May 5, 2017 Page 1 of 17

Clips

(May 5, 2017)

May 5, 2017 Page 2 of 17

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels' struggles on mound continue in 11-3 loss to Mariners

Angels center fielder Mike Trout does not play in series finale against Mariners

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 5)

Alex Meyer struggles in Angels’ loss to Mariners

Angels notes: Mike Trout sits with hamstring tightness

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 8)

Tight hamstring gives Trout a night off

Trout-less Halos go quietly vs. Mariners

Angels still hopeful Meyer can find footing

Trout looks to keep rolling vs. Astros

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 13)

Valencia, Miranda lift Mariners past Angels 11-3

Angels face tough task vs. Astros' Keuchel

FROM BASEBALL AMERICA (Page 16)

Torii Hunter Jr., Brandon Marsh Ready To Embark On New Path

May 5, 2017 Page 3 of 17

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels' struggles on mound continue in 11-3 loss to Mariners

By Pedro Moura

Alex Meyer soundly failed his first test to fit into the Angels’ rotation.

The 6-foot-9 right-hander brought his tantalizing 97-mph fastball into his Thursday night start at Safeco

Field, but also the same struggle to command it. Accordingly, he bore the loss in the Angels’ 11-3 loss to

Seattle.

“He showed flashes of why we’re excited about him,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said afterward.

Scioscia was then asked what Meyer must do to extend those flashes.

“Right now, that’s the $64,000 question,” he said, referencing a game show that last aired in 1958.

Meyer hit the first man he faced and walked the second, and soon let in a run when Nelson

Cruz doubled. Had catcher Juan Graterol not thrown out Jean Segura seeking to steal second, it would

have been two. Meyer escaped that inning and again traversed traffic on the basepaths in the second.

In the third inning, he walked the leadoff man, Ben Gamel, and then struck out Robinson Cano and Cruz,

a stretch Scioscia referred to as encouraging. Kyle Seager poked a single into left field, and Danny

Valencia shot one into the same location to score Gamel. When Ben Revere over-threw home, Valencia

took second, and both he and Seager scored on Guillermo Heredia’s subsequent bloop double into right

field.

That was four runs. Seattle scored its fifth and sixth in the fourth inning, on a Segura single, Gamel

double and Cruz single. Meyer made it no further, as long reliever Daniel Wright entered for the fifth.

Meyer frustrated himself with his fluctuating ability to throw his pitches where he intended, for strikes

or for balls. Sometimes, he could. More often, he could not. That trait led to his three walks, and to

some of the hits off hanging curveballs in two-strike counts.

“You gotta get ahead early,” Meyer said. “Here’s my fastball for a strike. Here’s my breaking ball. You’ve

gotta pound the zone. Otherwise, it puts them in a position where they can swing the bat more

comfortably.

“As a pitcher, that’s not what you want.”

Wright faltered in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, but made it through four innings to render

other relievers unnecessary.

A split nail on his throwing hand bothered Meyer during the fourth. Scioscia, pitching coach Charles

Nagy, and a team trainer visited him on the mound, but he threw two warm-up pitches to prove he

could remain in the game.

May 5, 2017 Page 4 of 17

The Angels can ill afford another injury to one of their starting pitchers. Meyer himself is replacing left-

hander Tyler Skaggs, who is expected to miss at least two months because of an oblique strain. In the

continued absence of Garrett Richards, Skaggs represented the best potential for dominance out of any

remaining Angels starter. Now, he may miss more time than Richards, and the Angels have few options

to replace him beyond Meyer.

Next on the in-house list would be Wright, or, given some time, left-hander Nate Smith, who is

mounting a return from a season-opening forearm strain. Although Scioscia would not say the 27-year-

old Meyer will start again for certain, Thursday was not likely to be his last chance. If he issues walks at

this same rate and remains wild, it’s easy to envision the Angels cutting the tryout short.

The Angels (15-15) had not won or lost by more than three runs in 11 days, and they had not won or lost

a game by more than six runs all season. So, Thursday’s rout marked a departure from their modus

operandi. They scored twice in the second inning and once in the eighth, when the outcome was already

apparent.

Yunel Escobar notched four singles in five tries. But after his first hit, he ran at a leisurely pace on Kole

Calhoun’s subsequent grounder, squandering a chance to reach second base safely and save an out

when Segura bobbled the ball.

