(August 26, 2016) - MLB.commlb.mlb.com/.../August_26_2016_Clips_jhl3m1p7.pdf · August 26, 2016 Page 2 of 19 Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3) Jered Weaver finds

August 26, 2016 Page 1 of 19

Clips

(August 26, 2016)


Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Jered Weaver finds the zone as the Angels beat the Blue Jays, 6-3

Angels’ Garrett Richards making strides, but still has a long way to go in recovery

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)

Albert Pujols keeps playing, producing as Angels take series from Blue Jays

Angels Notes: Kaleb Cowart showing signs of development, more confidence at the plate

Final: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols lead Angels to 6-3 victory against Blue Jays

On deck: Angels at Tigers, Friday, 4 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)

Trout, Angels solve Happ, deny Blue Jays

100 RBIs: Another night, another Pujols feat

Escobar’s return delayed; Rasmus getting closer

Seeking first Angels win, Nolasco duels with Verlander

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)

Pujols reaches 100 RBIs for 13th time, Angels beat Jays 6-3

FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 17)

Angels-Tigers Preview


FROM THE LA TIMES

Jered Weaver finds the zone as the Angels beat the Blue Jays, 6-3

Pedro Moura

Jered Weaver does not plan to retire after 2016. The free-agent-to-be indicated as much in his most certain terms of the year after he pitched the Angels to a 6-3 victory over Toronto on Thursday at the Rogers Centre.

He had said in spring training he would be inclined to retire if he was as unsuccessful as last season. He has been worse, but he is enjoying it more.

“I’m feeling better as we go on,” the 33-year-old right-hander said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done. I just think it’s gonna take an off-season to figure this out and finally gain some strength back.”

He wielded some of his better stuff of the season, particularly in terms of command, in this start. The first man he faced was Jose Bautista, returning from a two-week disabled list stint because of a sore knee. Weaver struck him out on four pitches, the fourth an 84-mph fastball just above the strike zone that Bautista could not reach.

He soon struck out Edwin Encarnacion to end the inning and thus matched his strikeout total from his previous two starts combined. Weaver yielded his first run, helped along by a Gregorio Petit error, on a sacrifice fly in the second.

Josh Donaldson smashed a solo home run in the fifth for the second run. The baseball was clocked at 81 mph off Weaver’s fingertips, then was clocked at 111 mph off Donaldson’s bat. The 31st home run Weaver has yielded this season, it traveled 453 feet to straightaway center field.

But he made no more such mistakes. In the sixth, Weaver loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, but rookie Jose Valdez entered and pitched out of the jam.

The Angels mounted their first rally earlier in that inning. Kaleb Cowart led off with a double and Petit walked. It was the walk that Toronto starter J.A. Happ would later lament most.

Kole Calhoun followed by lining a single off Happ’s left foot. After examination, the left-hander stayed in the game to face Mike Trout with the bases loaded. There were no outs, and Trout worked the count to 2-and-2 before he took an outside changeup and flopped it into left field for a two-run single.

Albert Pujols followed with a go-ahead single for his 100th run batted in of the season. In so doing he became the fifth major leaguer ever to reach that mark in 13 seasons. Pujols smashed


a Happ fastball to the bleachers in the first inning, only to watch it fly a foot foul down the first-base line.

The RBI milestone marked an occasion to celebrate him, though Pujols was unwilling to admit to the feat holding any meaning. Asked about it, he said he had reached 100 RBIs before. The man who he has driven in one-quarter of those times, Trout, said more.

“He could easily shut it down,” said Trout, who added a second bases-loaded single in the seventh to score two more. “He’s got messed up legs. But he comes in and works hard and tries to be on the field with us, and that’s all you could ask for.”

Weaver praised both players for their performances in the three games in Toronto, in the Angels’ best road series in a month. He said he relished being the bearer of bad news to the Blue Jays. And, he said, he was collecting hope and motivation for the future.

“I know what I need to do now,” he said. “It’s kind of been a mystery the last couple years. I’m looking forward to putting in the work to get back. It’s just a matter of getting my body realigned again, and hopefully grinding through another season and seeing what happens.”

