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Clips

(June 13, 2014)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels' Cam Bedrosian leaps up to majors and gets a trip home

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 4)

Angels' Frieri speaks his mind, then backs it up on the mound On deck: Angels at Braves, Friday, 4:30 p.m. FSW

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 8)

Bedrosian follows in father's footsteps Angels agree to deal with second-round pick Gatto Harang eyes payback as Angels hit Atlanta Alvarez could be next prospect in Angels' bullpen

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 13)

Angels-Braves Preview

FROM THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS (Page 14)

Hector Santiago’s return to Angels is a success, but there’s a catch

FROM ESPN.COM (Page 16)

Frieri settling back into ninth-inning role

FROM SPORTS XCHANGE (Page 17)

Team Report - LOS ANGELES ANGELS Team Report - ATLANTA BRAVES

June 13, 2014 Page 3 of 23

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels' Cam Bedrosian leaps up to majors and gets a trip home

By Everett Cook Cam Bedrosian will be ready to pitch for the Angels in Atlanta this weekend, near his hometown and in front of his father.

That is not entirely unexpected. Cam, 22, was a first-round draft pick whose fastball has hit 99 mph on a radar gun, and he is the son of Steve Bedrosian, one of the most dominant relievers of the 1980s and winner of the 1987 Cy Young award.

What makes it surprising is that Cam started this season at Class-A Inland Empire, eons away from the big leagues.

When Cam got called up to the Angels this month, one of the first things he did was look at the schedule. What he saw fired him up even more.

Not only was he going to get to go home on his first full big-league trip, the timing was perfect — Father's Day weekend.

"It's going to be pretty crazy, actually," he said this week. "I can't imagine playing on that field."

Two years ago, it seemed as if he was going to have a hard time getting to the big leagues at all, much less this early. After missing all of 2011 recovering from Tommy John surgery, Cam hit a wall out of the gate the following season.

There were dropped balls behind him, bloop hits that hit the chalk, and enough control issues that he finished the year with more walks (52) than strikeouts (48) in 21 starts.

Steve texted Cam after every game, telling him to hang in there and keep the windshield wipers on during the storm. He didn't share pitching philosophies or tips on mechanics. The conversations were mostly about confidence.

"He was spiking balls, he was searching for command, and [had] bad luck too," Steve said. "All I could tell him was, 'Hang in there, it's going to turn around.' "

Thinking it could help his control issues and knowing that Steve made a similar transition in his career, the Angels moved Cam to the bullpen after two bad starts in 2013.

Steve said the move worked like a light switch. His son no longer had to worry about going seven innings and keeping his pitch count low. No more conserving himself. He could just go out there and let the fastball fly.

After a short stint with Inland Empire, Cam spent 10 dominating weeks in Double A, ringing up 30 strikeouts with just six walks in 18 innings.

June 13, 2014 Page 4 of 23

When he skipped Triple A and was promoted to the Angels, his first call was to Steve, who had a simple message.

"I told him, 'I know you've seen all the moves. I know you've seen guys come up for a few days and go back down. … Don't pitch out there thinking that if you don't make this pitch, you're going down. You go out there, and you pitch with your hair on fire, and you pitch like you belong.' "

Cam's debut was against the Houston Astros. One inning: three batters up, three batters down.

Perhaps more impressive was the way he reacted two days later, after walking the bases loaded and allowing three runs in an Angels loss. He accepted responsibility for his failings despite some questionable calls on balls and strikes calls, even though he knew he might be sent back down to the minors. True to his father's advice, he faced the adversity like a veteran, like he belonged

His next outing, Cam went two scoreless innings in a 14-inning win over the Oakland Athletics.

"I had no idea he was going to come in this quickly and be this dominant out of the pen," said Bobby Scales, the Angels director of player development. "The guy this year has just been ridiculous. The strikeout numbers are absurd, and he just doesn't walk people … quite frankly, other than teaching him the slider grip and helping with the development of that slider, we didn't do a heck of a lot.

"A lot of this came from the adjustments he made for himself. There's nothing really earth-shattering we did."

According to Steve, the last missing ingredient in Cam's ascension was his confidence, which began to snowball once he started throwing the ball by people as a reliever.

In his outing against the A's, Cam entered the game in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied, 1-1. One glance at his son's face prompted Steve to remark to his wife, Tammy, "He looks cool as a cucumber, doesn't he?"

If Cam pitches this weekend, it will be interesting to see whether the same can be said of Steve.

Etc.

Right-handed pitcher Joe Gatto, a second-round draft pick out of high school in New Jersey, has agreed to terms on a $1.2-million signing bonus.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels' Frieri speaks his mind, then backs it up on the mound By Pedro Moura ANAHEIM – Ernesto Frieri was feeling emotional after he closed out his third straight win Sunday for the Angels.

June 13, 2014 Page 5 of 23

And so the 28-year-old Colombian closer said what he was thinking – that his team was going to beat the next team they played, their rivals. And while he was at it, he added that that team had benefited from some “extra luck” this year, too.

Predictably, ripples ensued. The comments aired on MLB Network throughout the next day. Many members of the opposing team, the American League-leading Oakland Athletics, heard and replied through the media.

Even his Angels teammates caught wind.

“Obviously people were razzing him a little bit, because you never want to hear that stuff come out,” said Joe Smith, Frieri’s set-up man in an improving Angels bullpen. “But even if it comes out in the papers or whatever, at the end of the day if your closer wants to step up and say something, that’s the guy that’s making the final outs if we’re winning. So if he’s got something to say, then he can say it.

