April 13, 2017 Page 1 of 17

Clips

(April 13, 2017)

April 13, 2017 Page 2 of 17

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels run out of late rallies, losing 8-3 to Rangers

Angels’ Danny Espinosa hopes he’s found his groove after a slow start to season

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 6)

Angels tempt fates again, this time lose to Rangers

Angels Notes: Carlos Peres and bunts are a perfect pair

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Bailey lands on DL with shoulder inflammation

Chavez adds to starters’ struggles going deep

Trout homers but Tangers rally to snap streak

Nolasco, Darvish duel to wrap series vs. Texas

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 14)

Rangers hit 3 HRs, prevent Angels comeback in 8-3 win

FROM CBS SPORTS (Page 16)

Rangers’ Darvish, Angels’ Nolasco duel for first win

April 13, 2017 Page 3 of 17

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels run out of late rallies, losing 8-3 to Rangers

By Pedro Moura

It was unprecedented and improbable, and now it’s over. The Angels’ two-game streak of impressive

comeback victories ceased to exist Wednesday night, without so much as a hint at a revival. They fell 8-3

to Texas at Angel Stadium, unable to rebound from a poor Jesse Chavez start in his second outing as an

Angel.

“Jesse got into some bad counts,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “He just wasn’t as effective as he was in

his other outing.”

Chavez began by throwing Carlos Gomez four consecutive fastballs, all outside, most a bit low. He

cornered Shin-Soo Choo into a 1-and-2 count, and then induced a double-play groundout on a changeup

at the outer edge. Nomar Mazara popped out to end the inning.

To begin the second, Mike Napoli smashed a 411-foot homer to right field. The next action happened

quickly: Rougned Odor flied out on the first pitch he saw, Jonathan Lucroy flied out on the second

and Elvis Andrus homered to left-center field, also on the first pitch.

Chavez cruised through the third and fourth innings, but issued a leadoff walk to Lucroy in the fifth.

Andrus laced a ball that glanced off the glove of leaping second baseman Danny Espinosa and Joey

Gallo tripled down the right-field line to drive in Lucroy and Andrus.

While left-hander Jose Alvarez warmed in the Angels bullpen, Jurickson Profar singled past C.J. Cron at

first base to drive in Gallo. Pitching coach Charles Nagy visited the mound, and when Gomez flied out to

center field, Scioscia pulled Chavez for Alvarez.

“Up until the last inning, it was fine,” Chavez said. “The fifth inning kind of unraveled a little too soon,

before I could even put a stop to it.”

The left-handed Choo blooped a ball into left field and the Rangers had runners at the corners. After a

groundout pushed Choo to second, Scioscia ordered an intentional walk of Napoli, and Alvarez struck

out Odor.

Blake Parker struck out two Rangers in a scoreless sixth inning. Yusmeiro Petit threw the next two

innings, yielding only a homer to Gomez in the seventh. Mike Morin struggled through the ninth to

stretch Texas’ lead to five runs for the Angels’ last hacks.

In the Angels’ first inning, Yunel Escobar drove a baseball deep to right field, where Mazara caught it.

Kole Calhoun soon hit one where Mazara could not reach, but Calhoun never advanced past second,

as Mike Trout and Albert Pujols struck out.

April 13, 2017 Page 4 of 17

Andrelton Simmons began the second by working a walk, after he and Scioscia griped about a called

strike on a baseball that appeared low and outside. Television cameras caught Scioscia yelling to plate

umpire Stu Scheurwater that he had to call the same pitch a strike for the Angels.

Ben Revere followed with a double to left, and Cron and Espinosa each launched sacrifice flies to tie the

score 2-2. In the third, Trout homered, and Pujols twice came within a few feet of homering. First was a

drive down the left-field line that dove foul. Next was a 384-foot flyout to the warning track caught by

Gomez.

After Jeremy Jeffress retired Escobar to begin the eighth, manager Jeff Banister called in left-hander Alex

Claudio to face Calhoun, who promptly stroked a single down the left-field line — right where Texas’

third baseman would have been, if not for the shift. Out went Claudio and in came rookie right-hander

Jose Leclerc, who struck out Trout on three pitches and induced a harmless first-pitch popup from

Pujols.

On Sunday and Tuesday, the Angels became the first team in 26 years to win consecutive games when

trailing by five or more runs in the seventh inning or later. On Wednesday, they did not trail by five until

the ninth, and they could not come back from that.

