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Clips

(April 8, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Albert Pujols punches first winning ticket for Angels in bottom of ninth

Nick Tropeano recalled from minors to fill spot in Los Angeles Angels' rotation

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6) Albert Pujols not fuming, but focused, after intentional walk to Mike Trout put

him in position to deliver clutch hit for Angels

Pujols' walk-off gives Angels first win of the season

Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney not concerned about long-term impact of

injury

Hector Santiago gives Angels' rotation a much-needed lift

Angels Notes: For Cliff Pennington, new sliding rule still 'weird'

On deck: Rangers at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m.

Nick Tropeano called up, will join Angels' rotation

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 15) After Rangers walk Trout, Pujols makes them pay

Santiago's solid start a welcome sign for Halos

Pujols' bases-loaded walk-off beats Rangers

Heaney gets good news after MRI on elbow

Shoemaker set for season debut vs. Griffin, Rangers

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 23)

Pujols' RBI single in 9th lifts Angels over Rangers 4-3

FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS (Page 25)

Albert Pujols’ single in ninth gives LA Angels first win of season

Angels call up unproven Tropeano to replace Heaney

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FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Albert Pujols punches first winning ticket for Angels in bottom of ninth

By Pedro Moura

The Texas Rangers did not want to face Mike Trout with Thursday's game in the balance. Their manager, Jeff Banister, ordered Trout intentionally walked to load the bases for Albert Pujols with two outs and the score tied in the ninth inning at Angel Stadium. Pujols jumped into Trout's arms after he delivered a blast that one-hopped the left-field fence and secured the Angels a 4-3 victory. The last time Pujols came through in the same situation, last season, he glared into the opposing dugout as he exited the batter's box. His teammates awaited the same expression this time, but the 36-year-old designated hitter did nothing of the sort. “You're showing him up right there,” said Angels left-hander Hector Santiago, their Thursday starter. “He takes that against him, as if they're throwing at him. And he answers back every time.” Said Pujols: “I got close to 2,000 RBIs for a reason, you know.” It was Pujols' 1,699th career RBI, and his first of 2016. It was the Angels' first victory, after two losses to the Chicago Cubs that featured little offense. Santiago struck out seven Rangers in six innings and gave up three runs. The first scored through little fault of his. Leading off the game, Santiago walked Delino DeShields then induced a routine double-play grounder from Shin-Soo Choo. With the Angels in a defensive shift, though, third baseman Yunel Escobar stood to the right of second base, and he flipped wildly to second upon fielding it. That allowed both DeShields and Choo to be safe. Visibly rattled, Santiago balked both men onward, and DeShields scored on a sacrifice fly. The Rangers had a run without a hit, and they would total only two hits until the seventh — a solo home run from catcher Robinson Chirinos in the third inning, and a harmless single from Choo in the sixth. In the seventh, Ian Desmond and Mitch Moreland connected on back-to-back soft singles to right, which brought Angels Manager Mike Scioscia to the mound. After some discussion, out went Santiago, and in ran left-hander Jose Alvarez, who drew Scioscia's incessant praise this spring. He induced a foul popup and was promptly removed for Fernando Salas, who gave up

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the game-tying sacrifice fly before ending the inning. The Angels were encouraged by Santiago's outing, particularly by his stuff. His fastball averaged 93 mph for much of the night, after averaging 90 a year ago. “His velocity is up,” Pujols said. “He's pumping it.” Escobar homered off Holland in the third inning. He anticipated a changeup in an 0-1 count and quickly turned on it to power it out to left field. The Angels strung together their first rally of the season in the fifth. Kole Calhoun drew a walk, Geovany Soto did the same, and, with two outs, Escobar singled through to right to drive in Calhoun. Facing his former team, left fielder Craig Gentry followed with a double down the left-field line, scoring Soto. Andrelton Simmons doubled in the sixth inning for his first hit as an Angel. It pushed Kole Calhoun to third base, but then Soto lined out to Adrian Beltre at third on the next pitch. Thursday was Beltre's 37th birthday, and thrice he made plus plays to take away potential hits from the Angels. Trout singled twice earlier in the game. After the first, in the first inning, he asked for the baseball in jest when he reached first base, to commemorate his first hit of 2016. After the second, in the eighth inning, he took off running, and Pujols swung accordingly, in a rare hit-and-run play. The ball off his bat bounced high, too high for Rougned Odor to field in time to throw him out. C.J. Cron followed with another infield single, and the Angels had the bases loaded without an out. But Calhoun struck out, and Simmons ripped the second pitch he saw directly to Beltre, who started an inning-ending double play. Closer Huston Street handled the top of the ninth and was awarded the win. He watched Pujols from the dugout, intrigued, when Texas walked Trout. “You see it in his eyes,” Street said. “You see him pick his game up.”