No other Angel reached base more than once. In only his third start of the season, Graterol delivered a

single for the early runs. But, on one Cano swing in the Mariners’ half of the third, the catcher sustained

two hits. Cano fouled a ball into Graterol’s shoulder, then struck him in the mask on the backswing. He

stayed in the game after evaluation.

The Angels were facing the pitcher they could have acquired instead of Meyer nine months ago: Seattle

left-hander Ariel Miranda. Baltimore proffered him as the primary piece of a return for left-

hander Hector Santiago, whom the Angels traded at the Aug. 1 deadline.

Instead, general manager Billy Eppler opted to acquire Meyer and right-hander Ricky Nolasco in an

expanded deal with Minnesota, and Baltimore sent Miranda to Seattle for left-hander Wade Miley.

Miranda, 28, has a 3.54 earned-run average in 89 innings since that trade.

Angels center fielder Mike Trout does not play in series finale against Mariners

By Pedro Moura

Mike Trout did not play in the Angels’ series finale against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, hampered

by tightness in one of his hamstrings.

It was a rare “recharge day” for the center fielder, according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia. Trout has

started at least 157 of the Angels’ 162 games in each of his four full seasons. He has never been placed

on the disabled list. This ailment is not expected to end that streak.

May 5, 2017 Page 5 of 17

When asked why he was not playing, Trout said he was just taking the day off and insisted he felt

healthy.

Later, his manager revealed that one of Trout’s hamstrings was tight. Scioscia declined to say which one,

but said that was why he did not serve as the club’s designated hitter. He did so on April 15, for what

Scioscia then termed a “half-day.”

“When it’s a hamstring, it’s tough to go up there and get your at-bats,” Scioscia said Thursday. “Mike

plays a demanding defensive position. When the ball goes in the air, he’s running somewhere for it. So

there’s a time when you can soften that load as a preventative tool, like when he DH’d a couple weeks

ago.

“But a general rule is that when it’s a lower extremity issue, something as sensitive to what a player

needs to do to play his whole game, you definitely want to lean toward giving him a day off.”

The Angels were off Monday, for the first time in three weeks. After Thursday, their next day off is not

for two more weeks.

“If this was a playoff game, he’d be playing,” Scioscia said. “But we’re in a stretch of 42 [games] in 44

[days]. That’s a grind at any point, let alone early in the season. So we want to make sure these guys at

least have a chance to recover when they can.”

Trout is recording the best statistics of his illustrious career. He is hitting .358 with a .452 on-base

percentage and .717 slugging percentage, which would all be career-highs. He entered Thursday on pace

to hit 45 home runs.

Short hops

Right-hander Ricky Nolasco said the right calf cramp that bothered him during his Wednesday night start

felt fine during a session of catch Thursday. Scioscia said the team hoped he’d make his next scheduled

start, Monday in Oakland. … The Angels optioned right-hander Brooks Pounders to triple-A Salt Lake to

create space on the roster for right-hander Alex Meyer, their Thursday starter.

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Alex Meyer struggles in Angels’ loss to Mariners

By Jeff Fletcher

SEATTLE — Alex Meyer on Thursday began what appears to be an extended audition, a chance to show the

Angels if he has finally figured out how to turn all that talent into major league success.

This is not how he or the Angels hoped for it to go.

May 5, 2017 Page 6 of 17

Meyer gave up six runs in a sloppy four-inning performance in the Angels’ 11-3 loss to the Seattle

Mariners.

“He showed flashes of why we’re excited about him,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Unfortunately, he just

couldn’t command counts enough and put some guys away to be more effective.”

The loss came on a night the Angels played their first game of the season without Mike Trout, who got the

night off to rest a tight hamstring.

About the only positive for the Angels was that Yunel Escobar had four hits, improving to 9 for 20 in his last

four games.

Otherwise, it was mostly negative, starting with Meyer.

Meyer, who got this opportunity because of Tyler Skaggs’ oblique injury, hit the first batter of the game,

and it was a struggle throughout his 90-pitch outing.

The “flashes” that Scioscia liked included one sequence in which he struck out Robinson Cano and Nelson

Cruz, back-to-back, both on curveballs. Scioscia called that sequence “incredible.”

Asked about taking the positives from the good moments, Meyer said, essentially, if they are only

moments, it’s not that good.

“There were times when I made some really good pitches, where I got into a groove, but it can’t be where I

get into a groove,” Meyer said. “You have to come out ready to go and get guys out from pitch one.”