“It’s kind of one of those feelings like, ‘Well, (expletive), all right, let’s go, boys.’”

Luckily for Frieri and for fans of high-tension sporting moments, he got the chance to walk the talk the next night, and he walked it with aplomb, striking out the side to clinch a 4-1 win over Oakland.

And if he hadn’t come through?

“It would’ve been a mess, quite frankly,” catcher Hank Conger said. “It would’ve been a mess.”

Fortunately for the Angels, Frieri couldn’t have been more dominant in striking out the side – against the middle of the A’s lineup, no less. The first pitch he threw was a try-me fastball up to Josh Donaldson, which the struggling slugger swung through. He followed it with a perfectly placed slider on the corner, and later got a called third strike with his fastball.

Brandon Moss then struck out swinging on three pitches, with impressive late movement on the putaway pitch. Yoenis Cespedes struck out on another high fastball.

The whole thing took five minutes. Frieri usually takes 25 seconds between pitches, perFangraphs.com; he took just over 20 seconds in between pitches Monday. Said Conger: “I don’t want to say he was more focused, but there was something different. There was, like, a fire lit under him.”

When he’s going well, Frieri always seems to be powered by pyrotechnics. He’s energetic, loud, passionate. But those characteristics were muffled in April, after Frieri struggled on the mound and temporarily lost his closer role to Smith.

But his effectiveness is back now, and he is back to being the vibrant presence he has consistently been since his May 2012 acquisition. In his last 16 appearances, Frieri has struck out 24 and allowed just four walks.

June 13, 2014 Page 6 of 23

“I’m a fighter, man,” Frieri said Monday. “I came prepared this year to play until October. I did a lot of new stuff to get a little bit stronger physically and get prepared over here. We need to win. We need to start winning from now on. I hate when people say it’s still early. We need to win right now.”

Frieri said all those things in a matter of 15 seconds, in a true stream-of-consciousness manner. And he said them after apologizing to the A’s.

His teammates said they understood what was on Frieri’s mind.

“It wasn’t a jab at the A’s, because he knows they’ve played well against us,” Conger said. “It’s moreso him putting accountability on himself, for him to try to rise the occasion. Putting aside the specifics of what he said, I thought it was a great step for him to try to step up to the challenge. For him to go in there and really be dominant, confidence-wise, I think that’s going to be huge for him.”

Maybe his words will prove to be huge for the Angels, too. They followed his words by taking two of three from Oakland, carrying momentum into a seven-game trip.

“If you want to look at it as he backed it up, yes, he did,” Smith said. “But whether he would’ve said those comments or not, I think he would’ve been that same guy. Did it have an effect in our clubhouse? Maybe it did. Maybe it sparked us a little bit, like, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ Finally somebody said we were going to step up and win, whether it was against Oakland or against anybody else.”

NOTES The Angels’ second-round selection in last week’s draft, high school right-hander Joe Gatto, announced on Twitter he agreed to a contract. He’ll sign for a $1.2million bonus, according to various reports. … The Angels bring a 90-46 record in interleague play since 2007 into Friday’s matchup with the Atlanta Braves. That’s the best mark in baseball.

On deck: Angels at Braves, Friday, 4:30 p.m. FSW By Pedro Moura

Where: Turner Field

TV: Fox Sports West, MLB Network, 4:30 p.m.

Did you know: Angels rookie right-hander Cam Bedrosian hails from suburban Atlanta. His bullpen-mate, fellow right-hander Cory Rasmus, is from Columbus, near the Georgia-Alabama border. Rasmus pitched in two games at Turner Field for the Braves in 2013.

Braves report: Atlanta boasts a solid squad, but the Braves have won just six of their last 16 games and fallen behind Washington for the National League East lead. They’re tied for second with the Miami Marlins. The Braves have had to withstand serious pitching injuries, and ex-Angel Ervin Santana started off the season great but has struggled of late. Still, pitching is not the problem – the Braves lead the majors in quality starts. Conversely, they are 28th in runs.

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THE PITCHERS

LHP C.J. WILSON (7-5, 3.32)

Wilson has limited experience both against Braves hitters and at Turner Field, but he has been remarkably consistent this season. His only really flub came two starts ago, when he was dealing with the flu, but he pushed though the illness to throw a quality start last time out. He was on a pitch count in that start; he's not expected to be this time.

Vs. Braves: 0-1, 7.71

At Turner Field: First game

Loves to face: Ramiro Pena, 0 for 6

Hates to face: Ryan Doumit, 2 for 4 (.500), 2 BB

RHP AARON HARANG (4-5, 3.33)

Current Angels absolutely crush Harang – to the tune of an OPS over 1.000. Every likely starter has at least one extra-base hit off the veteran. Albert Pujols has five homers off him in 79 at-bats. But it must be noted that the 36-year-old is having a great season, with 11 quality starts in 13 tries. He struck out more than a batter an inning in April and May, but has only six strikeouts in two June starts – compared with 10 walks.

Vs. Angels: 0-5, 7.59

At Turner Field: 3-3, 3.09

Loves to face: John McDonald, 2 for 7 (.286), 1 K

Hates to face: Josh Hamilton, 6 for 9 (.667), 2 HR, 4 RBI

UPCOMING MATCHUPS

Saturday: Braves RHP Gavin Floyd (1-2, 2.57) vs. Angels RHP Garrett Richards (6-2, 3.09), 4 p.m.