The streak is over. Now, they are a 6-3 team with an encouraging offense and a worrisome starting

rotation so far incapable of lasting success.

The Angels’ starters are averaging just greater than five innings per outing. Only one team’s starters

have pitched less on average: the New York Yankees’.

“It’s important,” Scioscia said. “There’s no doubt it’s important.”

Angels' Danny Espinosa hopes he's found his groove after a slow start to season

By Pedro Moura

Danny Espinosa entered Tuesday with three hits in 25 plate appearances this season, his first as an

Angel. For his fourth hit, he bunted his way aboard in the second inning.

Then, as the Angels trailed in the ninth inning, he saw a Sam Dyson sinker headed toward the outside

part of the plate, waited, and hammered it for an opposite-field home run that sparked his team’s rally.

“That was probably the best swing I’ve seen him take,” teammate Mike Trout said.

Espinosa doubled his season hit total on the night by shooting a single into right in the 10th inning. The

second baseman said he inched closer to the feeling he’s been seeking.

“That was probably the best swing I’ve seen him take,” teammate Mike Trout said.

Espinosa doubled his season hit total on the night by shooting a single into right in the 10th inning. The

second baseman said he inched closer to the feeling he’s been seeking.

April 13, 2017 Page 5 of 17

“It’s one of those things where my timing has been hit and miss,” Espinosa said before Wednesday’s

game. “I’ve been working on getting that timing. If I’m on time, I don’t have to cheat. I just stuck to my

approach both those at-bats.”

He said film study has helped him understand his mistakes.

“Sometimes you wonder, ‘Why I am a tick late? I feel like I’m starting on time,’ ” Espinosa said. “And

then you watch the video, and you say, ‘OK, I’m not on time. I’m not getting started when I want to get

started.’ It might just be something like that. Sometimes it’s just a feeling.

“I don’t want to start my swing early. I just want to get ready early. That, for me, helps.”

The Angels placed right-hander Andrew Bailey on the 10-day disabled list. Manager Mike Scioscia said he

came to the team Wednesday reporting discomfort and was diagnosed with inflammation in his right

shoulder.

After a turbulent spring, Bailey appeared in three of the Angels’ first eight games, and threw three

perfect innings. He was awarded the win twice, including in Sunday’s comeback over Seattle.

Bailey, 32, underwent shoulder reconstruction surgery in 2013 and required two years to return to the

majors. When his hometown Philadelphia Phillies released him last summer, he signed a minor league

deal with the Angels and impressed while closing games in September. The Angels re-signed him for one

year and $1 million in November.

“We want to be very conservative with Andrew,” Scioscia said. “He threw the ball so well coming back at

the end of last year. We want to get him back there. So we’re gonna let him settle in and hopefully get

his shoulder where it needs to be.”

In his stead, they recalled right-hander Daniel Wright from triple-A Salt Lake, where he had made one

start and gave up 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Wright, 26, debuted in the majors last season and logged a 6.13 earned-run average in nine

appearances. Scioscia said he likes the slider he updated during the spring. Wright is one of several

possibilities to start Saturday in Kansas City, in the rotation vacancy created by Garrett Richards’

absence.

Short hops

Richards said he has not resumed throwing and the team does not have a planned day for him to do so.

He had said he hoped to start throwing again Tuesday after exiting his first start of the season because

of a biceps strain. Scioscia said the Angels remain confident Richards is “moving in the right direction.” …

Right-hander Cam Bedrosian said his excited fist pump after Trout’s homer-saving catch in Tuesday’s

10th inning was the most emotion he had ever displayed on a major league mound.

April 13, 2017 Page 6 of 17

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .

Angels tempt fates again, this time lose to Rangers

By J.P. HOORNSTRA

ANAHEIM — The Angels had the Texas Rangers right where they wanted them Wednesday night.

Try it often enough, however, and falling behind your opponent early and often won’t work. The Angels

could not tempt the fates for a third straight game and lost, 8-3 to Texas before an announced crowd of

34,599 at Angel Stadium.

The loss ended the Angels’ four-game winning streak and turned Thursday’s afternoon game against Texas

into a rubber match.

It also pointed to a larger issue, one masked by a pair of improbable comeback wins Sunday and Tuesday.