Meyer did give up a few bloop hits and well-placed grounders among the eight hits he allowed. But the

Mariners also hit a few rockets, and the three walks continued one of the problems he’s had throughout

his pro career.

So what next? How does Meyer get over the hump and turn those “flashes” into consistency?

“Right now that’s the $64,000 question,” Scioscia said. “He’s worked on a lot of different things. He’s

thrown the ball well for some stretches, and at times some things got away from him. … You see the stuff

and look at the line score, and it doesn’t match up. Hopefully he’ll find that groove, find that consistency

and bottle that stuff that’s really nasty.”

After Meyer was done, Daniel Wright took over and gave up five runs in four innings. Neither pitcher made

much of a case to get the starting assignment the next time this turn comes up, Tuesday in Oakland. Still,

expect Meyer to get the ball because the Angels believe he can be a part of the club’s future.

Coincidentally, the Angels were facing a pitcher, Ariel Miranda, who could have been a part of their future.

Last summer, the Angels turned down a deal in which they’d have gotten Miranda from the Baltimore

Orioles for Hector Santiago. Instead, the Orioles traded Miranda to the Mariners, and the Angels dealt

Santiago for Meyer and Ricky Nolasco.

Miranda might not have the upside that Meyer has, but he has performed better so far.

May 5, 2017 Page 7 of 17

The Angels managed two runs against him in seven innings, both coming on Juan Graterol’s bloop single in

the second inning. That gave the Angels a 2-1 lead, but Meyer gave up three runs in the third.

Danny Espinosa walked in his first trip to the plate, but then went hitless in his next three at-bats,

stretching his drought to 0 for 22.

Angels notes: Mike Trout sits with hamstring tightness

By Jeff Fletcher

SEATTLE — Mike Trout was not in the Angels lineup for the first time this season on Thursday, dealing with

a tight hamstring.

Manager Mike Scioscia said it was a “recharge day” and the hamstring tightness isn’t serious.

“If this was a playoff game, he’d be playing,” Scioscia said. “But we’re in a stretch of 42 games in 44 days,

so we want to make sure these guys have a chance to recover when they can.”

Trout was the only player from the opening day roster who had played all of the Angels’ first 29 games. He

started 28 in center field and one at designated hitter, playing 249-1/3 of a possible 260-1/3 innings in

center.

He just won the American League player of the month award, and he extended his hitting streak to 16

games with a homer in Wednesday’s game.

Scioscia said he chose to give Trout a day off rather than just have him DH because it was a hamstring

issue.

“If you have a sore shoulder, you can maybe go get your at-bats and not throw,” he said. “When it’s a

lower extremity issue or something as sensitive as what a player needs to play his whole game, you want

to lean toward him getting the day off.”

Last season Trout played 159 of the Angels’ 162 games. Since he reached the majors to stay in April 2012,

he has played in more than 97 percent of the games, never missing three in a row.

VALBUENA’S ROLE

Luis Valbuena, who waited more than a month to make his season debut because of a hamstring injury, is

going to start on the bench in three of his first four games because the Angels were facing left-handed

pitchers.

The Seattle Mariners started James Paxton on Tuesday and Ariel Miranda on Thursday, and Houston’s

Dallas Keuchel will start against them on Friday in Anaheim.

Valbuena has a career .721 OPS against righties, compared with .667 against lefties. He has had some

seasons in which his numbers against lefties were very poor, but last year he managed a .741 OPS in 88

plate appearances against lefties.

May 5, 2017 Page 8 of 17

“I made some adjustments,” he said. “I was working on a new approach. I worked a lot.”

Jefry Marte got the starts at first against lefties in the Seattle series. When C.J. Cron comes off the disabled

list, it will be him or Marte against lefties, unless Valbuena can work his way into a full-time role.

ALSO

Ricky Nolasco said he felt fine on Thursday, a day after feeling some cramping in his right calf during his

start. Nolasco said he’s anticipating making his next start, on Monday in Oakland. Scioscia said the Angels

would “continue to monitor him.”…

The Angels optioned Brooks Pounders to make room for Alex Meyer, who was promoted to replace Tyler

Skaggs in the rotation.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Tight hamstring gives Trout a night off

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- Mike Trout did not start the Angels' series finale against the Mariners on Thursday after

experiencing hamstring tightness, manager Mike Scioscia said.

"His hamstring is a little tight, so we're going to give him a day," said Scioscia, who declined to identify

which hamstring was giving Trout fits.