Angels’ Garrett Richards making strides, but still has a long way to go in recovery

Pedro Moura

Garrett Richards carried his game of catch with Angels physical therapist Bernard Li out to 90 feet Thursday and tossed a baseball for 13 minutes. They started at 45 feet when Richards was cleared to resume throwing, and they step out 15 feet farther every couple days.

The right-hander’s recovery from a May ulnar collateral ligament tear in his elbow and subsequent stem-cell injection is all regimented. Richards revealed this week his hope to advance to a mound setting by the “third or fourth week of September.” He will then push to appear in instructional league games before they conclude in mid-October.

He said he does not feel he would need to pitch in a game more than two or three times, for two or three innings at a time. Even if he wanted to, it’s unlikely there would be time. But the Angels can apply for an exemption to allow him into the Arizona Fall League, where he’d also face more experienced hitters.

“If I feel like I need more and if they let me into the fall league, then great,” Richards said. “If I can get up and down two or three times, there’s no point in being stretched out to 100 pitches. I’m not interested in testing it at 120 pitches.”


Richards, 28, admitted to surprise that the injection of his body’s own cells worked as well as it currently appears. He mentioned he could envision himself undergoing further injections to keep the ligament healthy — perhaps as soon as this winter, if he pitches in games and feels fine.

Of course, if it doesn’t, he will undergo Tommy John surgery and aim for opening day 2018. That should significantly correlate with the Angels’ ability to contend next season, and could change their off-season approach.

“It feels as fresh as it ever has,” Richards said. “But I don’t want to get too caught up in feeling too good. I still have a long ways to go.”

Escobar out through the weekend

The Angels will almost assuredly remain without third baseman Yunel Escobar through this weekend’s series in Detroit. He was placed on the seven-day disabled list Saturday after suffering a concussion on a foul ball the night before in Anaheim. He’s eligible to return Saturday in Detroit but is unlikely to be activated until the Angels return home the following week to play Cincinnati.

“Yunel is getting over some of his initial soreness, but has to be evaluated as to when he can get back into physical activity,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “When that happens, you can start to map out when he might be ready.”

Escobar could require a short rehabilitation assignment. In his stead, rookie Kaleb Cowart has started four times at third base, with one hit each time.

Short hops

According a person who requested anonymity because of the nature of the issue, Jefry Marte missed the Angels’ series in Toronto because of a personal ailment. The infielder will join the team Friday in Detroit, against the team with whom he debuted as a major leaguer. … Right-hander Cory Rasmus has resumed throwing off a mound after July groin surgery. He could pitch in relief in September. … Surgery is being considered for right-handerCam Bedrosian, who has a blood clot in his upper arm. If it is decided upon, he’ll miss the rest of the season. … The Angels announced they signed Daniel Ozoria, a shortstop from the Dominican Republic. He turned 16 on Wednesday.


FROM OC REGISTER

Albert Pujols keeps playing, producing as Angels take series from Blue Jays

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

TORONTO – Ask Mike Trout to evaluate the season Albert Pujols has had, and he looks past the numbers to something that few outside the Angels clubhouse can truly comprehend.

“Obviously, he’s banged up,” Trout said. “But he keeps pushing to the end. He goes out there every day. He could easily shut it down. He’s got messed up legs, but he comes in and works hard and tries to be on the field with us, and that’s all you could ask for.”

Pujols, who generally doesn’t like to talk about how he’s feeling physically, reached a milestone with his 100th RBI of the season in the Angels’ 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Pujols is the fifth player ever to have 13 seasons of at least 100 RBIs. The others are Alex Rodriguez (14), Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

“It’s good company but I don’t think that’s what I play for,” Pujols said. “My goal is to help this organization win. In St. Louis, I did the same thing. When my career ends I can sit back and enjoy it, but right now to soak everything in and think about it is hard for me.”

The 100-RBI season for Pujols is also a testament to the production of the hitters in front of him. Pujols has come to the plate with 428 runners on base, the most in the majors.

Still, Pujols has done a much better job of capitalizing on his opportunities than last year. He is hitting .331 with runners in scoring position, compared with .237 last year.

