offense bears the brunt of the responsibility for this one, as the Angels didn t score after the first inning and didn t get a hit after the fourth. Oswaldo Arcia s two-out hit against Huston Street, the seventh and final Angels reliever, drove in the winning run. The Angels bullpen had to stretch so deep to keep the game going because the offense was in the deep freeze most of the afternoon. It s tough for our guys to go out there and pitch with their backs to the wall like they did, Manager Mike Scioscia said. Until these guys get their feet on the ground offensively and start attacking the ball like they can, these are the games we are going to be playing. Tight games will put pressure on all parts of your staff, your rotation and pen. We need these guys to start swinging the bats. Albert Pujols blasted a two-run homer into the upper deck the first inning, putting the Angels on top. After that, though, the Angels endured one long frustrating afternoon of nothing offensively. After Andrelton Simmons single in the fourth inning, the Angels finished the game 0 for 27. The second at-bat in that streak was one of the most critical. Johnny Giavotella flailed at a breaking ball for the third out of the inning, stranding two runners in scoring position at a time the Angels had a 2-0 lead. A hit there obviously could have changed the complexion of the game, but the Angels coldest hitter was at the plate. Giavotella is hitting.107. I m just getting off to a slow start, Giavotella said. I know I m a way better hitter than I m showing the last couple weeks, but I haven t lost any confidence. I m up there expecting to get hits in every situation You have to weather the storm and have confidence in who you are as a player. Afterward, however, Scioscia hinted that Cliff Pennington may get some more playing time at second in place of Giavotella. He also said that Ji-Man Choi could spell struggling C.J. Cron (.100) at first. Pujols (.196) and Carlos Perez (.172) also are hitting under.200. It s tough when you have probably four guys who really aren t swinging the bat anywhere near the way they can, Scioscia said.

April 18, 2016 Page 8 of 18 Although the Angels had a slight offensive upturn during the week, they are still hitting just.223 and averaging 3.0 runs per game. That puts more pressure on the pitchers to be perfect. Angels pitchers have faced 459 batters this season, and only 20 of them with a lead of more than two runs. When starter Nick Tropeano yielded to the bullpen in the sixth inning on Sunday, the Angels had a 2-1 lead and 10 outs to get. They successfully held the lead into the eighth, but only with the help of left fielder Rafael Ortega throwing out a runner at the plate to end the seventh. In the eighth, Joe Smith gave up a run that was the product of two singles only one hit hard and a double play. You are going to give up runs, Street said. It s going to happen. You aren t going to have a bullpen put up a zero every single time, but we still expect ourselves to hold leads at least one of the days. Angels relievers had blown a two-run lead in the seventh on Friday. They inherited a tie game on Saturday and lost when Smith gave up back-to-back homers. On Sunday, after Smith tacked on a scoreless inning and Fernando Salas pitched two more, Cory Rasmus started the 12th, despite having thrown 38 pitches the day before. He walked Joe Mauer to start the inning. After getting an out when the Twins failed at a sacrifice, Street entered. He got an out but then left a pitch up and Arcia hit a ball to the warning track in left. Ortega dove but the ball rattled off the wall as the winning run scored. At the end of the day, you win as a team and lose as a team, Street said. Our bullpen didn t do the best job of holding leads this series, but I think we ll definitely do better in the future. Final: Angels bats go quiet in 12-inning loss to Twins By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER MINNEAPOLIS The Angels 3-2, 12-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday will go down as the third loss this weekend for the bullpen. However, the offense bears the brunt of the responsibility for this one, as the Angels didn t score after the first inning and didn t get a hit after the fourth.