Sunday: Braves LHP Mike Minor (2-4, 4.31) vs. Angels LHP Hector Santiago (0-6, 4.15), 5 p.m.

June 13, 2014 Page 8 of 23

FROM ANGELS.COM

Bedrosian follows in father's footsteps By Alden Gonzalez

Cam Bedrosian's mom tells him she sees her husband every time he takes the mound, because Steve and Cam look so similar facially and because what they do -- come out of bullpens, with command of a fastball and a slider -- is so identical.

"But he was a little more crazy on the mound," Cam Bedrosian said with a big smile on his face. "I'm more calm, I should say. I try to be aggressive. But he was just so hard-nosed."

You've probably heard of Cam's father, the 1987 National League Cy Young Award winner who saved a Major League-leading 40 games for the Phillies. Through 14 seasons, the standout reliever finished his career with a 3.38 ERA in 732 appearances.

These days Steve, or "Bedrock" as he was nicknamed, lives vicariously through his son -- the 22-year-old Angels right-hander who went from Class A Advanced to the Major Leagues in just two months.

"It's an honor and a blessing," Steve said of having a son who's following in his footsteps.

Cam is the youngest of four brothers. He was 4 years old when Steve retired from the game, and he got the benefit of growing up around his dad. Steve took Cam through most of Little League and was his coach at East Coweta High School in Sharpsburg, Ga., not allowing Cam to throw more than 100 innings in an entire calendar year.

"I was really blessed, because he finished his career right when I was actually getting into playing baseball," Cam said. "It worked out perfect."

Cam went through life known as Bedrock Jr., a gift and a curse that befalls on the son of any famous athlete. But as Steve said, "I think he's handled it great.

"I want him to have his own path, his own distinction," Steve added. "He's going to earn that."

Cam, the 29th overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, began that trek shortly after having Tommy John surgery in April 2011. He posted a 6.31 ERA in 21 starts for Class A Cedar Rapids in 2012, and then transitioned from a starter to a reliever early in 2013. As a reliever, Cam finished with a 4.57 ERA in 63 innings for both of the Angels' Class A levels before taking off in 2014 -- where he notched five scoreless outings for Class A Inland Empire. Cam posted a 1.47 ERA for Double-A Arkansas and struck out 45 batters in 24 innings at both levels.

"If you look at the stats after Tommy John, it was a lot of touch and feel and coming back, trying to feel for the fastball, trying to command the fastball," said Steve, now retired from coaching and the Board of Education. "And then probably in the middle of last year, he started getting that last missing ingredient, which was confidence."

Steve isn't shy about providing advice when he deems it necessary, and he of all people would know. But he picks his spots.

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"I try to help when things are important," Steve said. "Other things, he has to learn on his own."

Steve's biggest advice?

"To go out there and be a bulldog," Cam recalled. "He said, 'You have one, maybe two innings, and give it all you've got for that amount of time.'"

Steve made it to Houston in time to see Cam make his Major League debut on June 3, the same day he was surprisingly added to the active roster. Steve was there with his wife, Tammy, along with one of Cam's brothers and his only sister. And when Cam came out of the bullpen, Steve stood up, got his iPhone out of his pocket and recorded his son's 1-2-3 sixth inning, which included a strikeout and two groundouts.

Now, Steve has his sights set on the upcoming weekend.

It'll be Father's Day on Sunday, and the Angels will be in Atlanta, which is roughly 40 miles from Cam's hometown of Senoia, Ga. Steve, a member of the Braves for eight years, signed up to attend an alumni event at Turner Field that day. There were several Sundays to choose from when approached by the Braves, but he chose the one that coincided with the Halos coming to town, even though it seemed almost impossible for his son to be in the big leagues by then.

"But in the back of my mind, I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great?'" Steve said. "Moms and dads always think their kids can be there really soon. But realistically, yeah, we figured it would take some more time. We were tickled to death the way he was throwing, but he's come a long way in a short time. It's unbelievable, really."

Angels agree to deal with second-round pick Gatto By Alden Gonzalez

ANAHEIM -- The Angels agreed to terms Thursday with their second-round Draft pick, high school pitcher Joe Gatto.

Gatto announced the agreement via his Twitter account, @JGatt33, writing: "The decision has been made. I will sign and start my professional career with the @Angels."

An industry source told MLB.com Draft and prospect expert Jim Callis that the agreement is worth $1.2 million, which is a little more than $150,000 more than slot value for the 53rd overall pick. The Angels would not confirm the deal because Gatto hasn't signed his contract yet.

Gatto is out of St. Augustine Prep in Richland, N.J., which is located less than 15 miles from Mike Trout's hometown of Millville. Gatto, who turns 19 on Saturday, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, can already touch 95 mph with his fastball and had a scholarship to the University of North Carolina as a backup.

Gatto finished his senior year going 7-1 with a 0.94 ERA, striking out 65 batters in 52 1/3 innings and closing out the season with three shutouts. He also played quarterback as a freshman and sophomore, and starred on the basketball team as a junior.

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"He's a little bit unpolished," Angels scouting director Ric Wilson recently said of Gatto, "but he's got a little tight spinning breaking ball with high velocity, he's a three-sport athlete, throws the ball downhill, he's a quarterback in football. Just everything you're looking for."