The Angels had averaged 5.2 innings and 85 pitches from their starting pitchers through their first eight

games of the season. Those numbers dropped when Jesse Chavez (1-1) couldn’t get out of the fifth inning

Wednesday and was removed after throwing his 67th pitch.

“It’s important,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of his starters’ durability. “There’s no doubt it’s

important. I don’t think it serves any purpose to look at them as a group because they’re five individuals.

Each one has different keys, different things they need to work on.”

Chavez took a 3-2 lead into the fifth inning, then faced four batters and allowed three runs before

recording an out.

Pitch count wasn’t the reason Chavez became the latest starter to receive an early hook. Neither was

fatigue, Scioscia said.

“He was missing spots,” Scioscia said of Chavez. “There comes a point in the game where you have to

match up to stay in the game.”

Tuesday, the Rangers took a 5-0 lead after three innings. The Angels didn’t score until the seventh

inning but still won, 6-5, in 10 innings, thanks to five scoreless innings from the bullpen.

Sunday, the Angels scored seven runs in the ninth inning to beat Seattle, 10-9. Four relievers combined to

pitch the final 4 2/3 innings of that game.

So when Texas took a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning, there was no cause for alarm.

“We always think that — whether it’s 5-3, 8-3, 11 to 1 — we always keep that same mentality of ‘just give

us a chance, give us an opportunity, and we’ll capitalize on it’,” Chavez said.

April 13, 2017 Page 7 of 17

Jonathan Lucroy led off the fifth inning with a walk. Elvis Andrus singled Lucroy to second base. Joey Gallo,

the Rangers’ hulking third baseman, pounded a line drive into the right-field corner. The relay throw came

to home plate, too late to get Andrus or Lucroy, while Gallo wound up at third base with a two-run triple.

After Chavez got Carlos Gomez to fly out, Scioscia would not allow his right-handed starter to face a pair of

left-handed hitters — Shin-Soo Choo and Nomar Mazara — for a third time in the game.

“We were keeping the ball down, we just didn’t get good chases down,” said Chavez, who recorded two

strikeouts. “That’s my m.o. If I’m down and I get chases, it’s going to help out a lot. Today was the case

where we didn’t get any looks down and that kind of threw us off our game plan.”

In his emotional Angels debut last Friday, Chavez was masterful. He limited the Seattle Mariners to one run

in 5 2/3 innings in the first home game on the calendar.

This time, Chavez barely got to 4 1/3 innings. Two of the five hits he allowed were home runs — one by

Mike Napoli and another by Elvis Andrus, both in the second inning.

“It’s our job to be efficient and pitch deep in ballgames and keep our pitch count down,” Chavez said. “It’s

something that we don’t ever want to happen this early (in the season) because we want all our guys

fresh. That’s something us five (starters) have to take pride in and we have to nip it before it keeps going.”

For a team accustomed to comebacks, five innings was still plenty of time to erase a 5-3 deficit.

However, the Rangers refused to cede any momentum. With Yusmeiro Petit on the mound in the seventh

inning, Gomez crushed a first-pitch fastball over the fence in left-center field for a solo home run.

Texas scored twice against right-hander Michael Morin in the ninth inning. With two outs, Mazara and

Napoli singled. Rougned Odor poked a 1-and-1 fastball into right-center field beyond the outstretched dive

of Kole Calhoun. The two-run triple gave the Rangers an 8-3 lead.

The Angels put a runner on second base in each of the last two innings.

With one out in the eighth inning, Calhoun doubled for the 100th time in his career against Rangers pitcher

Alex Claudio. Jose Leclerc relieved Claudio and struck out Trout on three pitches. The next batter, Albert

Pujols, got underneath a 97-mph fastball at the letters and flied out to center field.

Andrelton Simmons led off the ninth inning with a single and went to second base with one out. But

Leclerc got Cron to pop up before striking out Espinosa to end the game.

Tied 2-2 after two innings, the Angels gained the upper hand on a solo home run by Trout. According to

MLB’s Statcast technology, Trout’s third home run of the season sailed 425 feet into the shrubs towering

over the center field fence. It was his only hit in four plate appearances.

Simmons walked to lead off the second inning and went to third on a double by Ben Revere. Both players

scored on sacrifice flies: one by Cron, the next by Espinosa.

