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Clips

(July 28, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Angels protest key play during 7-5 loss to Royals

Angels report: Tim Lincecum thinks he can fix what's wrong

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)

Angels manager Mike Scioscia convinced he's right about controversial play, protest after loss to Royals

Angels' Albert Pujols preparing for final showdown with friend David Ortiz

Angels Notes: Infielder Gregorio Petit gets a shot to play outfield

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Angels derailed in messy seventh inning

Scioscia protests game after lengthy dispute

Street well aware he's a trade target

Weaver tabbed as Angels open set vs. Red Sox

Off field, Heaney finds balance in meditation

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 16)

Mike Scioscia files official protest of Angels' loss to Royals

Mondesi's bunt single helps Royals beat Angels, 7-5

July 28, 2016 Page 3 of 19

FROM THE LA TIMES

Angels protest key play during 7-5 loss to Royals

Pedro Moura

Major League Baseball’s rulebook splayed out on his desk in Kauffman Stadium’s visiting

clubhouse, Mike Scioscia spoke vehemently late Wednesday night. He believed an umpiring

misinterpretation robbed his Angels of a victory that could have been theirs.

Ahead by two runs on Kansas City in the seventh inning, with Royals on first and second bases,

Matt Shoemaker fielded a sacrifice bunt by Raul Mondesi Jr., turned and threw the baseball

into right field. Kole Calhoun slipped when he tried to pick it up at the wall and both

Royals runners scored while Mondesi took third base.

Scioscia emerged at once. The Angels manager argued to home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi that

Mondesi ran inside the first-base line, impeding Shoemaker’s throw and invalidating everything

else that happened afterward.

The men argued, calmly for the most part, about 15 minutes with breaks. And then the ruling

remained, the umpiring crew stating the judgment call could not be reviewed. The Angels filed

a protest, and then suffered another in a string of unusual defeats this season, 7-5.

Scioscia said he was “100%” confident he was correct on the matter. He said he expected the

protest to be granted and the game to replayed, resuming with one out in the seventh inning

and the runners where they started.

“It’s very clear,” Scioscia said. “Phil Cuzzi had Mondesi running inside the line in jeopardy the

whole way, and stated that it was OK because he was stepping back towards the bag, which is

wrong. You’re only OK if you start in the lane and step back in…You’re in jeopardy the whole

way if you run inside, whether you get to the bag or not. So the question wasn’t if the throw

impeded him, or if he impeded the throw. The question wasn’t if he was running inside. It’s,

what I believe, is his misinterpretation of the rule, given the guidelines that he gave me.

“There’s no judgment involved. [Cuzzi] admitted that [Mondesi] was outside the line. …That’s

the basis of the protest.”

Royals Manager Ned Yost saw it more simply. He read MLB Rule 5.09 — that a judgment call

cannot be reviewed — off an iPhone during his postgame news conference.

Thirty-five minutes after the game ended, Cuzzi entered Scioscia’s office alongside umpire

supervisor Steve Palermo. They talked for half an hour before Cuzzi exited and declined to

speak to reporters. The time it all took was what most irked players on both sides.

July 28, 2016 Page 4 of 19

“I wish they would’ve just kind of ruled how they called it, and let the game be, if they weren’t

going to change it,” said Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who tried to receive

Shoemaker’s throw. “It’s kind of a frustrating way to lose the game.”

Said Shoemaker: “It was way too freakin’ long.”

“Six strong innings, and then in the seventh, just a bunch of crap,” Shoemaker added. “And we

lose the game.”

The bunt was a ruled a hit, the first of Mondesi’s career. Shoemaker regretted even attempting

to record an out on the play.

After the ruling, Jarrod Dyson smashed Shoemaker’s third pitch into the right-field corner for

a go-ahead, run-scoring triple. He scored on a sacrifice fly. To twist the sword, Mondesi reached

on another ground ball to the left side in the eighth inning when Angels reliever Jose Alvarez

made a throwing error, allowing an additional run to score.

Down four runs, the Angels rallied against an unusually shaky Wade Davis with two hits and three walks to bring the go-ahead run to bat in the ninth before Jett Bandy struck out to end the game.

Shoemaker started the game with the dominating stuff he has showcased for two months now, and Royals left-hander Danny Duffy was similarly sharp. Gregorio Petit notched the first hit for either team when he shot a single to left in the third inning. Giavotella followed with a double to left, but Duffy retired Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun to strand both men in scoring position.

In the fifth inning, Bandy and Petit worked walks, and Giavotella knocked a single up the middle. Looking at the bases loaded without an out, Escobar grounded into a double play, his 19th of 2016, the most in the major leagues. It still scored the game’s first run.