Of course, the other part of that equation is simply being in the lineup to take advantage of all those runners.

Pujols had foot surgery last fall, and he’s dealt with hamstring trouble for at least the past two months. Although he’s been limited to DH almost the entire season, he has nonethe less played in 124 of the Angels’ 127 games.

Like Pujols, Trout has taken advantage of plenty of his opportunities to drive runs in, including four more on Thursday.

He came up with the bases loaded in the sixth and seventh innings, and had two-run singles each time.

Trout has come up with 344 runners on base this season, which is already more than the 341 runners he had on base all of last season, and there are 35 games to go.


He was the difference in Thursday’s game, and one of the big reasons the Angels were able to win the series – just their seventh road series win of the season.

Trout had seven hits and five RBI in the series. Pujols had six hits and four RBI, just in the last two games.

When it was over, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons – whose contending team certainly didn’t expect to lose two of three to the last-place Angels – was no doubt ready to get Trout and Pujols out of the country.

“They’re both locked in,” Gibbons said. “One’s going to the Hall of Fame, one eventually probably will. They’re swinging it good. Trout, he’s got that short, compact swing so he’s tough to pitch to. He was hitting the ball to right field, left field, it didn’t matter. And Albert’s been doing it his whole career. He had a big-time series.”

Angels Notes: Kaleb Cowart showing signs of development, more confidence at the plate


TORONTO – Despite the fact that Kaleb Cowart has been groomed as something of a super utility player lately in the minors, Mike Scioscia isn’t ruling out that he still might have a future at one spot.

“I think his upside is to play every day,” the Angels manager said Thursday.

Cowart is a well-above-average defensive third baseman and he’s proven to be capable at the other positions he’s tried, all four infield spots and left field.

Hitting, though, is the question. In just 74 big league plate appearances, Cowart has hit .191. This week, playing every day while Yunel Escobar is out with a concussion, Cowart has four hits in 16 at-bats.

The reason he and the Angels are still hopeful is that he’s only 24 and he hit .280 with a .340 on-base percentage this season at Triple-A.

For comparison sake, when Jett Bandy was 24, he was starting his second year at Double-A and hadn’t even sniffed the majors.

Scioscia said he’s seeing signs of Cowart’s development, even though they haven’t shown up in the numbers just yet.


“I think he’s more confident in the batter’s box,” Scioscia said. “I think you are seeing a hitter that is taking steps forward from where he was a couple years ago. Last year he had enough success to get his confidence going. He really started to put some things together in Triple-A.”

Escobar is not expected back until next week, offering more opportunity for Cowart.

RICHARDS UPDATE

A week and a half into his throwing program, Garrett Richards is still feeling good about his chances of avoiding Tommy John surgery.

“It feels fresh as it ever has, which is cool,” Richards said. “But I don’t want to get too caught up in feeling too good.”

Richards has stretched his throwing out to about 90 feet. He said the plan is to keep extending that until he’s ready to throw off a mound, around the third or fourth week of September.

In October, he would make a couple appearances in instructional league games and, if he gets approval, a couple games in the Arizona Fall League. The AFL normally does not allow players with as much major league time as Richards has.

ALSO

Johnny Giavotella, who was designated for assignment last weekend, is still in limbo. Scioscia said the Angels would like Giavotella to learn to play some other positions if he clears waivers and returns to the system, although it’s unclear when he would do that since the minor league seasons are over in about a week. ...

On the day the World Baseball Classic schedule came out, Mike Troutsaid he is still undecided if he will play. Trout said it would be “cool,” but he acknowledged that the early start would make for “a long season, I’ll tell you that.” ...

Cory Rasmus, who has been out since June 13 after undergoing abdominal surgery, is throwing off a mound in Arizona and hasn’t had any setbacks, Scioscia said. It is possible he can return this season.

Final: Mike Trout, Albert Pujols lead Angels to 6-3 victory against Blue Jays


TORONTO – The Angels are clearly better in Canada.