April 13, 2017 Page 8 of 17

Angels Notes: Carlos Perez and bunts are a perfect pair

By J.P. HOORNSTRA

ANAHEIM — A glass window separates the Angels’ batting cage from a corridor behind the field-level

suites at Angel Stadium. Before the second game of any home series, glance through that window on a late

afternoon and the Angels will be there, practicing their bunts.

It’s an exercise that doesn’t translate outside the cage often, but Tuesday night was an exception. With

Cameron Maybin on third base in the 10th inning and the score tied, a perfectly executed safety squeeze

by Carlos Perez made the difference in the Angels’ 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers.

The sequence required more than an afternoon’s worth of drills and a command from the dugout.

Start with Perez. The 26-year-old Venezuelan signed his first professional contract with the Toronto Blue

Jays at age 17. The first time a Blue Jays coach asked him to lay down a bunt in practice, Perez recalled he

had no trouble.

“Some guys can do it easily, some can not,” Perez said. “That’s the way it is.”

Last year, Perez led the Angels in sacrifice bunts with eight. In the ninth inning of a game in Chicago last

April, Perez dropped a safety squeeze down the first-base line to drive in Kole Calhoun. That gave the

Angels a 3-1 lead in a game they would eventually win, 3-2.

Before Wednesday, Perez said, that was the biggest bunt of his career.

“There’s not much time to think,” he said. “I see the ball, put the ball in play. Don’t be perfect. Try to be on

time. Get the ball down.”

In a decade that has seen the art of bunting die in the face of data-driven game theory, Angels manager

Mike Scioscia takes pride in being an outlier. In 2016, only the Kansas City Royals (38) recorded more

sacrifice bunts than the Angels (36) among AL teams. By contrast, the Boston Red Sox recorded eight.

Not every game comes with an opportunity to bunt, so an outlier exists more in theory than in practice.

Still, Scioscia insists his hitters put in the work before the second game of each homestand.

“Although right now the bunt is not really in vogue in a lot of philosophies around baseball, all of us in the

organization feel there’s a time for it,” he said. “(Tuesday) night was one of those times.”

BAILEY TO DL, WRIGHT UP

The Angels placed Andrew Bailey on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his right shoulder. Bailey

had surgery on the shoulder in July 2013, which caused him to miss the remainder of the 2013 season and

most of the next two.

“Andrew doesn’t feel this is the same scope he had back in Boston,” Scioscia said. “Naturally we’re

concerned enough to shut him down. Hopefully it won’t be too long.”

April 13, 2017 Page 9 of 17

Scioscia said it’s too soon to predict whether or not Bailey can miss the minimum 10 days. The move is

retroactive to Monday, so Bailey is eligible to be activated April 20.

Bailey has made three scoreless appearances for the Angels this season, all in the role of a traditional set-

up man. He pitched the eighth inning twice last week, then the ninth inning of a tie game Sunday against

the Seattle Mariners. Bailey first experienced symptoms in his shoulder Monday, Scioscia said.

The Angels recalled pitcher Daniel Wright from Triple-A Salt Lake to take Bailey’s place on the 25-man

roster.

Wright made three appearances for the Angels in spring training, all out of the bullpen, and allowed five

runs in five innings. He was optioned to Salt Lake on March 15.

Saturday, Wright made his regular-season debut and surrendered 10 runs in 3 1/3 innings. He was

scheduled to start for Salt Lake again Thursday.

ALSO

Matt Shoemaker was originally listed as the starter for Friday, but he’s been given an extra day’s rest and

will start Saturday instead. … J.C. Ramirez will take Garrett Richards’ spot in the rotation Friday in Kansas

City. Ramirez, a right-hander, has made 111 relief appearances since 2011. This will be his first start. …

Ramirez (2-0) has allowed three runs in five innings out of the Angels’ bullpen this season. … Richards still

hasn’t thrown since he was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right biceps strain. The right-hander is

eligible to be activated Sunday. … Luis Valbuena, on the 10-day DL with a right hamstring strain, continues

to take pregame infield practice.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Bailey lands on DL with shoulder inflammation

Angels reliever hasn't allowed a run over 3 appearances

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels placed right-hander Andrew Bailey on the 10-day disabled list on Wednesday,

retroactive to Monday, with right shoulder inflammation.

Bailey last pitched against the Mariners on Sunday and had posted three scoreless innings over his first

three outings of 2017, but he began feeling discomfort in his shoulder on Monday.