The Angels announced Wednesday that they've signed 14 of their 40 selections from last week's First-Year Player Draft, and Gatto's agreement makes it six of their first 10 picks. The club is still waiting on first-round pick Sean Newcomb, a left-hander out of the University of Hartford who was taken 15th overall.

Harang eyes payback as Angels hit Atlanta By Joe Morgan

The Angels roughed up Aaron Harang in four meetings last season, tagging the veteran right-hander for 20 earned runs on 35 hits in 17 1/3 innings. His 10.38 ERA against the Halos paled in comparison to his 4.71 mark against other teams.

The visiting club's MLB-best 90-46 record in Interleague Play since 2007 also bodes well as the Angels begin a three-game set in Atlanta.

Unfortunately for the Angels, the Harang they will face on Friday night at Turner Field is not the same hurler who struggled mightily against them while wearing a Mariners uniform in 2013. His 11 quality starts in 13 turns for the Braves this season fall only one short of his 12 in twice as many starts last season.

His most recent quality start had the look of something special when he two-hit Arizona through six shutout innings on Sunday before melting down in the seventh.

Harang doubled his hit total by giving up knocks to Aaron Hill and David Peralta to lead off the seventh before walking Cody Ross. That ended Harang's night in what turned out to be a six-run inning for the D-backs.

"You've got to run him back out there," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said of his decision to leave Harang in for the seventh inning at Chase Field. "He's got a two-hit shutout. You've been watching it. We get into the seventh and [the bullpen] can't bridge it. So we tried to run him back out there and let him get us through that seventh inning somehow. He had some walks, but you felt comfortable that he could maneuver through the lineup. That seventh inning just unraveled on us."

So as Harang carries his 3.33 ERA -- which is nearly three-tenths lower than his career-best 3.61 mark in 2012 -- the Angels could use some history on their side as they try to return to their winning ways after having a five-game winning streak snapped with a 4-1 loss to the A's on Wednesday night.

The Halos have occupied second place in the AL West since May 13, and they send C.J. Wilson to the mound on Friday in a continued pursuit of Oakland.

Wilson will face the Braves and pitch at Turner Field for the first time as he tries to build off his last start. He limited the White Sox to only one run on three hits in 7 1/3 strong innings that earned him his seventh quality start in his past nine outings.

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Angels: Club on upswing Even after seeing its five-game winning streak end on Wednesday night, Los Angeles is only 3 1/2 games behind Oakland in the AL West. The Angels were 12 games out of first and 10 below .500 on June 14 last season.

Manager Mike Scioscia believes this year's results are more indicative of the team fans and media envisioned when the Halos added Albert Pujols, Wilson and Josh Hamilton in free agency the past two offseasons.

"I know I'm very excited to see how this team keeps improving and evolving through this season," Scioscia said. "I don't think there's anybody in that room that doesn't feel that we're going to contend for a championship, and that's what we want to do.

"You can talk about putting all the ingredients together and coming out here and playing hard and playing with confidence, but winning ballgames is that most important ingredient. That's what really builds the confidence of the club and moves you forward."

Braves: B.J. will battle history against Halos B.J. Upton's batting average has fluctuated between .207 and .221 since May 23, as the Atlanta center fielder continues to try to rebound from a tough 2013. He'll head into Friday's matchup with a .210 batting average, after going 1-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in a 10-3 loss to the Rockies on Thursday.

He will need to keep grinding this weekend due to tough numbers against Wilson and the Angels.

Although Upton's nine career homers against the Halos are his most against a non-divisional opponent, he is batting only .237 (44-for-186) against them. Worse, his clip against Wilson is .115 (3-for-26), with 13 strikeouts in 31 plate appearances.

But before overwhelming Upton's prospects against the Angels with the past, he has reached base safely in eight of his past 11 games at Turner Field.

Worth noting • Braves catcher Evan Gattis enters Friday with a 12-game hitting streak. Gattis entered Thursday's game against the Rockies after Gerald Laird was injured in the eighth. Gattis' only plate appearance was in the ninth, when he was hit by a pitch, but official rules determined a consecutive-game hitting streak does not come to an end if a batter's only plate appearance results in being hit by a pitch.

• Pujols finished 2-for-4 on Wednesday for his first multi-hit game since May 24.

Alvarez could be next prospect in Angels' bullpen By Matthew DeFranks

ANAHEIM -- The Angels have already welcomed young relievers Mike Morin and Cam Bedrosian to the big leagues this season but another could be on the way.

June 13, 2014 Page 12 of 23

Right-handed pitcher R.J. Alvarez, a third-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, is making his case for the call to The Show by throwing 19 scoreless innings of relief at Double-A Arkansas.

"R.J. will have some type of impact, I would think, before the summer is over," scouting director Ric Wilson said.

Alvarez, a Florida Atlantic University product, has struck out 28 in his 12 appearances and has a 0.68 WHIP. Seven of his last 10 appearances have been for more than one inning and his opponents are hitting .127.

Wilson said Alvarez's ability to blow away batters drew the Angels to him two years ago.

"He's a physical guy that has a big power arm," Wilson said. "Where we were at in the Draft, I thought he was the best player, so we took him. We liked his arm and we liked his upside. We knew he was going to be a bullpen piece, but at that particular stage we thought that was the best play we could make. It turned out to be a good one."