Thanks to a big offensive night from Mike Trout, a milestone from Albert Pujols and solid work from Jered Weaver and three relievers, the Angels finished off a series victory over the Toronto Blue Jays with a 6-3 victory on Thursday night.

It was just the seventh road series the Angels have won this year, the first since July 25-27 in Kansas City.

This one was impressive, too, considering how well the Blue Jays had been playing, and how dangerous their lineup is.

But the Angels did most of the damage. Trout had three hits and drove in four runs, helping the Angels handed a rare loss to J.A. Happ, who fell to 17-4.

The Angels took the lead with a four-run sixth inning, with Trout driving in two and then Pujols knocking in one.

It was the 100th RBI of the season for Pujols, which made Pujols the fifth player ever to have 13 seasons of at least 100 RBI. The others are Alex Rodriguez (14), Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth.

The 100-RBI season for Pujols is certainly a testament to the production of the hitters in front of him. Pujols has come to the plate with 428 runners on base, the most in the majors.

Still, Pujols has done a much better job of capitalizing on his opportunities than last year. He is hitting .331 with runners in scoring position, compared with .237 last year.

The Angels padded the lead on Trout’s two-run single in the seventh, which gave him 82 RBI.

Weaver pitched one of his better games, despite a matchup that didn’t seem like a good one for him.

Weaver had allowed 30 homers, among the most in the majors, and he was pitching against a Blue Jays team that ranked second in the league in homers. Rogers Centre is also a particularly homer-friendly ballpark.

Weaver did allow one monstrous homer – Josh Donaldson crushed a ball 453 feet in the fifth inning – but that was the only earned run Weaver allowed.

In the second, the Blue Jays scored an unearned run after an error by second baseman Gregorio Petit.

Weaver was an out away from finishing six innings, but two straight hits and a walk chased him out of the game.


Jose Valdez inherited a bases-loaded situation in a 4-2 game, and he got Darwin Barney on a groundout. Valdez added a perfect seventh, followed by a perfect eighth for J.C. Ramirez. Fernando Salas worked the ninth to lock up the game.

On deck: Angels at Tigers, Friday, 4 p.m.


Where: Comerica Park TV: Fox Sports West Did you know? The Angels have won 21 of their last 26 games against the Tigers. THE PITCHERS

ANGELS RHP RICKY NOLASCO (4-11, 5.22) Vs. Tigers: 2-3, 3.86 At Comerica Park: 2-3, 4.11 Hates to face: Victor Martinez, 7 for 17 (.412) Loves to face: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, 1 for 12 (.083) TIGERS RHP JUSTIN VERLANDER (13-7, 3.38) Vs. Angels: 5-7, 3.77 At Comerica Park: 89-47, 3.26 Hates to face: Albert Pujols, 6 for 18 (.333) Loves to face: Mike Trout, 1 for 12 (.083) UPCOMING GAMES

Saturday: Angels RHP Jhoulys Chacin (4-8, 5.61) vs. Tigers RHP Michael Fulmer (10-4, 2.58), 4 p.m., Fox Sports 1 Sunday: Angels LHP Tyler Skaggs (1-3, 5.70) vs. Tigers (RHP Anibal Sanchez (7-12, 5.83), 10 a.m., Fox Sports West

FROM ANGELS.COM

Trout, Angels solve Happ, deny Blue Jays

By Gregor Chisholm and Alykhan Ravjiani / Special to MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Mike Trout had three hits and drove in four runs Thursday night as the Angels made sure the Blue Jays could not get too comfortable sitting alone atop the standings in the American League East with a 6-3 victory at Rogers Centre.


Toronto had an opportunity to pull one game ahead of Boston, but instead both teams still find themselves tied following a pair of losses on Thursday. That created the possibility for a three-way tie in the standings, but the Orioles also lost, 4-0, in Washington to remain one game back.

Trout did most of the damage offensively for Los Angeles, as he went 3-for-4 with a run scored, while Albert Pujols just missed a home run in the first inning and finished with a pair of hits, including a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning for his 100th RBI of the season. Third baseman Kaleb Cowart added an RBI double and right-hander Jered Weaver scattered five hits over 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball.