As Shoemaker carried a perfect game, Salvador Perez broke it up with one out in the fifth, blasting a fastball nearly to the right-field wall. Off at the sound, Calhoun dove and timed the baseball into his glove, only to see it bounce out for a double.

Perez would score on a subsequent double. The Angels added a run in the sixth inning, when Mike Trout snuck a ball under Paulo Orlando’s glove in right field and scampered home on Jefry Marte’s second double, and scored another in the top half of the seventh before the filibustering confounding bottom half.

“I hit him, but it was also a terrible throw,” Shoemaker said. “He was going to be safe anyway. I should’ve held on to it.”

Two years and one month ago, Shoemaker had the worst start of his major league career in this ballpark, when he yielded eight runs on 11 hits in four innings. He pitched wonderfully against Kansas City in the playoffs that season, and pitched well again Wednesday night, until the seventh, when it veered into the awfully memorable again.

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The Angels and Royals have a mutual off day Aug. 8, amid a Kansas City homestand, and a travel day for the Angels between Seattle and Chicago. Ostensibly, if Scioscia’s request is granted, the game’s final three innings would be replayed then.

One protest has been granted within the last 30 years, in 2014, when the Chicago Cubs waited to put out a tarp during a win when rain made Wrigley Field unplayable.

Angels report: Tim Lincecum thinks he can fix what's wrong

Pedro Moura

Wherever he pitches, Tim Lincecum looks for the radar readings after many of his fastballs, hoping to see 92 mph pop up on some horizontal scoreboard somewhere.

“That’s the kind of thing that puts a trigger in my head,” he said this week. “It hits like a light and it says, ‘Hey, there’s promise. There’s potential. It’s still in there.’”

When he was a 23-year-old rookie sensation in San Francisco, Lincecum once fired a fastball 99.9 mph. Nine years later, his goal is lower. But he couldn’t once touch 89 in his last start, and fluctuating velocity and command of his fastball is perhaps the primary reason he has struggled to an 8.70 earned-run average in seven starts as an Angel.

“It’s tough, because you have games when you’re throwing 84-87, and you prepared the same way as games when you’re throwing 88-91,” Lincecum said. “And it’s even on pitches where I’m not trying as hard as other pitches, when I throw my hardest and it’s coming out like doo-doo.”

Lincecum does not know exactly what all is ailing him. He still believes it is something fixable by work and time, in tandem. He knows he needs to make more in-game adjustments than he used to and listen to what the readings are telling him.

What has not changed is his demeanor. Over his five weeks with the team, Lincecum’s teammates have remarked on the rarity he presents: a continually smiling, frequently encouraging former star.

“He has a naturally positive attitude, which is I think what every great player has,” closer Huston Street said. “But he’s also extremely competitive, and a lot of times when you’re competitive and you’re not getting the results you want, you turn bitter. He hasn’t.”

When he won the National League Cy Young award in consecutive seasons, Lincecum went from Bay Area cult hero to fleshed-out superstar, mostly because he seemed to generally behave like a normal, humorous human. He retained those traits during his decline phase as a Giant, and, now, as an Angel.

July 28, 2016 Page 6 of 19

“Most everybody here has more personality than they let on,” Street said. “Guys are guarded because that same personality, everyone will hold it against you if you just have a bad six weeks and let the team down. Everyone will be like, ‘Dude, I’m so tired of his act.’

“We love his act.”

Even in the face of failure, Lincecum hops and jumps around the Angels’ clubhouse. He watches his teammates play cards intently. He jokes about their fashion sense. After 10 months away from the routine of major league baseball, he is happy to be back, for however long he can stay.

FROM OC REGISTER

Angels manager Mike Scioscia convinced he's right about controversial play, protest after loss to Royals

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mike Scioscia sat in his office after the Angels’ 7-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday, a rule book on his desk, confident that this game wasn’t over.

The Angels had filed a protest over what Scioscia believed was a misinterpretation of the rules on the pivotal play of the night.

“I think I’m 100 percent,” Scioscia said. “I wouldn’t have protested it if I didn’t feel I was 100 percent correct on this. This is a misinterpretation of a rule.”

If the Angels’ protest is upheld by major league officials, who should rule in the next couple days, the game would be replayed from the moment in question.

It all happened in the seventh inning, with the Angels holding a 3-1 lead. The Royals had runners at first and second, and Raul Mondesi Jr. at the plate.

Mondesi dropped down a bunt. Matt Shoemaker fielded it but then threw the ball away, his throw sailing on the foul side of the bag about the same time as Mondesi reached the bag.

After right fielder Kole Calhoun picked it up in foul territory, he slipped. When the whole play was over, two runs had scored and Mondesi was at third.

Scioscia went out to ask plate umpire Phil Cuzzi, who is also the crew chief, if Mondesi had run inside the baseline, interfering with the Angels ability to make the play. In that case, Mondesi should have been called out and the runners sent back.