"If this was a playoff game, he'd be playing. But we're on a stretch where it's going to be 42 [games] out

of 44 [days], so we want to make sure these guys at least get a chance to recover where they can."

Without Trout in the lineup, the Angels fell to the Mariners, 11-3, in the series finale.

Entering Thursday, Trout had started all 29 of the Halos' regular-season games. He has made 28

appearances in center field and received a partial day off on April 15 by serving as the designated hitter.

Scioscia said he decided to rest Trout rather than start him at DH on Thursday to avoid aggravating the

hamstring.

"When it's a hamstring, it's tough to go up there and get your at-bats," Scioscia said. "There are times

where you might be a little stiff and you might be able to DH to take the load off of playing a position.

Mike is playing a demanding defensive position. If the ball goes in the air, he's running somewhere for it.

"There's a time when maybe you can soften that load just as a preventative tool, but I think the general

rule is that when it's a lower extremity issue or something that is as sensitive to what a player needs to

do to play this whole game, you want to lean towards giving him the day off."

May 5, 2017 Page 9 of 17

Trout, 25, extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games after homering against the Mariners on

Wednesday. He batted .364 with seven home runs, 18 RBIs and five stolen bases in April, earning

American League Player of the Month honors.

Worth noting

• Right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who dealt with right calf tightness during his outing against the Mariners

on Wednesday, showed improvement on Thursday, and the Angels are hopeful that he'll be able to

make his next start.

"He feels better," Scioscia said. "Hopefully it was just a little blip, but we're going to continue to monitor

it during the week."

• The Angels optioned right-hander Brooks Pounders to Triple-A Salt Lake to clear a spot on the roster

for right-hander Alex Meyer, who started against the Mariners on Thursday. Pounders, 26, has logged a

9.82 ERA over 3 2/3 innings for the Halos this year.

• Struggling second baseman Danny Espinosa returned to the lineup on Thursday after receiving a day

off on Wednesday to work on his swing. Espinosa went into Thursday's game hitless in his last 19 at-

bats, dropping his batting average to .160 this season.

Trout-less Halos go quietly vs. Mariners

By Greg Johns and Maria Guardado / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- Ariel Miranda delivered a strong seven-inning start and Danny Valencia and his teammates

provided plenty of support as the Mariners rolled to an 11-3 win over the Angels on Thursday to capture

their third straight series at Safeco Field.

Home cooking has been good for the Mariners, who are 8-4 at Safeco, but just 5-12 on the road this

year. After a rocky second inning, Miranda shut out the Halos for his final five frames as he allowed two

runs on seven hits.

Valencia homered in the seventh to cap a 4-for-5 day with three RBIs. Ben Gamel reached base five

times with three hits and two walks, along with three runs and two RBIs. Guillermo Heredia also had

three hits and drove in two runs and Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a pair of

RBIs as the the Mariners equaled their season high for runs and hits (16).

"It always feels nice when you contribute to the team winning games," said Valencia, who hiked his

average 36 points to .221 as he tied his career-high for hits. "I guess today was my turn to contribute

and it felt really nice."

With Mike Trout sitting out to rest a sore hamstring and Alex Meyer called up from Triple-A to start in

place of the injured Tyler Skaggs, the Angels dropped their second straight to even their record at 15-15.

The 6-foot-9 Meyer gave up eight hits and six runs in four innings in his second spot start of the season.

May 5, 2017 Page 10 of 17

Yunel Escobar went 4-for-5 from his leadoff spot, but the Angels couldn't capitalize as they closed out

their road trip at 3-3.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

They all count: Hit 'em hard, hit 'em soft, doesn't matter as long as they find grass. And the Mariners

cashed in on both kinds in a three-run third against Meyer. After the lanky righty struck out Robinson

Cano and Cruz with a runner on first, Kyle Seager slow-rolled a 68-mph single to left past the shifted

infield (a hit probability of just 13 percent, per Baseball Savant). Valencia then blistered a 105-mph base

hit to left to drive in a run and tie the game at 2. And Heredia capped it all off with a lazy bloop double

(63 mph exit velo) down the right-field line to make it 4-2. That one had a hit probability of 32 percent.

But hey, as they say, it looked like a ringing two-run double in the box score.

"I think we saw the flashes of the stuff," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Meyer. "After he walked

Gamel, the sequence to Cano and Cruz was incredible. Then Seager queues one off the end and they got

a couple hits to fall in. He showed flashes of why we're excited about him, and unfortunately he just

couldn't command counts enough and put some guys away to be a little more effective."