Alvarez appeared in 60 games over the last two seasons, sporting a 3.29 ERA in 2012 at Class A Burlington and 2.96 in 2013 at Class A Advanced Inland Empire.

On the position-player front, the Angels' Top 20 prospects list starts with third baseman Kaleb Cowart and second baseman Taylor Lindsey, respectively.

Cowart, a 2010 first-round pick, had a strong first two full seasons (.283 in '11 and .276 in '12), but he's regressed to a .221/.279/.301 slash line with six home runs, 42 RBIs and 14 stolen bases this season, his second at Arkansas.

"Kaleb hit a little bit of a stumbling block, but he's working through that," Wilson said. "He's gotten a little bit stronger this year, and they're working on his approach so he seems to be heading in the right direction."

Still, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Cowart just turned 22 years old and remains an above-average defender at third.

The 37th overall pick in the 2010 Draft, Lindsey has produced in the Minors at second base, most recently for Triple-A Salt Lake. He is currently hitting .233 there after batting .274 at Arkansas and .289 for Inland Empire. Lindsey projects as an offensive-minded second baseman with decent power (41 career Minor League home runs).

"He's hit since the day we met him," Wilson said.

In 2013, the Angels drafted 17-year-old left-hander Hunter Green with their first pick, the 59th overall selection. Green, at a wiry 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, tossed just 16 2/3 innings last year during rookie ball. He had a 4.32 ERA and struggled with his control, walking 16 batters, hitting one and throwing three wild pitches.

Wilson said Green could return to the Arizona League this summer.

June 13, 2014 Page 13 of 23

"The plan is just to get him out there and keep him healthy all summer," he said. "I know that's the plan. I would imagine they would monitor his innings and try to keep him healthy this summer."

Three of the Angels' top 15 prospects have already reached the Majors this season, with first baseman C.J. Cron joining Morin and Bedrosian.

Cron has swung the bat well in the Majors, hitting .277/.305/.465 in 32 games, serving as a designated hitter and first baseman behind Albert Pujols. Cron survived a recent roster move when the Angels sent utility man Grant Green down to call up reliever Cory Rasmus.

Morin has a 1.40 ERA in 18 appearances out of the bullpen, limiting opponents to a .200 average and registering a 0.93 WHIP. Bedrosian has held opponents scoreless in two of his three appearances.

For the first time since 2011, when they took Cron, the Angels had a first-round pick this year and took University of Hartford left-hander Sean Newcomb with the 17th overall pick. The Angels followed by taking New Jersey high school right-hander Joe Gatto.

The Angels selected 22 pitchers and 18 position players. Thirty-seven of the 40 picks came from college with three from high school.

"We created some strike-throwing guys, we got some power, we got a little bit of speed, we got a little bit of everything," Wilson said. "It went the way we wanted it to go."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Angels-Braves Preview By Ken Chroust It's been quite a while since C.J. Wilson lost to an NL team. It's been nearly as many starts sinceAaron Harang defeated an AL squad.

The veterans will square off Friday night in Atlanta with Wilson's Los Angeles Angels trying to continue their dominance over the NL as they open a three-game series with the Braves.

Since the start of 2007, the Angels are an MLB-best 90-46 against the NL. Wilson is 6-0 with a 3.33 ERA in his last 11 regular-season starts against the NL dating to June 21, 2011.

He also won his last start in impressive fashion, surrendering a run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of Sunday's 4-2 home victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Road outings have been more of a struggle as the left-hander has lost three straight away starts with a 7.16 ERA and 10 walks in 16 1-3 innings.

Wilson (7-5, 3.32 ERA) has never faced Atlanta, but he's held B.J. Upton to 3 for 20 with nine strikeouts.

June 13, 2014 Page 14 of 23

While it's the Braves the Angels will be playing, it's Oakland they'll be indirectly chasing. Los Angeles (36-29) won two of three in a home series with the Athletics to begin the week, missing out on a sweep with Wednesday's 7-1 loss.

The defeat ended a five-game winning streak, but it didn't kill the energy manager Mike Scioscia has developed as the AL West begins to take form. His team is in the mix after falling short of expectations the last four years, despite the addition of attractive pieces.

"You can talk about putting all the ingredients together and coming out here and playing hard and playing with confidence but winning ballgames is that most important ingredient," Scioscia told the team's official website. "That's what really builds the confidence of the club and moves you forward."

Albert Pujols went 2 for 4 in the finale against Oakland to snap a span of 15 games without a multihit effort, on which he hit .155.

The slugger is quite familiar with Harang (4-5, 3.33), having faced him more than anyone other than Roy Oswalt. Pujols is 27 for 79 (.342) with five home runs against his old NL Central foe.

Harang is 0-3 with a 7.07 ERA in seven starts against the AL since July 27 when he was with Seattle. He faced the Angels four times last season and lost each, running his record against them to 0-5 with a 7.59 ERA in seven starts. The Angels are the only MLB team he's faced at least five times and remains winless against.

He's similarly win-starved in his last five 2014 starts, though those results aren't quite as much his fault with an 0-2 record and 3.90 ERA after Sunday's 6-5 loss in Arizona. The right-hander allowed three runs and four hits in six innings but walked six. Harang has issued 10 bases on balls in his last two starts, but that hasn't made his manager forget about his elite start to the season.

"You've got to run him back out there," Fredi Gonzalez told the team's official website.