"Obviously there's not much we can do in our own division," Weaver said. "Any time you can play the bearer of bad news to teams that are in a race, it's definitely something to play for."

Left-hander J.A. Happ was saddled with the loss despite carrying a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. Happ cruised through five scoreless innings, but then got himself into some difficulty by loading the bases in the sixth and surrendering a two-run single to Trout and an RBI single to Pujols. Happ was charged with four runs on six hits and one walk over five-plus innings, as his record dropped to 17-4.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson hit a solo home run in the loss, while Jose Bautista had a double and two RBIs in his first game since being activated from the 15-day disabled list. That was not enough to overcome the fact that Trout and Pujols combined to go 13-for-24 with two home runs, two doubles and nine RBIs in the series.

"One is going to the Hall of Fame, one eventually probably will," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The thing about Trout, he's got that short, compact swing, so he's tough to pitch to. He can turn around anybody's fastball, he's that good. He was hitting the ball to right field, left field, it didn't matter, he was really locked in. Albert has been doing it his whole career, and he had a big-time series."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Making history: One night after passing Mark McGwire for 10th place on the all-time home run list, Pujols made even more history on Thursday with his 100th RBI of the season to put the Angels ahead, 3-2, during their four-run sixth inning. The Dominican-born slugger joins Alex Rodriguez (14), Jimmie Foxx, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players with 13 seasons of 100-plus RBIs.

"I think when my career ends and I settle down, I can sit back and enjoy," Pujols said. "Right now, to be able to soak everything in and think about that is hard for me. I'm just very blessed to have the opportunity to accomplish that. Sixteen years is a long time, but to be able to do that, you have to give credit to a lot of my teammates for getting on base and coaches for helping me out with my swing."


Trouble with the RISP: Toronto fell behind 4-2 in the top of the sixth, but in the bottom half of the inning, the club had a perfect opportunity to get back into the game. Kevin Pillar and Melvin Upton Jr. hit a pair of two-out singles, whileEzequiel Carrera walked to load the bases. That chased Weaver from the game, asJose Valdez entered to face Darwin Barney. The count went to 1-1 before Barney grounded out to second base to end the threat.

"There's not a lot of season left, but we're due," Gibbons said.

Fishing for more: Trout extended the Angels' lead to 6-2 with a two-out, two-run single off Joaquin Benoit in seventh. The perennial AL MVP candidate recorded a season-high-tying four RBIs, while notching his 11th three-hit game of the year.

"Mike is a special talent," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He hits good pitchers, and obviously, just like any hitter, you're going to have periods when you're not as productive, but he's as good as there is. He came up in the right spots tonight and got hits. When Mike is right, there's no doubt he's one guy the other team doesn't want to have beat them. He's capable of doing the things he did this series."

Making it rain: Donaldson extended Toronto's lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning with a deep solo shot to straight away center field. According to Statcast™, Donaldson's 29th homer of the year traveled a projected 453 feet, which was his second longest of the year. The ball left Donaldson's bat at 111.3 mph and landed in the WestJet Flight Deck, which is located on the second deck in center field. It was Donaldson's fourth home run of the month and first since Aug. 13.

QUOTABLE "It was a non-issue. It was just one of those things where you need 60 seconds to let the sting die down a little bit. I was good to go, it didn't affect me at all." -- Happ, who was struck on his left foot by a line drive during the Angels' four-run sixth inning

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Blue Jays and Angels are now an even .500 (201-201) in the all-time series.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Right-hander Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22 ERA) gets the ball as the Angels open a three-game set against the Tigers on Friday, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. PT. Nolasco has gone 0-3 with a 5.70 ERA in four starts for the Angels since being acquired from the Twins at the non-waiver Trade Deadline.

Blue Jays: Left-hander Francisco Liriano (6-12, 5.21) will get to face one of his former teams when the Blue Jays open a three-game series vs. the Twins on Friday at 7:07 p.m. ET at Rogers Centre. This will be Liriano's fourth start since joining Toronto, and he has allowed seven earned runs in 17 2/3 innings during that span.