April 18, 2016 Page 9 of 18 Oswaldo Arcia s two-out hit against Huston Street, the seventh and final Angels reliever, drove in the winning run. The Angels bullpen had to stretch so deep to keep the game going because the offense was in the deep freeze most of the afternoon. The Angels took the lead when Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the first-inning, but after that their bats went silent. The best opportunity was in the fourth inning, when struggling Johnny Giavotella, batting.107, struck out to strand runners at second and third. In all, the Angels finished the game with an 0-for-27 streak. When the Angels bullpen took over with a 2-1 lead and two outs in the sixth, the relievers had no margin for error. In the seventh, left fielder Rafael Ortega bailed them out with a perfect throw to the plate, nailing Oswaldo Arcia for the third out, maintaining the one-run lead. Joe Smith, who had allowed back-to-back homers in a tie game in the eighth on Saturday, gave up a run in the eighth again. This one was the product of two singles, only one hit hard, and a double play grounder. That cost Nick Tropeano a victory on a day that he pitched his second strong game in as many outings. Tropeano, who started the season in the minors and got a chance only because of Andrew Heaney s injury, has now allowed one run in 10 2/3 innings in two outings. On Sunday he was only in one serious jam, after he gave up a run on back-to-back doubles and then walked Oswaldo Arcia. With two on and one out and a 2-1 lead, Tropeano struck out Byung Ho Park (looking at a fastball painted at the knees) and Eddie Rosario (swinging at a slider in the dirt). Angels Notes: A weekend off for the shift By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER MINNEAPOLIS After shifting more than any team in the majors over their first nine games, the Angels essentially abandoned the strategy over the weekend.

April 18, 2016 Page 10 of 18 The Angels barely shifted at all in three games all losses to the Minnesota Twins. Before Sunday s game, though, Scioscia said the Angels had not changed their philosophy. It was simply that the analytics led them to not defend the Twins the same way they had the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers or Oakland A s. There are a lot of things that go into it, Scioscia said. It will adjust from player to play, from team to team. ALSO Scioscia said the Angels will not need to make any roster move to get more pitching depth before Monday s game in Chicago, although they are no doubt going to be short-handed. Joe Smith and Cory Rasmus, who each had a heavier than normal workload over the weekend, are most likely unavailable on Monday. The Angels would also probably like to give Fernando Salas the day off after he threw 28 pitches on Sunday. We ve got some guys who are pitching a lot and they are definitely going to need some time off, Scioscia said The Angels played their first extra-inning game of the season. Streaky C.J. Cron is streaking the wrong way for Angels By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER MINNEAPOLIS C.J. Cron has slipped into a pattern the Angels hope he can end. So far in his young big league career, Cron has been the definition of a streaky hitter, which is of course better than being a bad hitter. Cron has good streaks too. The Angels just wish he could even things out a little. I don t know how much time it will take C.J., Manager Mike Scioscia said. Some hitters go their whole career and are streaky. We hope that s not the case with C.J. Last season, Cron hit.204 before being sent to Triple-A for a couple weeks. After he returned, he hit.440 over his first 14 games and.285 for the rest of the season. Obviously, the Angels are hoping he can have a similar rebound from his slow start. Cron is hitting.100 (4 for 40) after Sunday's game. Scioscia said timing is the issue difference between Cron is hot and cold, mostly because of his lower body.

April 18, 2016 Page 11 of 18 His swing path as far as getting hands through the zone is pretty clean, Scioscia said. He s got great hands. But the lower half is a more complicated than with some hitters. Sometimes it takes him a little time to get and keep that timing. On deck: Angels at White Sox, Monday, 5 p.m., FSW By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER Where: U.S. Cellular Field TV: Fox Sports West, 5 p.m. Did you know? Current White Sox players who have faced Hector Santiago have a career.182 average against him. THE PITCHERS ANGELS LHP HECTOR SANTIAGO (0-0, 3.95) Vs. White Sox: 0-1, 5.06 At U.S. Cellular Field: 2-5, 3.88 Hates to face: None Loves to face: Austin Jackson, 5 for 23 (.217) WHITE SOX LHP CARLOS RODON (1-1, 1.38) Vs. Angels: 1-1, 1.20 At U.S. Cellular Field: 6-3, 4.57 Hates to face: C.J. Cron, 4 for 6 (.667) Loves to face: Kole Calhoun, 1 for 7 (.143) UPCOMING GAMES Tuesday: Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker (1-1, 6.00) vs. White Sox RHP Mat Latos (1-0, 0.00), 5 p.m., Fox Sports West Wednesday: Angels RHP Garrett Richards (0-2, 3.57) vs. White Sox LHP Chris Sale (3-0, 2.35), 11 a.m., Fox Sports West Thursday: Angels RHP Jered Weaver (1-0, 4.35) vs. White Sox LHP John Danks (0-2, 7.94), 11 a.m., Fox Sports West