Full Game Coverage

"His shoulder acted up a little bit, so we're just going to take a little step back," manager Mike Scioscia

said. "We want to be very conservative with Andrew. He threw the ball so well coming back at the end

of last year. We want to get him back there, so we're going to let him settle in and hopefully get his

shoulder where it needs to be."

April 13, 2017 Page 10 of 17

Bailey logged a 2.38 ERA over 11 1/3 innings and saved six games for the Angels last summer after

joining the club on a Minor League deal. The 32-year-old veteran won the '09 American League Rookie

of the Year Award with the A's and was later traded to the Red Sox, though he struggled to stay healthy

in Boston and missed the entire '14 season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and a torn

capsule in his throwing shoulder.

Scioscia said Bailey does not believe his latest shoulder flare-up is as serious as what he faced with the

Red Sox, but the Angels manager added that it's too early to say if Bailey will be sidelined for more than

10 days.

"Andrew doesn't feel this is the same scope that he had like back in Boston where it really was bothering

him," Scioscia said. "But naturally, we're concerned enough to shut him down. Hopefully it won't be too

long, but we want to take that first step."

Bailey opened the '16 season with the Phillies, but he was released after posting a 6.40 ERA over 32 1/3

innings. He ultimately landed with the Angels, who were in need of bullpen depth following the injuries

to Huston Street and Cam Bedrosian. Bailey pitched well enough in September to earn a one-year, $1

million contract from the Halos over the winter.

With Bailey and Street on the disabled list, the Angels are now without two of their most established

backend options in the bullpen, though the rest of their relief corps had performed well entering

Wednesday, posting a combined 2.45 ERA.

The Angels recalled right-hander Daniel Wright from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday to take Bailey's

spot on the roster. Wright, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Reds last year and went 1-3 with a 5.40

ERA over five starts for the Halos in September.

"He picked up a better slider, which I think is something that can definitely help him," Scioscia said. "He

spins it really well. He's got a real good curveball, he's got a nice changeup and he hits his spots with his

fastball. Although he's not overpowering, his stuff plays up because of the way he spins the ball."

Worth noting

• Right-hander Garrett Richards (right biceps strain) had said that he hoped to resume throwing

on Tuesday, but Scioscia said he still has not been cleared to do so by the team's medical staff.

"He's not throwing, but he's moving in the right direction," Scioscia said. "We'll just see when

those guys feel he's ready to throw."

Scioscia said the Angels still have not decided who will take Richards' spot on the rotation on

Saturday when they face the Royals in Kansas City, though Wright, Yusmeiro Petit, JC

Ramirez and Alex Meyer are likely among the candidates.

April 13, 2017 Page 11 of 17

Chavez adds to starters' struggles going deep

Angels righty lasts 4 1/3 innings in loss to Rangers

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels are only nine games into the 2017 season, but a troubling trend has already

emerged regarding their starting pitching.

So far, the Halos have been unable to get consistent length from their starters, none of whom have

managed to pitch past the sixth inning. Only one member of their rotation, Ricky Nolasco, has produced

a six-inning outing, which is the fewest of all Major League clubs.

Full Game Coverage

"It's important," manager Mike Scioscia said of his starters' ability to pitch deep into games. "No doubt

it's important. I don't think it serves any purpose to look at them as a group because they're five

individuals. Each one has different keys, each one has different things they need to work on."

On Wednesday night, right-hander Jesse Chavez could not make it out of the fifth, surrendering five runs

on five hits over 4 1/3 innings in the Angels' 8-3 loss to the Rangers, which snapped their four-game

winning streak.

Chavez, who pitched 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his Angels debut last week, yielded a pair of homers

in the second to Mike Napoli and Elvis Andrus and then gave up a trio of runs in the fifth, when he

allowed the first four batters of the inning to reach base before recording an out. Chavez was lifted with

his pitch count at 67 after Scioscia decided to bring in left-hander Jose Alvarez to face lefty bat Shin-Soo

Choo with a runner on first and the Rangers ahead, 5-3.

"Jesse got into some bad counts and was just missing with some pitches," Scioscia said. "He just wasn't

as effective as he was his other outing."

Though their rotation has struggled to eat up innings, the Angels have still managed to win six of their

first nine games thanks to a resilient offense and a bullpen that has been effective despite its heavy

workload. Still, the Halos realize that their success will likely be unsustainable without more steady

production from their rotation.