100 RBIs: Another night, another Pujols feat

Veteran joins A-Rod, Foxx, Ruth, Gehrig by reaching century mark for 13th time

By Alykhan Ravjiani / MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Albert Pujols added another milestone to his name in the Angels' 6-3 win over the Blue Jays on Thursday, becoming just the fifth Major League player to drive in 100-plus runs in 13 different seasons.

Pujols collected his 100th RBI of 2016 in the Angels' four-run sixth inning, slamming a 91-mph fastball into center field to bring home Kole Calhoun and give the Halos a 3-2 lead.

The Dominican-born slugger joins Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only players with 13 seasons of 100-plus RBIs, and only Rodriguez (14) has more such seasons since the stat became official in 1920.

"I think when my career ends and I settle down, I can sit back and enjoy," Pujols said. "Right now, to be able to soak everything in and think about that is hard for me. I'm just very blessed to have the opportunity to accomplish that."

Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark 10 times over his 11 seasons with St. Louis, and now three times in his five seasons with the Angels. Despite his age, the 36-year-old continues to take advantage of his opportunities, forming a dynamic tandem with Mike Trout. Pujols has at least one RBI in 61 games this season, and the three-time MVP has 59 RBIs in his last 60 games.

"Sixteen years is a long time," Pujols said of his big league career. "To be able to do that, you have to give credit to a lot of my teammates for getting on base and coaches for helping me out with my swing."

The accolade comes one night after Pujols hit home run No. 584 to move into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time homer list, passing former teammate Mark McGwire. Pujols remains close to McGwire, and the two exchanged messages after Wednesday's game.

"Mark is a pretty great friend of mine and someone who I was with in St. Louis," Pujols said. "I had the opportunity to play with him and see his preparation, see the way he looked at video and worked in the cage and his mentality. It's great.

"That's something that I also cherished with him, because he helped me out mentally with the game. He sent me a text yesterday, and I responded back. It's pretty special to be in the same company as some of those guys."

Pujols looked as though he would add to that home run total in the first inning, hooking a ball just foul off J.A. Happ. The veteran slugger went on to finish the three-game set 6-for-12 with a


home run and four RBIs, helping the Angels win their first road series since July 25-27 against the Royals.

"Obviously, he has a Hall of Fame career," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's what he's like in the clubhouse, that's how he plays. The personal milestones are fun for us and fun to watch, but he wants to do all these things to help us win. I think that's inspiring."

Escobar’s return delayed; Rasmus getting closer

By Alykhan Ravjiani / MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Manager Mike Scioscia updated the injury status of third baseman Yunel Escobar and reliever Cory Rasmus prior to the Angels' series finale against the Blue Jays on Thursday.

Escobar was placed on the 7-day DL with a concussion last Saturday after fouling a ball off his nose and cheek, and he is not expected to rejoin the team when he's first eligible to this Saturday. The 33-year-old did not join the Angels on their six-game trip through Toronto and Detroit, and he was re-evaluated on Thursday in Anaheim.

"We're going to wait with direction from our medical department," Scioscia said. "Obviously, when you're dealing with a concussion, there's a protocol involved. Yunel is getting over some of the initial soreness, but has to be evaluated as to when he can get back into physical activity. When that happens, you can start to map out when he might be ready."

Escobar has hit .320 with three home runs and 34 RBIs in 110 games this season. The 10-year Major League veteran has not played in fewer than 133 games since the 2010 season. The Angels will continue to use Kaleb Cowart at third base during Escobar's absence.

Rasmus, who underwent groin surgery in July, has started throwing off a mound while rehabbing at the team's facility in Arizona. The Angels are hopeful to get the 28-year-old back in game action before the end of the season.

"Yeah I think there are a lot of possibilities," Scioscia said. "I don't think there is any decision one way or the other, but we'll have to see where his health is, first of all."

Rasmus last pitched on June 12 against the Indians, and he is 0-2 with a 5.40 ERA this season.


Seeking first Angels win, Nolasco duels with Verlander

By Do-Hyoung Park / MLB.com |

The surging Tigers will have a chance to continue their postseason push as they enter a six-game homestand against two teams with losing records, starting with Friday's series opener against the Angels at Comerica Park.