And this is where it gets murky.

According to Scioscia, Cuzzi told him that Mondesi was inside the line all the way, but at the point of impact, he was close enough to the base that he was allowed to be there. The runner is allowed to come inside at the end, because that’s where the base is.

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Scioscia said that isn’t the correct interpretation of the rule. He said the runner can’t be inside the line at all, even before the point of potential interference.

Cuzzi, citing the pending protest, said he couldn’t comment. Cuzzi and umpire supervisor Steve Palermo, who lives in the area and was at the game, spent about 30 minutes in Scioscia’s office after the game. Afterward, Scioscia said he was still filing a protest.

The play is not subject to review by replay, so there was no option to use that to determine when Mondesi crossed the line.

Shoemaker, by the way, said the speedy Mondesi was probably going to be safe anyway, “so I should’ve held on to it.” Mondesi, in fact, was credited with a hit, the first of his career.

After about a 15-minute delay for the argument, Shoemaker gave up a triple to Jarrod Dyson, allowing the go-ahead run, and a sacrifice fly, pushing in an insurance run. Shoemaker conceded that the delay might have been an issue.

The Royals got two more runs in the eighth to take a 7-3 lead. The Angels had a shot in the ninth, rallying against All-Star closer Wade Davis. They scored two runs and had the bases loaded when Jett Bandy struck out to end it.

Of course, it still might not be over.

Angels Notes: Albert Pujols playing first, but still sore

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This weekend is going to carry a little extra meaning for Albert Pujols.

The Angels will be playing their last series of the season against the Boston Red Sox, which means that Pujols will likely be playing his final games against retiring star David Ortiz.

“He’s like a big brother to me,” Pujols, 36, said of the 40-year-old Ortiz. “It’s going to be pretty emotional knowing that’s the last time I’m going to play against him.”

Pujols has had his eyes on Ortiz since long before they played against each other.

Originally signed by the Seattle Mariners, Ortiz played as a teenager at the Mariners academy in the Dominican Republic, which was near the school Pujols attended.

“I used to leave school early to watch them practice,” Pujols said.

Since those early days, the relationship has changed as they became big league peers.

“He gave me a lot of advice, especially the times that I struggled in my career when I went to the American League,” Pujols said. “He’s somebody that always kept me positive.”

Now, Pujols has is watching with the same awe as everyone else that Ortiz is having such a stellar season. At the All-Star Game, in which players had an impromptu tribute to Ortiz as he came out of the game, many of the game’s starts implored Ortiz to keep playing.

“Do I think he should retire? I don’t think so,” Pujols said this week. “He’s probably having the best year of his career. But like he told me in Boston, your body lets you know. It’s not that

July 28, 2016 Page 8 of 19

you can’t compete any more. You can be a competitive athlete the rest of your life. What gets you are the injuries, and the time to recover. It takes two or three days instead of 24 hours.”

The Angels will recognize Ortiz with an on-field presentation before Thursday’s game.

Angels Notes: Infielder Gregorio Petit gets a shot to play outfield

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For a player like Gregorio Petit, an appearance in left field is about more than helping his team.

It’s about helping himself.

“I’m not a prospect any more, so I have to keep proving I can do a lot of things,” said Pet it, 31. “If I’m able to play a position other than infield, it would be huge for my career, I believe. This is a great opportunity for me.”

Petit, who had never played a professional game in the outfield until Wednesday, has been working out in the outfield since last year. He handled four fly balls without incident.

The opportunity to finally play a game there arose because the Angels chose to take Todd Cunningham off the roster on Tuesday, clearing room for Tyler Skaggs.

That left only one natural left fielder on the roster, Daniel Nava. He’s a switch-hitter, but the Angels have used him almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers.

The other three players capable of playing left field include two right-handed hitters – Jefry Marte and Petit – and the left-handed Ji-Man Choi.

On Wednesday, against a lefty, Marte and Petit were both in the lineup, with Marte at first. The Angels could use this alignment again on Thursday and Saturday, facing lefties.

“I’m excited,” Petit said. “It’s another opportunity for me to keep opening doors, keep knocking on doors and saying ‘I can do this.’”

The ability to play outfield could also help Petit stick on the roster when Cliff Pennington comes back from the disabled list, perhaps as soon as next week. Petit is out of options, so the Angels would probably lose him on waivers if they tried to send him to the minors when Pennington returns.

ALSO

Infielder David Fletcher, an infielder at Class-A Inland Empire, ran his hitting streak to 20 games on Wednesday, the first Angels minor leaguer to reach that mark this season. Fletcher, a sixth-round pick in 2015 out of Loyola Marymount, has raised his average to .265…

Shane Robinson, out with a sprained ankle, will begin a rehab assignment on Thursday for Inland Empire...