April 18, 2016 Page 12 of 18 FROM ANGELS.COM Pujols 562 nd homer isn t enough vs. Twins By Rhett Bollinger and Brian Hall / MLB.com @RhettBollinger April 17th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- Oswaldo Arcia hit a single off closer Huston Street in the 12th inning to lift the Twins to a 3-2 walk-off win and complete a three-game sweep of the Angels on Sunday at Target Field. With Byron Buxton at second base with two outs after a stolen base, Arcia lifted a fly ball into the left-field corner just out of the reach of a diving Rafael Ortega. It allowed Buxton to score the winning run in Minnesota's first walk-off win of the season. "It was definitely a good ballgame with good pitching on both sides," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "A lot of things happened in such a long game like that. We just had to grind. We had opportunities to put up some numbers, but we were able to tie it late. And then it was a matter of hanging on and throwing zeros before we pushed one across." The Angels scored early on a two-run blast from Albert Pujols in the first inning, but couldn't get anything going offensively after that, as they didn't have a hit after the fourth inning. It was career homer No. 562 for Pujols and came on a 1-0 fastball from right-hander Kyle Gibson, who was otherwise solid over seven innings. Angels starter Nick Tropeano also fared well, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits and two walks, but was stuck with a no-decision. "After like the fourth inning, we didn't pressure these guys at all," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Those guys pressured us a lot on the offensive side and we did a lot of good things out there. Unfortunately, we didn't do enough in the batter's box to give ourselves a chance to win." Reliever Joe Smith, who gave up two homers in the eighth inning on Saturday, allowed the tying run in the eighth on a double-play grounder hit by Arcia after back-to-back singles from Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe. Smith stayed in for the ninth and was able to get out of a bases-loaded situation with two outs, getting Buxton to ground out to shortstop. Twins relievers Casey Fien, Ryan O'Rourke, Kevin Jepsen, Trevor May and Michael Tonkin combined to throw five hitless innings. Tonkin was particularly impressive, striking out four over two perfect innings to get his first Major League win. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Help from friends: With two out and two on in the seventh, Joe Mauer singled to left. Angels

April 18, 2016 Page 13 of 18 left fielder Ortega came up with the ball quickly and sent a strong throw on one hop to nab Eduardo Nunez trying to score, allowing the Angels to hold onto a 2-1 lead at the time. The Angels got out of a similar jam in the ninth with Smith pitching. Mauer was intentionally walked to load the bases before shortstop Andrelton Simmons secured a hard-hit grounder from Buxton and threw to third to end the inning. Sano, Plouffe double up: The Twins got on the board in the fourth, when Sano doubled to left with one out before scoring on a double to right from Plouffe. But Plouffe was stranded at second after a walk to Arcia, as Byung Ho Park and Eddie Rosario both struck out. They teamed up again in the eighth to tie the game, as Sano opened with a single and was replaced by pinchrunner Buxton. Plouffe followed with a single to right to get Buxton to third. Buxton scored the tying run on a double-play grounder from Arcia. Power from Pujols: Pujols showed he can still hit the ball a long way when he homered to open the scoring in the first inning. With Mike Trout on base, Pujols sent a Gibson pitch deep into the second deck in left field. The towering shot -- projected to travel 395.93 feet and coming off the bat at 103.52 mph, according to Statcast -- was Pujols' second home run of the series, accounting for both of his homers this season. Pujols, who has 562 homers and is one shy of tying Reggie Jackson for 13th all-time, flied out to the warning track in center field in the eighth. Gibson settles in: After issuing a leadoff walk and allowing Pujols' two-run homer in the first, Gibson was able to get back on track. The right-hander went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts. "After that [homer], we had a pretty good gameplan coming in and I was able to execute," Gibson said. "As a starting staff, you want to be trusted to give the team six or seven innings. Just because you give up a couple early, you gotta be able to lock it down and give the offense a chance." QUOTABLE "To endure that first stretch and respond this way is a good sign -- 0-9 is a pretty big hole so you don't want to get too giddy. But you'll take bunching some wins here in response to that 0-9. So the guys should enjoy themselves here." -- Molitor, on the sweep "You're going to give up runs, it's just going to happen. You're not going to have a bullpen put up zero every single time. Not a realistic expectation. But we still expect ourselves to hold leads, especially one of the days. We have high expectations. At the same time, you don't ever want to underreact, but you never should overreact to just a small sample size." -- Street