'That was a big hit," Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Heredia's double. "G has been really good.

He has good at-bats and even when he's down in the count, he finds a way to compete and sometimes

get back in the count or just make contact. That's the biggest thing. The strikeout kills you. We know

that. We've got some younger guys that will compete and hang in there and good things happen when

you put the bat on the ball."

Miranda warning: The Mariners lefty had just given up a two-run single to Juan Graterol and seemed to

be wobbling in the top of the second when Escobar lined a single sharply off Miranda's left calf. Seattle

starter Hisashi Iwakuma struggled after a similar blow the previous night, but Escobar's smash merely

seemed to awaken Miranda, who proceeded to retire the next six batters he faced and gave up only

three singles -- one on a bunt -- over the rest of his seven-inning outing.

"It hurts a little bit," Miranda said through interpreter Fernando Alcala. "But it just worked me up a litlte

more. At the start of that inning, I wasn't very aggressive. After that I was able to make some

adjustments."

QUOTABLE

"It was great to see Danny Valencia have one of those nights. We were waiting for that. He had a little

smile on his face and felt good. He's made some nice adjustments. You've seen the progression with his

at-bats and hitting the ball hard." -- Servais

"No." -- Miranda when asked if he missed facing Trout

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Cruz has hit .458 (22-for-48) with 10 runs, five doubles, five homers and 19 RBIs during his 13-game

hitting streak to raise his average from .218 on April 18 to 330 in a two-week span despite playing on a

sore left hamstring.

May 5, 2017 Page 11 of 17

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

Mariners speedster Jean Segura attempted to steal second in the bottom of the first and was originally

ruled safe by second base umpire Gabe Morales. But Scioscia challenged the call after replay appeared

to show that Andrelton Simmons had received Graterol's throw and applied a tag before Segura's hand

touched the bag. The umpires ultimately overturned the call, erasing Segura from the base paths.

In the fourth, Angels left fielder Ben Revere was initially called out at first after trying to reach on a bunt

single, but Scioscia also successfully challenged that call, correctly believing that Revere had beaten

Miranda to the bag.

WHAT'S NEXT

Angels: The Angels will head back to Anaheim to open a three-game series against the Astros on Friday

at 7:07 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium. Right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-4, 4.50 ERA), who took the loss after

allowing two runs over seven innings in his start against Houston on April 17, will pitch the opener for

the Halos.

Mariners: Veteran right-hander Yovani Gallardo (1-3, 5.08 ERA) gets the start in Friday's 7:10 p.m. PT

series opener against his former Texas club. Gallardo, who won 13 games for the Rangers in 2015, took a

no-decision in his only meeting with them last year with the Orioles.

Angels still hopeful Meyer can find footing

Rookie allows six earned runs in loss to Mariners

By Maria Guardado

SEATTLE -- Alex Meyer received a second chance to stick in the Angels' rotation on Thursday, but he

once again was unable to translate his potential into an effective Major League start.

Battling command issues, Meyer surrendered six earned runs over four innings in the Halos' 11-3 loss to

the Mariners at Safeco Field.

"He showed flashes of why we're excited about him," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Unfortunately, he

just couldn't command counts enough and put some guys away to be a little more effective."

Meyer, 27, was shaky from the start, hitting Jean Segura with a pitch and walking Ben Gamel to allow

the first two batters of the game to reach base. Catcher Juan Graterol threw out Segura after he

attempted to steal second, but Meyer still could not escape trouble, yielding an RBI double to Nelson

Cruz.

The Mariners rocked Meyer for three more runs in the third. Guillermo Heredia delivered the biggest

blow by blooping a two-run double into right field, giving Seattle a 4-2 lead. Meyer gave up another pair

of runs in the fourth and also dealt with a split fingernail on his right hand, though he said it didn't factor

into his poor performance.

May 5, 2017 Page 12 of 17

"This is one of those games where you turn the page and just get ready for the next one and try to

better than that," Meyer said. "You've got to get ahead early and establish that you're going to pound

the zone, or else it puts them in a position where they can swing the bat more comfortably. As a pitcher,

that's not what you want."

The Angels inserted Meyer into their rotation this week and they expect him to make another start,

viewing him as their best option to replace left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who is projected to miss 10-12

weeks with an oblique injury. With ace right-hander Garrett Richards also on the disabled list, the Angels

have few viable starting candidates to tap into beyond Meyer and Daniel Wright, who gave up five runs

over four innings in relief on Thursday.