"Other than one guy, it's been us four that haven't been able to pitch deep into the ballgame, and that's

something that we got to nip in the bud before it's too late," Chavez said. "It's our job to be efficient and

pitch deep into ballgames and keep our pitch count down. It's early, and it's something that we don't

ever want to happen this early because we want all our guys fresh, that's something that us five have to

take pride in."

Trout homers but Rangers rally to snap streak

By Maria Guardado and T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

April 13, 2017 Page 12 of 17

ANAHEIM -- Joey Gallo's go-ahead triple highlighted a three-run fifth inning and helped propel the

Rangers to an 8-3 win over the Angels on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.

The Rangers entered the fifth trailing, 3-2, but Angels starter Jesse Chavez allowed the first four batters

of the inning to get on base, igniting a rally for Texas. Jonathan Lucroy drew a leadoff walk, Elvis

Andrus singled and Gallo ripped a first-pitch fastball to right field for a two-run triple to put the Rangers

ahead, 4-3. Jurickson Profar followed with an RBI single to right, his first hit of the season.

Full Game Coverage

Carlos Gomez also crushed a solo home run off Angels reliever Yusmeiro Petit in the seventh,

while Rougned Odor added a two-run triple in the ninth. Mike Napoli and Andrus got the scoring started

for Texas with a pair of homers in the second inning.

With the win, the Rangers evened the three-game series between the division rivals and snapped the

Angels' four-game winning streak.

"Today was a huge for us," Andrus said. "Now we have a chance to come back tomorrow and win the

series. That's what we were looking for and what we want to do."

Texas starter A.J. Griffin picked up his first win of the season after allowing three runs on four hits over

six innings. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up a pair of runs in the second and a solo homer to Mike

Trout in the third that briefly gave the Angels a 3-2 lead, but he held the Halos scoreless over the final

three innings of his outing.

Chavez, meanwhile, couldn't make it out of the fifth inning in his second start of the season, yielding five

runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

"The fifth inning kind of unraveled a little bit too soon before I could even put a stop to it," Chavez said.

"That's something that we're going to hammer out tomorrow. It was one of those where we get a little

bit too ahead of ourselves as far as getting to the next pitch before we even get to that one. That's

something that I'll have to go back, look at video, do some homework tomorrow when I get here and

pick it up the next day."

The Angels have yet to have a starter pitch past the sixth inning in their first nine games of 2017. They

have had only one pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, complete six innings, which is the fewest of any Major League

team.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Napoli and Andrus go deep: Napoli opened the scoring with his second home run of the season, a solo

shot to right-center field off Chavez in the second. Andrus later extended the Rangers' lead to 2-0 with

another solo shot to left-center. It was Andrus' third homer of the season and his second in as many

days. It's the first time in his career Andrus has hit home runs in consecutive games and the first time he

April 13, 2017 Page 13 of 17

has hit more than one home run in April. The home run was projected by Statcast™ at 436 feet, Andrus'

farthest since the beginning of 2015.

"I'm just trying to swing the same way I ended up last year," Andrus said. "So far it's paying off. I'm

putting good swings on the ball and getting lucky. It's been a good wind the last few nights."

Trout's bomb: After the Angels erased an early two-run deficit on a pair of sacrifice flies from C.J.

Cron and Danny Espinosa in the second, Trout temporarily put the Halos ahead, 3-2, by blasting a solo

homer off Griffin in the third. Trout's third home run of the season had an exit velocity of 106 mph and

traveled an estimated 425 feet, according to Statcast™.

Leclerc gets Trout: The biggest moment of the game came in the eighth when Jose Leclerc, with a

runner on second and one out, entered the game with the Rangers ahead, 6-3, to face Trout and Albert

Pujols. Leclerc got the job done in four pitches. He struck out Trout in three and retired Pujols on a pop

to center to end the inning. "I got a little nervous but I took a little break and just threw strikes," Leclerc

said.

QUOTABLE

"It was a good time winning, pitching in front of my friends and family. I'm from San Diego and they

always drive up to see me."-- A.J. Griffin

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Rangers have hit 16 homers in their first eight games. That's tied for the second most in club history.

They hit 17 in the first eight games of 2009. They also hit 16 in the first eight games of '03 and '11.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rangers: Right-hander Yu Darvish pitches Thursday at 2:37 p.m. CT against the Angels. Darvish is 7-2

with a 3.78 ERA in 13 career starts against the Angels. That's his most wins against any opponent.