April 18, 2016 Page 14 of 18 SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS With his two singles, Mauer tied Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew with 1,173 hits, which is the fifth-most in Twins history. PLOUFFE EXITS Plouffe drew a leadoff walk in the 10th inning, but was stranded there when Rosario flied out to center. But as Plouffe ran on the fly ball from Rosario, he grabbed at his side and walked off the field with trainer Dave Pruemer. Plouffe was diagnosed with a right intercostal strain and initially suffered the injury on a swing in the sixth inning. He was replaced by Eduardo Escobar and is considered day to day. WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Left-hander Hector Santiago gets the ball on Monday as the Angels continue their 10- game road trip against the White Sox at 5:10 p.m. PT. Santiago, a former Draft pick by Chicago, is coming off his longest outing in three seasons with the Angels -- 7 2/3 innings with four runs allowed against Oakland. Twins: Right-hander Phil Hughes gets the nod in the series opener on Monday at 7:10 p.m. CT as the Twins remain at Target Field to take on the Brewers in a two-game series. Hughes is looking for his first win of the year despite registering two quality starts. Angels still looking for cold bats to warm up Final 14 batters go down in order in extra-inning loss to Twins By Brian Hall / Special to MLB.com April 17th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- The Angels watched as the bullpen squandered a lead for the third time in the three-game series with the Twins on Sunday. Then the bats couldn't provide an answer as the game went into extra innings. Albert Pujols hit the 562nd home run of his career to open the scoring in the first inning, but the Angels couldn't add on in Sunday's 3-2 walk-off loss in 12 innings. Andrelton Simmons' single in the fourth inning was the fourth and final hit for the Angels, whose last 14 batters were retired in order after Mike Trout's one-out walk in the eighth. "It's tough for our guys to really go out there and pitch with our backs against the wall like they did," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We talked about this last year, until these guys really get their feet on the ground offensively and start attacking the ball like they can, these are the games that we're going to be playing; tight games and it's certainly going to put pressure on all parts of your staff, whether it's your rotation or your 'pen.

April 18, 2016 Page 15 of 18 "Last year, we held up to some extent. But these guys, we need them to start swinging the bats really now." Pujols hit his second home run of the season and the series as the Angels finished with three homers in the set after hitting three home runs in the first nine games. Sunday's futility added to the season-long issue as the Angels have scored 36 runs -- 27th in the Majors -- in 12 games and are 23rd with a.223 team batting average. "Yeah, I still feel good about this offense," right fielder Kole Calhoun said. "I think everybody in here feels confident. Once we get rolling and start putting some hits together as a team, and getting some big knocks when things start going our way, that's when it gets fun and things start going. When you're not getting knocks... it's tough, but you've got to stick with it." Calhoun is one of the few regulars producing with a.349 average, one homer and five RBIs. Pujols' home run leaves him one shy of tying Reggie Jackson for 13th all-time in Major League history, but Pujols is hitting.196. Trout is hitting.233. First baseman C.J. Cron, who has alternated with Calhoun between the fifth and sixth spots in the order, is down to.100 this season. "I think it's going to start with not just on one guy," Scioscia said. "There's some guys in here that just need to get into their game. Once it does, the way this lineup is stacked, I think it makes a lot sense. It's just right now... it's tough when you've got probably four guys that really aren't swinging the bat anywhere near the way they can." Angels have no timetable for Heaney s return By Brian Hall / Special to MLB.com April 17th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS -- Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney is progressing, but he isn't close to returning to the mound from a left flexor muscle strain. Heaney has played catch before the weekend games here at Target Field. However, manager Mike Scioscia said Heaney hasn't started long toss and there is no timetable for him to start throwing from a mound. "He's just in that progression," Scioscia said before Sunday's series finale against the Twins. "He's got a ways to go. It's a controlled progression, so he's got a little ways to go before he's on the mound. What the timeframe will be, we're not sure."