While the Halos have liked Meyer's upside since acquiring him from the Twins last summer in the Hector

Santiago trade, the 6-foot-9 right-hander has struggled to find consistent success in the big leagues.

Asked what Meyer needs to do to build off his "flashes" of effectiveness, Scioscia said, "Right now, it's a

$64,000 question. He's worked on a lot of different things. He's thrown the ball well for some stretches,

and at times some things got away from him. He got back on track today, which was a real positive and

you can't erase those.

"You see the stuff and you look at the line score, it just doesn't match up. So hopefully he'll find that

groove, find that consistency and bottle that stuff that's really nasty."

Trout looks to keep rolling vs. Astros

By Richard Dean / Special to MLB.com

It will be the American League Pitcher of the Month going against the AL's Player of the Month on

Friday, when the Astros and Angels open a three-game series in Anaheim.

Dallas Keuchel will be making his first start in May after winning the AL Pitcher of the Month for April.

Right-hander Jesse Chavez (2-4, 4.50 ERA) gets the nod for the Angels. Angels center fielder Mike Trout

was named the AL Player of the Month after having the best month of his five-year career. Trout hit .364

with seven home runs and 18 RBIs.

In April, Keuchel was completely dominating, including a win over the Angels in which the left-hander

allowed only one run in seven innings. In April, the Astros won three of four games over the Angels at

Minute Maid Park.

Keuchel went 5-0 with a complete game and a 1.21 ERA in six starts in April, allowing 25 hits and 11

walks, while recording 36 strikeouts over 44 2/3 innings. He led the Major Leagues in wins and innings

pitched in the month, while ranking third in the AL in ERA and in opponent batting average (.164).

"Last start was probably the best my slider has felt," said Keuchel, who last Sunday against Oakland,

struck out nine and allowed only three hits over 7 2/3 innings. "I had a lot of quality pitches and a lot of

May 5, 2017 Page 13 of 17

bad swings with it. That tells me one thing. That it's pretty sharp and guys can't differentiate. The

fastball and fastball movement right now is probably the best it's ever been."

Things to know

• Keuchel is 10-2 all-time versus the Angels. His .833 winning percentage is third best against the Angels

(minimum 10 decisions) matching RHP Steve Busby (10-2) and trailing only RHP Freddy Garcia (17-3,

.850) and RHP Pedro Martinez (9-1, .900).

• Trout has enjoyed tremendous success against Keuchel. The Angels center fielder has a career batting

average of .368 off the Astros ace, with two home runs in 38 at-bats.

• Whiffs are not usually the biggest reason for Keuchel's success, but the ground-ball artist racked up

nine strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings in his last outing against the A's. He notched a swinging strike on 19.2

percent of his pitches, his third-highest rate in a single game in the Statcast Era.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Valencia, Miranda lift Mariners past Angels 11-3

Associated Press

SEATTLE -- Ariel Miranda settled in after taking a liner off his leg during a shaky second inning, and the

Mariners offense took over after that.

Danny Valencia homered and had four hits, Miranda pitched seven strong innings and Seattle beat

the Los Angeles Angels 11-3 on Thursday night.

Miranda (3-2) allowed two runs -- both in the second inning -- seven hits and a walk while striking out

five. He was struck by a shot from Yunel Escobar, then made a throwing error, but escaped the second

inning and cruised from there.

"Great job by Ariel Miranda, can't say enough," said Mariners manager Scott Servais. "Obviously, he

took the shot off the calf there early in the game, and he hung in there. To get through seven innings

when the pitch count was up after the first two was really nice to see."

Valencia hit a solo shot in the seventh and had three RBI as Seattle matched its season high with 16 hits.

Ben Gamel had three hits and two walks, scored three times and drove in two runs for Seattle, which

built a 6-2 lead in four innings against Alex Meyer (0-1).

Meyer, called up earlier in the day from Triple-A Salt Lake, was tagged for six runs, eight hits, three walks

and a hit batter.

May 5, 2017 Page 14 of 17

"You'd like to go out there and go more than four innings," Meyer said. "But, it's just a matter of being

better for the next one."

Seattle took the lead with a three-run third. Gamel walked to open the inning and came around on two-

out singles by Kyle Seager and Valencia. Guillermo Heredia followed with a blooped two-run double

down the right field line.

The Mariners added two more in the fourth on a single by Jean Segura, an RBI double by Gamel and a

single by Nelson Cruz.