Angels: The Angels will close out their three-game series with the Rangers on Thursday afternoon, with

Nolasco (0-1, 3,86 ERA) taking the mound in his third start of the regular season. First pitch is scheduled

for 12:37 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium.

Nolasco, Darvish duel to wrap series vs. Texas

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish is 7-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 13 career starts against the Angels. That's his most

victories against any opponent, and he faces the Angels again on Thursday afternoon at Angel Stadium.

Darvish beat the Angels in his only start against them last season. He held them to one run on three hits

over 6 2/3 innings in a 2-1 victory on Sept. 9. He walked one and struck out nine.

April 13, 2017 Page 14 of 17

Full Game Coverage

"They basically have the same lineup as they had last year," Darvish said. "I'll see what I did last year and

go out and compete."

Right-hander Ricky Nolasco pitches for the Angels and will be making his third start. He is 0-1 despite a

respectable 3.86 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. He has been tough on hitters because of his slider.

Nolasco threw his slider more than any other pitch last year, and so far this year opponents are just 1-

for-12 against it. From the start of 2016, Nolasco is tied with Kenta Maeda for the 4th-lowest average

exit velocity (84.5 mph) allowed on breaking balls (sliders and curve balls) among 65 pitchers who have

ended at least 100 at-bats with either pitch, according to Statcast.

Things to know about this game

• Yu Darvish got only one swing-and-miss with his slider in his first start, and two swings-and-misses in

his second start. That ranks as two of his five lowest games in that category in the Statcast Era. His .193

SLG allowed on sliders last year was best in MLB.

• Elvis Andrus has hit a home run in two straight games for the Rangers and three for the month. This is

the first time he has hit more than one home run in the month of April.

• Mike Trout has four home runs in 37 career at-bats against Darvish. That's the most by a right-handed

hitter off Darvish. Kole Calhoun has two home runs off him in just 11 at-bats.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rangers hit 3 HRs, prevent Angels comeback in 8-3 win

By STATS

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Mike Trout stepped to the plate against young Rangers reliever Jose Leclerc with a

runner on second base and the entire Angel Stadium crowd anticipating another exhilarating comeback.

Three pitches later, Trout was back in the dugout. One pitch after that, Albert Pujols joined him.

The Rangers' bullpen had no interest in another night of drama.

Joey Gallo hit a go-ahead, two-run triple in the fifth, and the Rangers coolly prevented a third straight

late-inning comeback by the Angels, beating Los Angeles 8-3 on Wednesday.

Mike Napoli, Elvis Andrus and Carlos Gomez homered for the Rangers, and A.J. Griffin (1-0) pitched six

innings of four-hit ball to pick up his first victory in six starts dating to last September.

April 13, 2017 Page 15 of 17

A trio of Texas relievers doused the Angels' hopes for a third consecutive victory featuring a rally from a

multi-run deficit in the ninth inning. The Angels rallied from a six-run deficit in the ninth to beat Seattle

last Sunday, and followed it up against the Rangers on Tuesday with a rally from a three-run deficit in

the ninth and a walk-off win in the 10th.

The third time had no charm, thanks to Texas' relievers.

"It was huge, especially for our bullpen," said Andrus, who homered in back-to-back games for the first

time in his career. "They were able to come back and shut that team down. That's the bullpen we

know."

LECLERC'S MOMENT

Leclerc did the most eye-catching work in just his 16th big league appearance, thwarting the Angels'

eighth-inning threat by striking out Trout on a pair of nasty changeups and getting Pujols to pop out.

"I was a little nervous, but I took a little break and I said, `Let's throw strikes," Leclerc said. "I just wanted

to use the best pitches in my repertoire."

Trout hit an early homer and drove in his ninth run in nine games for the Angels, but they were beaten

at home for the first time this season after four straight wins.

STARTING SLOWLY

Los Angeles (6-3) lost for just the second time since opening day thanks to its latest mediocre starting

pitching performance.

Jesse Chavez (1-1) yielded five runs and five hits before getting chased in the fifth inning. Only one

Angels starter has made it through six innings for Los Angeles, and the rotation has a combined 5.67

ERA.

"We've got confidence in this group," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think we're going to start to see the

length of the starts."