The Angels did not take batting practice on the field Wednesday, a concession to the weather. The heat index was 97 degrees, factoring the temperature and stifling humidity.

July 28, 2016 Page 9 of 19

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels derailed in messy seventh inning

By Jeffrey Flanagan and Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com |

KANSAS CITY -- Royals rookie Raul Mondesi has another reason to remember his first Major League hit -- it helped win a game on his 21st birthday.

Mondesi's bunt single helped trigger a four-run seventh that rallied the Royals to a 7-5 win over the Angels on Wednesday night, snapping their four-game losing streak. The Angels played the game under protest because of what manager Mike Scioscia believed was a misinterpretation of the rules on Mondesi's eventual hit.

Mondesi, just called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, was attempting a sacrifice with none out and runners on first and second. His bunt was fielded by Angels starter Matt Shoemaker, who threw late and wild to first base. The ball rolled into the right-field corner as both baserunners scored, tying the game at 3, and Mondesi reached third base. Mondesi then scored on a Jarrod Dyson triple, and the Royals had the lead for good.

Scioscia believed Mondesi was out of the baseline and should've been called out, with the runners remaining on first and second.

"I had an angle; I just made a bad throw," Shoemaker said. "The worst part is that he was probably going to be safe anyway. I just kind of dropped my back shoulder and threw it."

The Angels dropped their first game in six tries against the Royals this season. Left-hander Danny Duffy started for the Royals and gave up three runs over six innings. He walked two and struck out five. Shoemaker also went six innings, giving up eight hits and five runs.

The Angels trailed by four heading into the ninth, but they made it interesting against normally lights-out closer Wade Davis, loading the bases with only one out. Albert Pujols then drew a walk, Jefry Marte hit a line drive directly into Mondesi's glove at second base and Andrelton Simmons ripped a single to center field, making it a two-run game. But Jett Bandy struck out swinging on a full-count, low-and-inside cutter, giving the Angels their first loss in six games against the Royals this season.

"The problem we've had lately is that we haven't had enough innings to keep Wade sharp," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He's been pitching every three or four or five days and it is tough to stay sharp."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Clutch hits: Yost has been craving for his offense to come up with some clutch hitting and he got that after the Mondesi hit and error. With Mondesi on third, Dyson smashed a triple into the right-field corner to put the Royals up, 4-3. Then Alcides Escobar drove a sacrifice fly to left-center field and the Royals were up, 5-3.

"We needed that," Dyson said. "I needed that. I've been scuffling. I thought I hit a couple balls really hard today. I thought I could have had at least two triples."

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Another E1: Mondesi had two infield hits, and they resulted in four runs. The second came with two outs in the eighth, when the speedy second baseman swung and hit a dribbler to the left side. Angels reliever Jose Alvarez jumped off the mound to field it, but made an errant throw to first, increasing the Royals' lead from two to four entering the ninth inning.

"[Mondesi's] speed was game-changing for sure," Yost said. "On the bunt and the infield hit, he helped us score four runs.

It's a hit and a run!: Before Salvador Perez's one-out double in the fifth, the Royals had not had a baserunner for 27 straight batters going back to Tuesday night. Alex Gordon followed with a single, pushing Perez to third. Then Paulo Orlando snapped an 18-inning scoreless streak for the Royals with a ground-rule double to left-center field. That tied the score at 1, though Gordon would have scored easily had Orlando's double not bounced over the wall. The Royals then stranded both runners with two groundouts.

Coming up big: Marte and Gregorio Petit, two bench players who only see action sparingly, had nice games, combining to go 4-for-7 with three doubles. Marte, who played first base, was making only his second start since July 10, but Scioscia wanted to keep him on the team so that he can start against lefties. Petit, a veteran utility infielder, made his first professional appearance in left field and handled it well, which could allow him to stay on the roster even when Cliff Pennington makes his expected return Sunday.

QUOTABLE "Every win from here on out is going to be huge for us. We definitely got to get back on the right track and hopefully tonight was a good start." -- Duffy

REPLAY REVIEW The Angels played this game under protest over what Scioscia believed was a misinterpretation of the rules with regards to the critical play in the seventh. Protests are not allowed on judgment calls, but Scioscia believed umpire Phil Cuzzi misinterpreted the rules in saying Mondesi was allowed to be outside the baseline in order to touch first base. Yost was asked if the Angels had any chance at winning the protest and said, flatly: "No."

Scioscia believed he was "100 percent" right, saying: "The question wasn't if the throw impeded him, or if he impeded the throw. The question wasn't if he was running inside. It's, what I believe, is [Cuzzi's] misinterpretation of the rule, given the guidelines that he gave me." More >

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Jered Weaver takes the ball when the Angels return to Southern California to begin a four-game series against the Red Sox, with Thursday's first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT. Weaver will face off against lefty ace David Price and will take the mound with a 3.23 ERA when pitching at Angel Stadium this season.