Juan Graterol's two-run single put the Angels up 2-1 in the second after the Mariners took a 1-0 lead in

the first when Cruz extending his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI double.

Valencia, who got off to a horrid start, is batting .316 with three homers, a double and seven runs scored

in his last seven games.

"If it's the middle of the season, you can kind of weather it a little bit," said Valencia, who hit .287 with

17 homers last season with Oakland. "But, obviously being at the very beginning of the year, all you see

is the numbers. But it's a long season and hopefully I can just contribute to the team winning games."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: CF Mike Trout, who had played in all 29 games so far, was not in the lineup. Manager Mike

Scioscia said Trout's hamstring has been a little tight. "If it was a playoff game, he'd be playing," said

Scioscia, adding that Trout was available to pinch-hit. ... RHP Ricky Nolasco, who had some cramping in

his calf during a 73-pitch start on Wednesday, is not expected to miss his rotation turn.

Mariners: RHP Hisashi Iwakuma is expected to make his next scheduled start after being struck in the

left knee with a liner Wednesday. ... RHP Felix Hernandez (right shoulder inflammation) and OF Mitch

Haniger (strained right oblique) both are making progress, but there is no definite return date for either.

ANGELS ROSTER MOVE

RHP Brooks Pounders was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to make room for Meyer

CRUZ STAYS HOT

Over his 13-game hitting streak, Cruz is batting .458 (22 for 48) with five doubles, five homers and 19

RBI, along with 10 runs scored.

UP NEXT

Angels: After six games on the road, the Angels return home for a three-game weekend series against AL

West-leading Houston. RHP Jesse Chavez (2-4, 4.50) starts for Los Angeles, opposed by LHP Dallas

Keuchel (5-0, 1.21). Chavez is making his second start of the season against Houston. He took the loss on

April 17, despite allowing just two runs -- one earned -- in seven innings as the Angels were blanked 3-0.

May 5, 2017 Page 15 of 17

Mariners: RHP Yovani Gallardo (1-3, 5.08) opens the three-game series at Safeco Field on Friday against

Texas, for whom he pitched in 2015. He has lasted at least five innings in each of his five starts. Yu

Darvish (3-2, 3.03) starts for Texas.

Angels face tough task vs. Astros' Keuchel

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Answer: Pedro Martinez and Freddy Garcia.

Question: Who are the only two pitchers (with a minimum of 10 decisions) to have a better winning

percentage against the Los Angeles Angels than Houston Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel?

Martinez was 9-1 (.900) and Garcia 17-3 (.850). But Keuchel is on their heels at 10-2 (.833), and he'll get

a chance to improve on that when he starts for the Astros on Friday in Anaheim.

Keuchel, who already beat the Angels once earlier this season, is pitching well against everybody these

days. He was the American League pitcher of the month after going 5-0 with a 1.21 ERA in six starts.

His five wins and 44 2/3 innings pitched were most in the majors in April, and May might not be any

different considering the way he feels about how he's throwing the baseball.

"(My) last start was probably the best my slider has felt," Keuchel told MLB.com, referring to a win over

Oakland in which he allowed just three hits and struck out nine in 7 2/3 innings. "I had a lot of quality

pitches and a lot of bad swings with it. That tells me one thing -- that it's pretty sharp and guys can't

differentiate. The fastball and fastball movement right now is probably the best it's ever been."

While Keuchel has had success both against the league and against the Angels, there is one Angel who

has hit him well: Mike Trout.

Trout is hitting .368 (14-for-38) with two homers, a .455 on-base percentage and .981 OPS against

Keuchel. He had two hits against Keuchel when they matched up April 19 in Houston.

Trout, though, may not be 100 percent for the game. He is expected to play despite a tight hamstring

that kept him out of the starting lineup for the first time all season Thursday in Seattle.

Trout had started all 29 games before then, 28 in center field and one at DH. The DH option, however, is

not a consideration because of the hamstring issue, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

"When it's a hamstring, it's tough to go up there and get your at-bats," Scioscia told reporters in Seattle

Thursday. "Mike plays a demanding defensive position. When the ball goes in the air, he's running

somewhere for it. So there's a time when you can soften that load as a preventative tool, like when he

DH'd a couple weeks ago.

"But a general rule is that when it's a lower extremity issue, something as sensitive to what a player

needs to do to play his whole game, you definitely want to lean toward giving him a day off."