NAP'S SMACKS

Napoli's solo shot in the second inning added to his outstanding career numbers against the Angels, who

drafted him in 2000. He spent his first five big league seasons in Anaheim, and has consistently crushed

the ball against Angels pitching ever since, batting .347 with 20 homers and 46 RBI.

"We all have that chip on our shoulders when we want to do well against our former team," said Chavez,

a former Rangers pitcher. "We're that team for (Napoli)."

April 13, 2017 Page 16 of 17

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rangers: With reliever Matt Bush away from the club for treatment on his sore right shoulder, Texas

recalled RHP Nick Martinez from Triple-A Round Rock. ... Rangers closer Sam Dyson was unavailable

after throwing 24 pitches in Tuesday night's meltdown.

Angels: RHP Andrew Bailey went on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation. Los

Angeles recalled right-hander Daniel Wright from Triple-A Salt Lake. Bailey hasn't allowed a run all year,

but felt pain in his shoulder Monday. He joins closer Huston Street and starter Garrett Richards on the

Angels' disabled list. ... J.C. Ramirez will start Friday in Kansas City to fill Richards' spot in the rotation.

UP NEXT

Rangers: Yu Darvish (0-1, 3.65 ERA) is winless after two starts for the first time since coming to the

majors, but his seven career wins over the Angels are his most against any opponent.

Angels: Opening day starter Ricky Nolasco (0-1, 3.86) beat the Rangers for the first time last July.

FROM CBS SPORTS

Rangers' Darvish, Angels' Nolasco duel for first win

By STATS

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Angels made an effort to be more aggressive on the basepaths

during spring training, particularly when it came to stealing bases.

So far, however, it hasn't translated to the season. The Angels have only one stolen base through their

first nine games -- it belongs to Andrelton Simmons.

They have attempted to steal only three times; the other two times the baserunners, Yunel Escobar and

Danny Espinosa, were thrown out. Mike Trout, who stole 30 bases last year, hasn't even tried yet.

That all works out to be good news for Texas Rangers right-hander Yu Darvish, who will start the

Thursday series finale against the Angels. The last 26 would-be base-stealers have been successful with

Darvish on the mound, dating back to 2013.

Darvish prefers to focus on the hitter, and that's fine with Rangers manager Jeff Banister, as long as the

baserunners don't wind up crossing the plate.

"How many of those have scored?" Banister told the Dallas Morning News. "With strikeout guys, they

have a weapon to keep guys from scoring. You'd like to control the running game better, but he's not

allowing them to score."

Well, some of them have. Of those 26 who stole successfully against Darvish, five eventually scored.

April 13, 2017 Page 17 of 17

In his last start on Saturday, Darvish had a first in his career: He picked off a baserunner, getting

Oakland's Rajai Davis straying too far off second base.

Darvish also is dealing with another first, this season marking the first time in his major league career he

is winless through his first two starts. He is 0-1 with a 3.65 ERA.

He has been good against the Angels, however, going 7-2 with a 3.78 ERA in 13 starts. The seven wins

are the most Darvish has had against any team.

Ricky Nolasco will start for the Angels. Like Darvish, he is looking for his first win. The Angels' Opening

Day starter is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his two starts, and he is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts

against Texas.

Jonathan Lucroy (5-for-12) and Carlos Gomez (4-for-9) are the Rangers with the most success against

Nolasco, whose contributions will be vital this year for the Angels if they are to compete for the

American League West title.

Garrett Richards is on the disabled list, Tyler Skaggs has struggled in his two starts, Matt Shoemaker is

returning from a fractured skull and Jesse Chavez has a history of fading as the season progresses.

That leaves the Angels depending on consistency from Nolasco, who showed he could be that pitcher

when he averaged 12.8 wins per season from 2008 to 2013, mostly with the Miami Marlins. He joined

the Angels last season in a trade from the Minnesota Twins.

Nolasco has another reason to stay healthy and put up innings this season: If he throws at least 202 1/3

innings, his $13 million salary for 2018 will be guaranteed. If he fails to pitch that many innings, the

Angels have the option to pick up the contract or buy him out for $1 million.

"It's a big deal to me," Nolasco told the Los Angeles Times during spring training. "I know what's at stake

-- something that, obviously, I want to get to, no matter what happens. When I first signed that contract

with the Twins, I thought, 'Well, as long as I stay healthy, this is a five-year deal.' It's kind of been on my

mind since Day 1."