Royals: The Royals will head south for a four-game set against the Rangers. Right-hander Yordano Ventura will take the mound for the series opener at 7:05 CT at Globe Life Park. His last outing, coincidentally against the Rangers, was cut short after he took a ground ball to the ribs in the fifth inning.

July 28, 2016 Page 11 of 19

Scioscia protests game after lengthy dispute

Angels manager argues Royals baserunner interfered on throw to first

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com |

KANSAS CITY -- The official rule book sat on the desk of Mike Scioscia's office from Kauffman Stadium late Wednesday night, half open and lying flat moments after the Angels filed a protest for a game they lost, 7-5.

Shortly after Scioscia's media scrum, the umpire responsible for his gripe, Phil Cuzzi, met with the Angels' manager behind closed doors for about a half-hour, hashing out a critical seventh-inning play that featured an errant throw by Matt Shoemaker that might have cost the Angels a sweep.

With none out, runners on first and second and the Angels leading, 3-1, in the seventh inning, rookie speedster Raul Mondesi laid down a sacrifice bunt. Shoemaker fielded it cleanly, but Mondesi was already nearing first base by the time he set his feet to throw. The baseball glanced off Mondesi's leg and rolled into right field, scoring the two game-tying runs and putting Mondesi on third after his first Major League hit.

"I had an angle; I just made a bad throw," Shoemaker said. "The worst part is that he was probably going to be safe anyway."

Scioscia spent the next 10 or so minutes arguing with the umpires, stating that Mondesi interfered with Shoemaker's ability to successfully throw the ball to first base, and in that time the Angels filed a protest.

Games cannot be played under protest on the basis of judgment calls, but Scioscia stressed that the issue was a misinterpretation of the rules on Cuzzi's behalf. Cuzzi, according to Scioscia, admitted that Mondesi was out of the baseline when the throw came in, but said he was allowed to be in order to touch the base. But Scioscia believes Mondesi was out of the baseline the entire time.

"The question wasn't if the throw impeded him, or if he impeded the throw," Scioscia said. "The question wasn't if he was running inside. It's, what I believe, is his misinterpretation of the rule, given the guidelines that he gave me. There's no judgment involved. He admitted that he was outside the line. Phil felt that he wasn't in jeopardy because he was stepping to the bag, which is wrong. And that's the basis of the protest."

Cuzzi, who was the home-plate umpire and crew chief, could not comment because it is an ongoing protest. Major League Baseball will rule on it within the next couple of days, and if it is upheld, the game will be replayed from that moment forward during a mutual off-day.

The last protest to be upheld stemmed from an Aug. 19, 2014, game at Wrigley Field, between the Giants and Cubs, when MLB ruled that the Cubs were negligent in putting the tarp in place, causing the game to end after four and a half innings. It was the first upheld protest in 28 years.

"I wouldn't have protested it if I didn't feel I was 100 percent correct on this," Scioscia said. "This is a misinterpretation of a rule."

July 28, 2016 Page 12 of 19

Royals manager Ned Yost, however, felt the Angels had no shot at winning the appeal.

"It was pretty confusing what was going on," he said. "It was a judgment call that he wasn't out of the lane. I looked at the video, and he was right on the line."

Yost then found the rule (5.09) on the cellphone of the Royals' vice president of communications, Mike Swanson, and read it aloud. The rule states that a runner is out if …

… in running the last half of the distance from home base to first base, while the ball is being fielded to first base, he runs outside (to the right of) the three-foot line, or inside (to the left of) the foul line, and in the umpire's judgment in so doing interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base, in which case the ball is dead.

Scioscia's argument rests on Cuzzi admitting that Mondesi was inside the line but was allowed to be, as opposed to Cuzzi saying Mondesi wasn't inside the line, which would be a judgment call. Barring an upheld protest, the Angels dropped their first game in six tries to the Royals this season, falling to 45-56 on the year while losing for only the sixth time in the last 18 games.

The Mondesi play sparked a long delay, and three pitches later, Shoemaker served up a go-ahead triple to the No. 9-hitting Jarrod Dyson. Asked if the delay affected him, Shoemaker said: "You can say yeah, you can say no. I don't know. Maybe."

Mondesi sparked another errant throw the next half-inning, with a two-out dribbler that Angels reliever Jose Alvarez fielded and threw wide of first, allowing two more runs to come in. The Angels made it interesting against Wade Davis in the ninth, loading the bases with one out before tacking on a couple more runs, but they came up short.

And a seventh-inning error cost them.