The red-hot Justin Verlander (13-7, 3.38 ERA) will take the mound for the Tigers, seeking his ninth straight quality start. Verlander has posted a 2-1 record with a 2.42 ERA and 26 strikeouts vs. five walks in August after earning American League Pitcher of the Month honors in July. In his last start, he allowed one run on three hits in six innings against the Red Sox.

The Angels will turn to right-hander Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22 ERA), who has posted an 0-3 record with a 5.70 ERA in four starts for the Angels since being traded by the Twins at the Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline. He allowed five runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Yankees in his last start.

Things to know about this game • Verlander has a 5-7 record with a 3.77 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 15 career starts against the Angels.

• Nolasco has been solid against the Tigers in his career, with a 2-3 record, 3.86 ERA and 35 strikeouts in eight career starts.

• Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias could be activated from the disabled list as soon as Friday after completing a rehab assignment with Triple-A Toledo. He was placed on the DL on Aug. 12 for a left hamstring strain.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pujols reaches 100 RBIs for 13th time, Angels beat Jays 6-3

TORONTO -- Albert Pujols followed up a milestone homer by joining a select group of run producers.

Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark for the 13th time, the fifth player in history to achieve the feat, Mike Trout had three hits and matched his season-high with four RBI, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 on Thursday night.

"Albert and Mike had a great series putting up some runs for us and a bunch of RBI," Angels right-hander Jered Weaver said. "That was awesome."


Trout went 7 for 12 with five RBI in the series, as the Angels took two of three. Pujols went 6 for 12 with four RBI.

"They're both locked in," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "One's going to the Hall of Fame, one eventually probably will. They're swinging it good."

Weaver pitched 5 2/3 innings to snap a three-start losing streak as the Angels won consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 2/3 and prevented J.A. Happ from becoming the first 18-game winner in the majors.

After winning 11 straight decisions, Happ (17-4) suffered his first lost since June 10 at Detroit. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.

One day after his 584th home run moved him past Mark McGwire into sole possession of 10th place on the all-time list, Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth as the only players to collect 100 or more RBI in 13 seasons.

"I'm just very blessed to have the opportunity to accomplish that," said Pujols, adding that he had received a congratulatory text from McGwire, his teammate with St. Louis in 2001.

Pujols leads baseball with 40 RBI since the All-Star break.

"He's hit the ball hard all year," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Early in the year, not a lot to show for it."

Josh Donaldson homered for the Blue Jays, who missed an opportunity to open a one-game lead over Boston in the AL East. The Red Sox lost 2-1 at Tampa Bay earlier Thursday. Toronto has lost four of six.

"There's no doubt we've cooled off," Gibbons said. "That's due to change, it always does. There's not a lot of season left but we're due."

Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was activated off the 15-day disabled list and started at DH, batting leadoff. He finished 1 for 4 with two RBI. He had a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI double in the ninth.

Los Angeles trailed 2-0 on Donaldson's fifth-inning homer, his 29th. Trout tied it with a two-run single in the sixth and Pujols followed with a go-ahead single.

Up with the bases loaded for the second straight at-bat, Trout hit a two-run single off Joaquin Benoit in the seventh.

"(Trout) is as good as there is and he's hitting the ball hard," Scioscia said. "He came up in the right spots tonight and got hits."


Weaver (9-11) allowed two runs, one earned, and five hits.

TOUGH ON TORONTO

Weaver is 11-2 in 14 career starts against Toronto, including 4-0 in five starts against the Blue Jays since 2013. He's 5-1 in six career outings at Rogers Centre.

HOMER PRONE

Weaver has allowed 31 home runs this season, tied with James Shields for second-most in baseball. Cleveland's Josh Tomlin has given up 32.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar (concussion) has not resumed physical activity and won't be activated when eligible Saturday, Scioscia said. Escobar fouled a ball off his face while attempting to bunt last Friday.