May 5, 2017 Page 16 of 17

Jesse Chavez will start on the mound for the Angels. Chavez has pitched well against the Astros, but it's

been mostly as a reliever. He's 3-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 22 games, including six starts.

FROM BASEBALL AMERICA

Torii Hunter Jr., Brandon Marsh Ready To Embark On New Path

Notes from Extended Spring Training in Arizona

By Bill Mitchell

TEMPE, Ariz.—While the sports world was focused on the NFL draft late last month, two former football

players were plying their new trades in relative anonymity.

Brandon Marsh and Torii Hunter Jr. were busy with early morning workouts and an intrasquad game on

a camp day for the Angels extended spring training team. There were no cheering fans, no autograph

hounds, not even any pro scouts watching the action.

The two young outfielders, both selected by the Angels in the 2016 draft, are fine with biding time in

extended spring until they are assigned to a club, most likely short-season Orem of the Rookie-level

Pioneer League in mid-June.

Marsh, 19, is the youngest, and certainly the higher-regarded prospect of the two. He is the Angels’ No.

4 prospect, and a second-round pick last June from Buford (Ga.) High, where he starred in football and

baseball. His signing was delayed after a physical exam revealed a stress fracture in his lower back, and

then the Angels were cautious, holding him out of games in the summer and then the instructional

league.

But it was a frustrating time for Marsh, who didn’t feel any pain from the injury.

“I couldn’t feel anything in my back, so that was the painful part,” said Marsh, who was committed to

play baseball at Kennesaw State and also planned to walk on to the football team. “Not being able to

play when I knew I could . . . It was very stressful but I’m very glad to be out here now with everyone.”

Although he didn’t play in his first pro stint, Marsh showed no rust this spring and impressed scouts,

who say he is a premium athlete with a strong, physical build, who projects as a major league regular

with a good chance to hit. He currently sports two plus tools with his arm and speed.

“He’s a natural player,” AZL Angels hitting coach Ray Olmedo said. “He can do anything he wants and

he’s always positive.”

Hunter, 21, grew up around the game, with his famous father Torii having played 19 big league seasons,

including five with the Angels. But the Notre Dame product spent more time playing football than

baseball in college, and thus is less refined than the younger Marsh.

May 5, 2017 Page 17 of 17

“We’re just trying to get him reps,” said AZL Angels manager Dave Stapleton, who is part of the staff

running the Angels extended spring training program. “More games, more at-bats, baserunning . . . the

whole part of the game. It’s just trying to get him thinking about baseball. He’s got to learn how to bunt,

to know when to bunt, and as far as playing the outfield how to move.”

Hunter could have returned to Notre Dame for another year of football. But a couple of tough injuries

convinced Hunter to give up the gridiron and instead try pro baseball, signing with the Angels for an

overslot $100,000 bonus after being selected in the 23rd round last June.

“All signs led to baseball, so I’m here now,” said Hunter, whose brother Mondrashik Hunter, a defensive

back at Arkansas State, was not drafted last month.

On the diamond, Hunter is still very raw, trying to turn all that athleticism into baseball skill. His swing is

a bit stiff, but it’s not a long swing that needs to be reworked. In a recent game, his plus speed didn’t

show on his times to first base but he flew around the bases on a ball he drove over the right fielder’s

head for a triple.

After playing football for so many years and getting accustomed to the cheers of fans, Marsh and Hunter

agree that self-motivation is the key to getting through this early phase of their baseball careers.

“It’s definitely a lot tougher when there’s nobody out here cheering for you,” Hunter said. “You’ve got to

go into a mentality like I’ve got to work on something today . . . I’ve got to get better . . . You’ve got to

attack it EVERY day … Nothing’s given to me, I’ve got to take it for myself.”

Marsh tries to generate the same level of energy in baseball as he did when playing football, using a

little trick to help rev himself up.

“There’s no better feeling (in football) than the Friday Night lights,” Marsh said. “Just the energy running

out through the banner (before each game). I take that energy like I had (from running) through the

banner when I run past the foul line to go out to my position every inning.”

Marsh and Hunter are both eager to get on with the next phase of their baseball careers, hopefully

getting back in front of fans before long.

“I was never told it was going to be a luxurious lifestyle where we’re at right now,” Marsh said, “but I

didn’t know it was going to be like this . . . I’ve always had a crowd, a bunch of fans cheering everyone

on and it’s a lot different here. But I’m getting used to it and I’m starting to like it.”

Marsh added, with a grin, “Hopefully I don’t have to like it too much longer.”