"It's kind of a frustrating way to lose the game," said Angels second baseman Johnny Giavotella, who was covering first on the play. "I don't think Mondesi made it easy on him. I'm not an umpire by any means. I don't write the rules, but I know that Mondesi didn't make it easy for him to throw the ball. I'll just leave it at that."

Street well aware he's a trade target

Angels closer focusing on improving numbers

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Most players will claim, whether it's true or not, that they do not read the things that are written about them.

Not Huston Street.

"I read everything," the Angels' veteran closer said. "I know exactly what's going on."

So, yes, Street knows his name has come up as a potential trade target this week. And that the Giants are an interested suitor, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. And he knows that the Angels are in the type of precarious situation that would prompt them to swap veteran players for controllable prospects.

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"The reality is, no matter how bad I want to get traded or don't want to get traded, or want to go to this team or that, you can't control it," Street said. "I have a desire to stay here. I've said that. I don't want to be traded. I'm not going to be shy about that, because I don't want to be. I signed with the Angels to win a World Series, and I still believe in that idea. But I'm not naïve to the fact that it's not in my hands, it's not in my control. And if it happens, then guess what, I'll be thankful, and I'll go on to the next day. I'm just trying to get the next save."

"The next save" is the concept that continues to guide Street's season, one that has seen him post a 4.78 ERA and a 1.84 WHIP -- both easily on track for career highs -- with a very limited workload.

The Angels entered Wednesday tied for last place, with the Twins, for the fewest save opportunities in the Majors, with 28. In July, Street has had one save chance and four other opportunities. If you count the 32 games he missed because of an oblique strain, the 32-year-old right-hander has made only 15 appearances dating back to April 23.

These are all reasons Street isn't ready to call this a down year.

"I'm at, what, 20 innings?" asked Street, who entered the series finale against the Royals with 20 2/3 innings, about a third of his average from 2005-15.

"Don't tell me I've had a bad season in the middle of my season. The season's not over."

But the Angels must make some important decisions very soon, and they face a tough one with Street.

He signed a reasonable two-year, $18 million extension in May 2015, one that will pay him $9 million in 2017 and includes a $10 million club option for 2018. The Angels, however, would be selling low if they trade Street before Monday's non-waiver Trade Deadline, because the teams in need of a late-game bullpen arm may not view him as a closer.

Street -- who will often pitch around hitters in the ninth to get the right matchup if he has more than a one-run lead from which to work from -- cares very little about his ERA and a lot more about his WHIP.

"But both of those things aren't even close -- not even in the same galaxy -- as to how much I care about my save percentage, and wins and losses," Street said.

He's 8-for-10 in saves, and he has a 3-1 record. Of the 11 runs he has given up, only two -- both surrendered June 21, in a blown save against the Astros -- have directly impacted the outcome of a game. And though pundits would scoff at the logic, Street's mindset remains unchanged.

"I don't care what anybody thinks, because at the end of the day, 95 percent of the noise is the fantasy players, who only care about strikeouts and dominance," said Street, who entered the season with a 2.85 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP for his career. "The other four percent of the noise, they're not even on your own team, they don't see you, so they just read the box score. Me, my job, is to get the next save. That's my job -- get the next save. And if I pitch in a tight game, hold the lead. That's my job."

July 28, 2016 Page 14 of 19

Weaver tabbed as Angels open set vs. Red Sox

By Quinn Roberts / MLB.com |

Red Sox manager John Farrell is fully aware of how pivotal the next two weeks are for his club. Playing 59 home games so far this season, which is more than any other team, the Red Sox begin an 11-game road trip on Thursday against the Angels.

Along with four games in Anaheim, the Red Sox will play four games against the Mariners and three games against the Dodgers. Boston's previous series against the Tigers snapped a streak of six consecutive series without a loss.

"I can't say it's been one area solely that has caused us from extending a winning streak or allowing us to extend a series," Farrell said. "Things are going to be more difficult just because of being away from Fenway Park."

Left-hander David Price will get the nod in the opener, hoping to put this season's struggles behind him. In 21 starts with the Red Sox, Price is 9-7 with a 4.51 ERA. That's a big difference from a pitcher who was 104-56 with a 3.09 ERA entering 2016.

Meanwhile, Angels right-hander Jered Weaver is looking for answers of his own. After 19 starts, he has a career-high 5.32 ERA. The veteran is 4-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 16 games against the Red Sox. He didn't pitch in Boston when the clubs played a three-game series at Fenway Park at the beginning of July.

Against the Astros at Minute Maid Park on Saturday, Weaver gave up six runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings.

"Obviously I don't have the same [stuff] that I used to," he said. "That's first and foremost."

Three things to know about this game

• Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz will likely be out of the lineup for Thursday's opener. Farrell mentioned that he'd check with Ortiz after Wednesday's game to see how he felt, but hinted that he expected the slugger to take Thursday off.

• Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez has five home runs and 12 RBIs in his last seven games.

• Angels center fielder Mike Trout is hitting .188 (3-for-16) against Price with nine strikeouts, while first baseman Albert Pujols is hitting .158 (3-for-19). But Pujols entered Wednesday batting .284/.355/.506 with five homers and 27 RBIs in 21 July games.

Off field, Heaney finds balance in meditation

Recovering from Tommy John surgery, Angels southpaw at peace while on mend

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com |

Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney isn't necessarily superstitious, but he is strict about his routine, as most tend to be in his walk of life. Just before walking onto the field for one of his starts, he'll sit on the chair in front of his locker and tie the laces of his cleats, first the one on

July 28, 2016 Page 15 of 19

the right and then the one on the left. Then Heaney will close his eyes, take a deep breath and start to visualize how he's going to attack the opposing lineup.

"It only takes a minute, two minutes," Heaney said. "To other people, it looks like I'm just sitting in my chair lacing up my cleats. But for me, it's something that I've always done. I don't know if you call it meditation, but it's definitely positive visualization."

Heaney grew up understanding the importance of mental stability. His father, Mark, was a pastor who became licensed as a professional counselor. He couldn't teach his son the mechanics of pitching, but he saw how distraught Heaney became when he didn't do it properly, so he went about helping his son attain optimal mental stability.

Heaney got serious about the pursuit while attending Oklahoma State University, taking up yoga and eventually doing some meditation. He'll lean on it now, as he begins the arduous process of a recovery from Tommy John surgery.

"I think as baseball players, a lot of guys maybe don't think about how stressed they are," Heaney said. "You just kind of assume that that's the normal, and you just deal with it; you suck it up and go with it. But it takes anywhere from two to 15 minutes, however long it takes. I think it can really help, in just once a day mellowing people out and getting everybody to focus on how their body is really feeling. I think a lot of guys are pretty in tune with how their body feels physically. But how your body feels mentally, it's a little different thing."

Heaney, who underwent Tommy John surgery on July 1, says meditation is a constant presence in his life, but not necessarily a singular act for which he sets aside time.

Sometimes Heaney will do that, too, though. He'll find a quiet space and run an app on his smartphone, usually Headspace, and walk through eight to 12 minutes of meditation. Heaney will embrace the sounds around him, then try to quiet them down and push all the stresses of his life out. He'll focus on his chest rising and falling, focus on his breaths coming in and out, then focus on his hands, his neck and any other part of his body that may be wound tight.

Heaney turned to this exercise frequently in the early part of this season, while waiting to find out if stem-cell therapy would allow him to skirt the operation he wound up having.

Heaney will try to turn to it routinely in the year that follows.

"I hope it helps," Heaney said. "I've never had a major injury like this, or any kind of surgery, so it's hard to say. For me, my overall mental status, my overall mental health -- I feel really positive about that. I'm not a guy who has huge swings as far as big ups and big downs, and I think that that can be a really tough thing for some guys when they do hit the low points. And I know there will be low points, but I feel confident in how I'll be able to handle it. Myself, off the field, I enjoy my life. I love my wife. I have a dog that I love. I have a great family that supports me. All that helps, as well."

July 28, 2016 Page 16 of 19

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mike Scioscia files official protest of Angels' loss to Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Manager Mike Scioscia is not ready to acknowledge that his Los Angeles

Angels lost on Wednesday night.

Scioscia officially protested the Kansas City Royals' 7-5 victory, claiming Raul Mondesi ran inside

the line on a bunt single in the seventh inning, which led to a throwing error and two runners

scoring.

Scioscia said he is "100 percent" certain the protest would be upheld.

"It's not a judgment call," Scioscia said. "I would not have protested if I was not 100 percent

correct on this. This is a misinterpretation of a rule. It was very clear. Phil Cuzzi, the home plate

umpire, had Mondesi running inside the line in jeopardy the whole way and stated that it's OK,

because he was stepping back toward the bag, which is wrong."

Raul Mondesi had a bunt single for his first big league hit, with two runs scoring on the play on

pitcher Matt Shoemaker's throwing error, as the Royals rallied for a 7-5 win over the Angels.

Cuzzi said he couldn't comment because of the pending protest, according to The Orange

County Register.

Matt Shoemaker, who did not allow a base runner until the fifth inning, yielded singles to Alex

Gordon and Paulo Orlando to start the seventh. Mondesi, who was called up Tuesday, put

down a bunt and beat the throw to first as the throw by Shoemaker (5-11) ricocheted off

Mondesi and sailed into right field.