The Braves (34-31) head home in need of some strong pitching having allowed 28 runs in the final three of a four-game split in Colorado. Thursday's 10-3 loss also lacked offense as Atlanta managed four hits.

Evan Gattis was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance after he had hit safely in his previous 12 games with a .383 average.

The Braves have been held to six runs in the last four meetings with Los Angeles.

FROM THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

Hector Santiago’s return to Angels is a success, but there’s a catch By JP Hoornstra Predicting who Angels manager Mike Scioscia would choose as his starting catcher had become a predictable exercise.

June 13, 2014 Page 15 of 23

When the week began, all 25 of Hank Conger’s starting assignments had come against right-handed pitchers. Chris Iannetta started 25 games when the opposing starter threw left-handed and just 12 games against righties. It was a fairly straight-forward platoon.

That changed Tuesday, when Conger was chosen to start against Oakland A’s left-hander Drew Pomeranz. A switch-hitter, Conger’s numbers at the plate didn’t factor into Scioscia’s thinking. Neither did Iannetta’s.

The Angels had just called up Hector Santiago from Triple-A to start the game in place of injured pitcher Tyler Skaggs. For some reason, Santiago has pitched better to Conger than Iannetta in his first season with the Angels. A lot better.

In five games with Iannetta behind the plate, Santiago allowed 14 earned runs. In four games with Conger behind the plate, Santiago allowed six earned runs prior to Tuesday.

Digging further, those runs weren’t a fluke. Batters made less contact against Santiago, and less hard contact, when Conger was catching. The sample size was fairly small, just three starts with each catcher, but it was enough to get Conger’s name on the lineup card.

“It’s definitely a compliment,” Conger said. “Coming up through this organization, that’s our biggest key, our biggest focus, is pitcher-catcher relationship. It was definitely a compliment. It made me feel really good, to be honest.”

Iannetta declined to comment for this story.

It might be a point of pride for the two catchers, but Santiago tried his best to downplay it. After shutting out the A’s for six innings Tuesday — his best start of the season — he was quick to dismiss the notion that he throws better to one catcher or the other.

“I can’t tell you that (Hank) does something better than Chris,” Santiago said. “I don’t think he does anything different. I don’t want to say that he calls a better game than Chris, because I think me and Chris mix it up pretty well. I think it’s just me. I had a bad game, then had a good game, had a bad game, then a good game.

“It could just be a coincidence.”

One start isn’t enough to call Conger a “personal catcher” to Santiago. However, Santiago does have the kind of robust repertoire — sinkers, changeups, curveballs, cutters and the occasional screwball — that sometimes lends a pitcher to be paired with one catcher.

Scioscia has done it before. Jeff Mathis and Ervin Santana, Bobby Wilson and Scott Kazmir, and Conger and C.J. Wilson, have all been paired together for stretches in recent years.

If the secret to Santiago’s success with Conger is difficult for the pair to discern, it’s even harder to perceive just by watching at home or at the ballpark. What makes a pitcher-catcher relationship work, Conger said, takes place entirely between starts.

“During game time, it’s all competition,” he said. “Really, you’re doing the mound visits just to slow the game down, try to get a little breather in. As far as talking to a guy, really getting to know his personality

June 13, 2014 Page 16 of 23

is the key. You know his stuff by now. You caught him in spring. Trying to get to know his personality and what he likes to do is all in between starts. Maybe sometimes catching bullpens is really big.”

Scioscia tries to give every catcher an opportunity to learn a new pitcher’s personality by Opening Day.

“We put more even focus on it in meetings in the mornings the date after our new guy will pitch,” Scioscia said. “Show video, make sure our catchers are giving the visual, how the pitch selection flows — all that stuff’s important. It’s an evolution. It just doesn’t happen right away.”

For now, there’s no reason not to ride the hot mitt. Santiago was acquired last winter to stabilize a revolving-door rotation. His 2.13 earned-run average when Conger catches — small sample-size caveats aside — is reminiscent of Zack Greinke. His 7.00 ERA when Iannetta catches is closer to Joe Blanton.

If those numbers are just a coincidence, like Santiago suggested, it’s a coincidence that could have lasting implications. Santiago’s next start is scheduled for Sunday in Atlanta. Left-hander Mike Minor is scheduled to pitch for the Braves. Conger, a switch-hitter, might plan on taking some right-handed swings in the batting cage.

FROM ESPN.COM

Frieri settling back into ninth-inning role By Kenton Wong Ernesto Frieri contributed to the Los Angeles Angels' slow start with his early-season struggles. The righty quickly lost his closer job to Joe Smith after racking up a 9.35 ERA in his first 10 appearances, in which he allowed five home runs and blew two saves. The one bright spot during that rough patch for Frieri was that he was still striking batters out, whiffing 12 in 8⅔ innings.