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis (sore right ring finger) missed his third straight game but hopes to return Friday. ... OF Michael Saunders (hamstring) was unavailable. ... INF Ryan Goins was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to make room for Bautista.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22) starts Friday as Los Angeles returns home for a three-game series with the Tigers. Nolasco is 0-2 with a 4.32 ERA in three starts against Detroit this season.

Blue Jays: LHP Francisco Liriano (6-12, 5.21) starts the opener of a three-game series against Minnesota on Friday. He's 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA in four career starts against the Twins.

FROM FOX SPORTS

Angels-Tigers Preview

DETROIT -- Jose Iglesias is likely to be activated off Detroit's disabled list Friday, which will prompt some dexterity in the handling of the situation by Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.


Iglesias was scheduled to play for Toledo on Thursday night in a final rehab game with no complications from the left hamstring strain that landed him on the disabled list two weeks back.

"There's no guarantees," Ausmus said after Detroit completed a sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday with an 8-5 victory. "If his hamstring doesn't feel good he definitely won't be activated (Friday)."

Detroit hosts the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night for the start of a three-game weekend series. The Angels won the final two contests of a three-game series in Toronto -- their first road victories since July 26.

"Anytime you play well, you hope your team starts gathering confidence and gaining confidence," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said prior to Thursday's game. "That's a good club we played and we did a good job on the offensive end. You hope you're going to build confidence with some things you want to do on a regular basis.

"We're not always going to go out there and (score) eight runs, but we did a lot of good things."

The Tigers picked up Erick Aybar, an ex-Angel, earlier this month to help provide some offense to a Detroit team that was struggling.

Ausmus is likely to want to take advantage of any extra juice Aybar might get from Los Angeles letting him go to Atlanta prior to this season. The Tigers traded with the Braves to get Aybar.

There is some wiggle room and Ausmus is likely to exploit that.

He could shift Aybar over to third, where veteran Casey McGehee has been filling in for injured Nick Castellanos, who is likely to be out until mid-September recovering from a broken bone in his left hand. Aybar has made just a couple appearances at third in his career but wouldn't be the first shortstop to move over.

"Aybar hasn't played much at third, not that he couldn't handle it," Ausmus said.

McGehee has supplied some hits but nothing in the way of driving in runs. He may look at matchups with the three to see which two play.

"Iglesias will get time at short but if Aybar is playing well, it's not like we're going to not play him,'' Ausmus said. "If he's producing, he's going to play.

"It's just going to boil down to who we think is going to help us win. Pretty simple."

Detroit brings home a four-game winning streak after taking three in Minnesota.


"To come into any town and sweep them, it's tough to do," Ausmus said. "It's just the nature of the game. But our bats started to get hot and the pitching held up.

"Maybe it was the start of it but I'd like to seem them keep rolling. We have Anaheim coming in. That's how this team is built, it's built to slug. Our pitching is solid, especially the second half, but we're built to slug and it's nice to see it."

Justin Verlander (13-7, 3.38 ERA) starts the first game of the series for the Tigers against the Angels' Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22 overall; 0-3, 5.70 for Los Angeles).

Verlander lost to Los Angeles in his only start against it this season, allowing four runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings. Over his career, the Angels have handled him for a 5-7 record and 3.77 ERA and he has given up seven home runs to them in his 15 starts.

Nolasco was picked up in a deal with Minnesota with manager Scioscia's team stripped of starting pitching by injuries. He's 0-2 in three starts against Detroit this season with a 4.32 ERA.

For his career, Nolasco is 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA and the times he's been successful against the Tigers, he's stayed away from his fastball.

The injury bug that decimated the Angels' rotation has now chomped on the bullpen.

Closer Huston Street underwent surgery Tuesday on a knee that has bothered him for months and is through for the season.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles learned that Cam Bedrosian, his eventual replacement who hasn't pitched since Aug. 2, has a blood clot in his upper right arm. He will see a specialist to determine the next course of action.

"I think any time you have a young pitcher that has an issue that is lingering, you want to make sure that you check all the boxes and make sure that everything is taken care of," Scioscia said. "You're always concerned about every player when they're banged up."

Bedrosian had a 1.12 ERA in 40 1/3 innings of relief this season with 51 strikeouts.

Documents

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