"The question wasn't if the throw impeded him or he impeded the throw," Scioscia said. "It

wasn't if he was running inside. It's what I believe is his misinterpretation of the rule, given the

guidelines that he gave me. There's no judgement involved. He admitted that [Mondesi] was

inside the line. In Phil's head, he wasn't in jeopardy, because he was stepping toward the bag,

which is wrong. That's the basis of the protest."

Both runners scored, and Mondesi wound up on third. Jarrod Dyson then rifled a triple to right,

scoring Mondesi and making all the runs earned. Dyson scored on Alcides Escobar's sacrifice fly.

Shoemaker questioned whether he should have thrown to first.

"A bunt right back to me, he should be out," Shoemaker said. "But he was so quick, he was

going to be safe anyway. I should have held onto it."

After a 6 minute, 15 second review, the call on the field was not changed.

Royals manager Ned Yost said there is no way the protest would be upheld.

July 28, 2016 Page 17 of 19

"You can't protest a judgmental call," Yost said. "I've never protested a game. I've never been

part of a game that was protested."

Mondesi's bunt single helps Royals beat Angels, 7-5

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Raul Mondesi celebrated an unforgettable 21st birthday.

Mondesi had two infield singles, leading to four runs and two pitchers throwing errors -- plus a

protest by the Los Angeles Angels -- as the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 7-5 victory on

Wednesday night.

Mondesi had a bunt single for his first big league hit, with two runs scoring on the play on

pitcher Matt Shoemaker's throwing error in the seventh inning.

"This one I enjoy," Mondesi said of his birthday. "Playing with these guys, this is amazing."

Shoemaker, who did not allow a base runner until the fifth inning, yielded singles to Alex

Gordon and Paulo Orlando to start the seventh. Mondesi, called up Tuesday, put down a bunt

and beat the throw to first as the throw by Shoemaker (5-11) sailed into right field.

Both runners scored and Mondesi wound up on third.

"That's part of my game," Mondesi said of bunting. "I like it. I enjoy bunting and with that throw

we score two runs."

Angels manager Mike Scioscia came out claiming interference, that Mondesi was not running

within the lines, and after a 6 minute, 15 second review the call on the field was not changed.

Scioscia officially protested the game.

Royals manager Ned Yost said there is no way the protest would be upheld.

"You can't protest a judgmental call," Yost said. "I've never protested a game. I've never been

part of a game that was protested."

Scioscia had a completely opposite viewpoint, saying he is "100 percent" certain the protest

would be upheld.

"It's not a judgement call," Scioscia said. "I would not have protested if I was not 100 percent

correct on this. This is a misinterpretation of a rule. It was very clear. Phil Cuzzi, the home plate

umpire, had Mondesi running inside the line in jeopardy the whole way, and stated that it's

okay because he was stepping back toward the bag, which is wrong."

Jarrod Dyson rifled a triple to right, scoring Mondesi and making all the runs earned. Dyson

scored on Alcides Escobar's sacrifice fly.

July 28, 2016 Page 18 of 19

Mondesi added a run-scoring infield single in a two-run eighth. The second run scored on

pitcher Jose Alvarerz's throwing error.

Joakim Soria (4-4) pitched a scoreless inning for the win after replacing left-hander Danny Duffy

in the seventh. Duffy allowed three runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out five.

Shoemaker was charged with five runs on eight hits in six-plus innings.

Albert Pujols walked with the bases loaded with one out in the ninth and Andrelton Simmons

singled in another run before Wade Davis struck out Jett Bandy to end the game.

Gordon and Orlando each contributed three hits. Orlando had two doubles and a fifth-inning

RBI.

Jefry Marte had two doubles and a RBI for the Angels, while Johnny Giavotella had his second

consecutive three-hit game.

ROYALS MEETING

With several Royals names surfacing in trade rumors, Yost addressed it in a team meeting.

"These guys are a real, real close group," Yost said. "They know that this trade deadline

(Monday) is bearing down on them. They don't want to see anybody leave that room. They

want to see us all continue to stay together. That's adding a little bit of anxiety and urgency to

their game. But sometimes it can be a little too much. They're trying to make things happen,

instead of letting things develop. Just catch your breath."

OUTFIELD DEBUT

Gregorio Petit, who had only played the infield professionally, started in left field for the Angels.

"We're trying to get another right-handed bat in there and get Greg some at-bats," Scioscia

said. "He's been working out there for the last two months."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: OF Shane Robinson (sprained right ankle) will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with

Class-A Inland Empire in the California League.

Royals: OF Lorenzo Cain (strained left hamstring) went 1 for 4 with a single and a strikeout

while playing seven innings in right field.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver will start Thursday at Anaheim against the Red Sox, who will counter

with LHP David Price.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura, who lost to the Rangers on Saturday, will face them again

Thursday in the opener of a four-game series at Arlington. LHP Cole Hamels will be the Texas

starter.

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