Ernesto Frieri This Season

1st 10 Games Since

ERA 9.35 1.86

HR 5 2

Saves 2 9

Blown saves 2 0

June 13, 2014 Page 17 of 23

He’s now settled back into his ninth-inning role, having allowed just four earned runs in 19⅓ innings. In three straight games from June 7 to June 9, Frieri closed each out, allowing just one hit while striking out seven of the 11 batters he faced. Bringing the heat Frieri’s fastball velocity sits at 94.5 mph, topping out at 97 mph in recent appearances. Both of those figures are up about a mile per hour from the start of the season. The small uptick has meant wonders to Frieri in the past 19 games, as opponents are hitting just .120 against his fastball. In the beginning of the season, Frieri’s fastball was getting torched at a .355 clip. In two-strike situations, Frieri turns to the fastball as a kill pitch about two-thirds of the time. Hitters are one for their past 30 when trying to catch up to his fastball in two-strike counts. Backward splits One trend that has continued for Frieri this season is that he has been more effective against left-handed hitters (.185 BA) than right-handed hitters (.275 BA). Going back three seasons, the splits are even more severe: .141 versus lefties, .248 versus righties. Among right-handed relievers who have pitched in at least 100 games over that span, the only pitcher who has been tougher on lefties is Boston Red Sox closer Koji Uehara (.131).

FROM SPORTS XCHANGE

Team Report - LOS ANGELES ANGELS ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Hector Santiago began the season as the Los Angeles Angels' No. 3 starter, but less than two months into the season, he and his 0-6 record was demoted to Triple-A Salt Lake.

The plan was to have him work on some of the issues that were affecting him while keeping his pitch count up in case there was a need at the big league level.

The need arose when left-hander Tyler Skaggs was put on the disabled list with a strained hamstring, and Santiago made the most of his chance. He held the A's -- the highest scoring team in the American League -- scoreless through six innings on Tuesday in the Angels' 2-1 win.

"He pitched with confidence, and his stuff was alive," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's the best stuff we've seen this year, Hector pitched a terrific ballgame."

The Angels needed a starter for Sunday's game against the Braves and Scioscia initially was non-committal, but Wednesday said that Santiago will get the start.

NOTES, QUOTES

RECORD: 36-29

June 13, 2014 Page 18 of 23

STREAK: Lost one

NEXT: Friday -- Angels (LHP C.J. Wilson, 7-5, 3.32 ERA) at Braves (RHP Aaron Harang, 4-5, 3.33 ERA)

PLAYER NOTES:

--1B Albert Pujols was hitting a season-best .302 on May 6, but he is hitting .195 (25-for-128) since then, dropping his average to .249. He still leads the team with 15 homers, but has just one in his past 13 games. However, he did hit a double in Wednesday's game, the 539th of his career, tying him with Al Simmons for 33rd on the all-time list.

--SS Erick Aybar is hitting .321 (59-for-184) since April 21, the best average by a shortstop in the majors (minimum 175 at-bats). His 29 RBIs during that time rank second in the majors to Colorado'sTroy Tulowitzki (31).

--RHP Jered Weaver gave up four runs on six hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings in a 7-1 loss to Oakland on Wednesday. It marked only the third time in his last 11 starts he has yielded more than two runs in a game. It was also the third time all season (14 starts) he failed to last six innings.

--LHP C.J. Wilson will start Friday against the Braves, his second interleague start of the season. He started and earned a victory against the Mets on April 13. He has never started against the Braves, and is 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in four relief appearances against them.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I do believe Albert is trying to create some things because I know nobody feels worse than Albert when he's not swinging the way he can and contributing to the team. And I do think on the bases at times he's trying to help us in any way he can. At times he's created some stuff and at times he's run into outs. But he's playing hard, he's playing aggressive, and that's what our team is about." -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia on 1B Albert Pujols after a 7-1 loss to Oakland on Wednesday.

ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

--LHP Tyler Skaggs (strained right hamstring) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to June 6. The Angels hope he will be ready to return as soon as he is eligible.

--LHP Sean Burnett (torn left ulnar collateral ligament) went on the 15-day disabled list May 29 and was transferred to the 60-day disabled list June 3. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery June 5.

--INF Ian Stewart (left hand bruise) went on the 15-day disabled list May 12. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake from May 25 but it was halted after two games. In late May, he was at the team's spring training headquarters in Arizona getting treatment. He received cortisone injections June 6. As of June 7, he still had pain in the hand and was unable to swing a bat.

--RHP Ryan Brasier (right elbow strain) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 16.

June 13, 2014 Page 19 of 23

--LHP Brian Moran (left elbow inflammation) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 13. He underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in mid-April.

ROTATION:

RHP Jered Weaver

LHP C.J. Wilson

RHP Garrett Richards

RHP Matt Shoemaker

LHP Hector Santiago

BULLPEN:

RHP Joe Smith (closer)

RHP Ernesto Frieri

RHP Kevin Jepsen

RHP Fernando Salas

RHP Mike Morin

RHP Cam Bedrosian

RHP Cory Rasmus

CATCHERS:

Chris Iannetta

Hank Conger

INFIELDERS:

1B Albert Pujols

2B Howie Kendrick

SS Erick Aybar

3B David Freese

June 13, 2014 Page 20 of 23

INF C.J. Cron

INF John McDonald

OUTFIELDERS:

LF Josh Hamilton

CF Mike Trout

RF Kole Calhoun

OF Raul Ibanez

OF Collin Cowgill

Team Report - ATLANTA BRAVES DENVER -- The injury could have been worse for Atlanta Braves catcher Gerald Laird.

Colorado Rockies left fielder Corey Dickerson hit Laird in the head on his backswing after a foul ball in the eighth inning Thursday, causing Laird to leave the game.

Laird underwent tests that determined he didn't sustain a concussion, Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, and the catcher was able to fly home to Atlanta with the team.

"I think Dickerson's backswing got more of the jaw than the head," Gonzalez said after the Braves lost 10-3 to the Colorado Rockies. "I think he might have dodged a bullet there."