April 18, 2016 Page 16 of 18 Heaney started on April 5 against the Cubs, allowing four runs in six innings to go with seven strikeouts. But he complained of tightness in his left forearm and was placed on the disabled list the following day. Last year, Heaney was 6-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 18 starts in his first season with the Angels, who acquired the former first-round Draft pick from the Marlins. Santiago tabbed as Angels clash with White Sox By Brian Hall / Special to MLB.com April 17th, 2016 The White Sox return home for just their second series of the season as they host the Angels on Monday to open a four-game set at U.S. Cellular Field. Left-hander Hector Santiago gets the start as the Angels continue their 10-game road trip. Santiago is coming off his longest outing with the Angels -- 7 2/3 innings in a no-decision against Oakland last Tuesday. The White Sox will counter with lefty Carlos Rodon, who went six scoreless innings to beat Minnesota in his previous start last Wednesday. Things to know about this game Angels slugger Albert Pujols, who hit homer No. 562 on Sunday, is one shy of tying Reggie Jackson for 13th place on the all-time list. Pujols' 585 doubles are one away from Rafael Palmeiro for 18th all-time. Rodon will try to keep the free passes in check. After walking 71 hitters in 139 1/3 innings last year as a rookie, he walked only one in his 2016 debut. But Rodon surrendered five walks against the Twins. He's only allowed 10 hits in 13 innings this season. Santiago, the former 30th-round Draft pick by the White Sox, has faced his former team once. Santiago gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss at U.S. Cellular Field last year. FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Arcia s hit in the 12 th lifts Twins over Angels 3-2 MINNEAPOLIS -- A season of exile in the minor leagues left Oswaldo Arcia searching for ways to get back in the Minnesota Twins' good graces.

April 18, 2016 Page 17 of 18 Going to the opposite field in a big moment for the second game in a row was a good place to start. Arcia's single down the left field line scored Byron Buxton in the 12th inning and the Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 3-2 victory on Sunday. Arcia hit a big home run to left in the eighth inning on Saturday, then beat the shift twice on Sunday to show a more mature approach at the plate. Arcia was a prized young player when he hit 20 homers in 2014, but fell out of favor with a hot-headed, homer-hunting swing and spent almost all of last season in the minors, including all of September after rosters expanded. "I guess I have to keep reminding myself that that lad is still 24," general manager Terry Ryan said before the game. "It seems like he's 34, he's been around so long. But he's 24 years old and I've got to remember that and make sure everybody else remembers that as well." Trevor Plouffe had three hits and an RBI and Kyle Gibson gave up two runs on four hits in seven innings for the Twins, who have won three straight after starting the season 0-9. Michael Tonkin (1-0) struck out four in two innings for his first win. Albert Pujols hit his 562nd career home run for the Angels. Nick Tropeano gave up one run on five hits and struck out three in 5 2/3 innings, but the Angels managed just four hits, none over the final eight innings. The Twins got 13 hits and were on the bases all day against Angels pitching. But they had a hard time cashing in until the 12th when the played Arcia to pull. The left-handed hitter beat the shift for the third time in two days and Buxton scored easily from second. "After (last) season was over, I went down to Fort Myers to work for moments like this," Arcia said through a translator. "I just want to keep helping this team and put me in positions like this to help the team win." Cory Rasmus (0-1) got one out. Pujols hit a two-run shot into the second deck in left field in the first inning. His second homer of the season, and of the series, moved him within one of tying Reggie Jackson for 13th on baseball's career list. The Twins came back to tie it with a double from Plouffe in the fourth and a groundout from Arcia in the eighth, and the Angels went 0 for 12 with seven strikeouts over the final four innings. "The hits just aren't coming," Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella said. That's the way baseball is. There's a lot of ups and downs, you got to weather the storm and have confidence in who you are as a player."

April 18, 2016 Page 18 of 18 TONKIN SHINES The hard-throwing right-hander had only appeared in two of the first 11 games, so he was fresh when he took the mound in the 11th. He struck out Mike Trout and Pujols and hit 97 on the radar gun in the 12th while blowing away Andrelton Simmons and Carlos Perez. TRAINER'S ROOM Angels: Manager Mike Scioscia said LHP Andrew Heaney (left elbow) is making progress, but there remains no timetable for his return to throwing. "He's got a ways to go," he said. "It's a controlled progression, so he's got a little ways to go before he's on the mound." Twins: Plouffe had to leave the game in the 11th inning with a right intercostal strain in his ribcage. He said he will try to rest for a day or two before they make a decision on a disabled list stint. UP NEXT Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (0-0, 3.00) will face the team that drafted him in the 30th round when the Angels open a series in Chicago against LHP Carlos Rodon (1-1, 1.38) and the White Sox. Twins: RHP Phil Hughes (0-2, 4.38) will try for his first win of the season when he faces RHP Chase Anderson (1-0, 0.00) in the series opener against Milwaukee.