On the next pitch, Atlanta reliever David Carpenter hit Dickerson with a pitch and was ejected by plate umpire Jordan Baker.

"I went down and (trainer Jeff Porter) was out there and I didn't see too much," Laird said. "But I'm sure none of that stuff is intentional. It's one of those things where you foul a pitch off and it just caught me in the right spot. I mean, I have no hard feelings toward him."

Asked whether he thought getting hit by Dickerson's bat warranted retaliation, Laird said, "That's not my call. It's one of those things that honestly, I don't think it's intentional when a lefty goes up there and swings and misses. Some guys have those long backswings.

"It's not really our job to look out for them. Just don't get caught by them. It's one of those pitches, it's a slider down and in and I'm kind of close to him and I just tried to catch the ball and he swung and fouled it off and came through on his follow and just happened to hit me in the right spot. But like I said, I don't think anything like that is intentional."

Rockies manager Walt Weiss was tossed for arguing after Dickerson was plunked.

June 13, 2014 Page 21 of 23

Carpenter said he didn't intentionally hit Dickerson, who went 7-for-13 in the series with three doubles, one triple, one homer and five RBIs.

"If you look at the at-bats he's had all series, the ball's been over the plate," Carpenter said. "He was hammering them pretty good, so we are trying to hammer him in there. I just tried to run a fastball in on him, it cut a little bit and caught him."

An inning later, Rockies reliever Nick Masset and bench coach Tom Runnells were tossed after Masset hit Evan Gattis with a pitch. Gattis replaced Laird as the Braves' catcher.

NOTES, QUOTES

RECORD: 34-31

STREAK: Lost two

NEXT: Angels (LHP C.J. Wilson, 7-5, 3.32 ERA) at Braves (RHP Aaron Harang, 4-5, 3.33 ERA)

PLAYER NOTES:

--RHP Ervin Santana allowed six runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings Thursday at Colorado. It was the third time he has allowed a season-high six runs, the last being May 26 against Boston. In two career starts at Coors Field, the other on June 10, 2012, with the Los Angeles Angels, Santana is 1-1 with a 9.75 ERA (12 innings, 13 earned runs). In those 12 innings, Santana has given up 16 hits.

--2B Tommy La Stella went 2-for-3 with a double and a walk for his seventh multi-hit game in his first 15 career games. That matches a franchise high for multi-hit games to start a career. La Stella joined a list that includes the Jose Constanza (2011), Jeff Francoeur (2005), Bill Bruton (1953), Sam Jethroe (1950) and Buster Chatham (1930).

--RHP Jordan Walden, who came off the disabled list Tuesday after missing 32 games due to a left hamstring strain, gave up two hits and two runs in two-thirds of an inning with one intentional walk Thursday. In two appearances in the series at Colorado, Walden pitched a total of one inning and allowed two hits, three runs and four walks.

C Gerald Laird left Thursday's game in the eighth inning after he was hit in the head by Rockies LF Corey Dickerson's backswing. Laird flew home with the Braves after tests determined he did not sustain a concussion.

--C Evan Gattis entered in the eighth inning when C Gerald Laird left with a head injury. Gattis came up with two outs in the ninth and was hit by Nick Masset's first pitch, so Gattis' career-high 12-game hitting streak is still intact. During the streak, Gattis is 18-for-47 (.383) with five homers and 13 RBIs.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I was surprised getting tossed out of the game there. I was preparing for the next hitter. You can't let a hitter take away part of the plate. We've got to establish in, and I didn't do a very good job. I tried to do it, and the ball cut on me." -- RHP David Carpenter, who was ejected after hitting Rockies LF Corey Dickerson with a pitch. The incident occurred one pitch after Dickerson's backswing struck Braves C Gerald Laird in the head, knocking Laird out of the game.

June 13, 2014 Page 22 of 23

ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

--C Gerald Laird (head) left the June 12 game. Tests determined he did not sustain a concussion.

--LHP Jonny Venters (Tommy John surgery in May 2013) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on March 29. He stopped his first live batting practice session May 14 after 10 pitches because of soreness. He experienced soreness during a May 25 bullpen session, and he was diagnosed with a breakup of scar tissue.

--RHP Cory Gearrin (ligament damage in right elbow) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 24, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on April 2. He had season-ending Tommy John surgery April 15.

--RHP Kris Medlen (Tommy John surgery in March 2014) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on March 26. He will miss the entire season.

--RHP Brandon Beachy (Tommy John surgery in March 2014) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 21, and he was transferred to the 60-day DL on March 29. He will miss the entire season.

ROTATION:

RHP Julio Teheran

RHP Aaron Harang

RHP Ervin Santana

LHP Mike Minor

RHP Gavin Floyd

BULLPEN:

RHP Craig Kimbrel (closer)

LHP Luis Avilan

RHP David Carpenter

RHP David Hale

RHP Anthony Varvaro

RHP Shae Simmons

RHP Jordan Walden

June 13, 2014 Page 23 of 23

CATCHERS:

Evan Gattis

Gerald Laird

C/OF Ryan Doumit

INFIELDERS:

1B Freddie Freeman

2B Tommy La Stella

SS Andrelton Simmons

3B Chris Johnson

INF Ramiro Pena

INF Dan Uggla

OUTFIELDERS:

LF Justin Upton

CF B.J. Upton

RF Jason Heyward

OF Jordan Schafer