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Nick Tropeano recalled from minors to fill spot in Los Angeles Angels' rotation By Pedro Moura Nick Tropeano signed a lease for an apartment in Salt Lake City this week. He and fellow Angels prospect Jett Bandy had picked out a place to spend the season with the Angels' triple-A affiliate. Now, he must find a way out. Tropeano returned to Anaheim on Thursday as injured left-hander Andrew Heaney's replacement in the Angels' rotation and figures to remain in the majors for at least a few weeks. The 25-year-old right-hander had been scheduled to start Friday night for the Salt Lake Bees. Now, he'll make his first start of the season Monday in Oakland against the Athletics. Heaney acknowledged discomfort in his left arm after his Tuesday start against the Chicago Cubs, and a MRI exam Wednesday found a strain in the soft tissue of his forearm. During the game, he had told pitching coach Charles Nagy that he felt fine despite a noticeable drop in his velocity. When he came out, he said, he realized he should say something. "I know injuries happen, especially to pitchers, but it's a little embarrassing to feel like this after one game," the Angels' No. 2 starter said. "It's frustrating in that sense." Heaney first felt the strain during the second inning, at the same time he suffered a nosebleed that necessitated a delay in the game. He said it was not painful, only tight and mildly uncomfortable. "It sucks," he said. "I felt so good in the spring, and I thought I was going to be relied upon. It's not like, 'Hey, rookie, give us what you got.' It's like, 'Hey, we need you to pitch well, and we know you can pitch well.'" Manager Mike Scioscia said that the Angels would be "ultra-conservative" with Heaney, a 24-year-old who had a 3.49 earned-run average in 18 starts last season. "Hopefully, this will heal in a relatively quick manner," Scioscia said. Catching split Veteran catcher Geovany Soto started for the first time Thursday as part of a playing-time split with Carlos Perez, who's in his second season. It's unclear how their starts will be determined, although Scioscia noted that Soto hit left-handed pitching better last season. "You've got to consider a number of things," Scioscia said. "But the offense is not going to trump the defense. We need the catcher in there that is going to be comfortable working with the pitcher. Then you can look toward the other things, as far as trying to get more offense."

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FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Albert Pujols not fuming, but focused, after intentional walk to Mike Trout put

him in position to deliver clutch hit for Angels

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – After Albert Pujols delivered the winning hit for the Angels in their 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, two competing narratives emerged from the Angels clubhouse. To be more precise, a narrative and a narrative-killer. Pujols had watched the Rangers intentionally walk Mike Trout to load the bases for him in the bottom of the ninth, just before he laced one into the left-center field gap to win the game. Certainly, Pujols can’t appreciate the perceived lack of respect of an intentional walk in front of him. “I know Albert doesn’t like it,” said Johnny Giavotella, who started the rally with a single and scored the winning run. “It’s a sign of disrespect. He goes up there looking to prove everybody wrong.” Hector Santiago, upon seeing the Rangers walk Trout, said to himself: “I can’t wait till Albert gets the hit and stares into their dugout.” Makes for a great story. One of the greatest players in history suddenly finding that’s he’s considered the easier out by the opponent. Thing is, Pujols doesn’t go along with it. “I would do the same thing if I was the opposing manager,” Pujols said. “(Trout’s) the best player in baseball.” And Manager Mike Scioscia, who knew immediately the Rangers were going to take the bat out of Trout’s hands and put the pressure on Pujols, didn’t feel like the veteran takes any extra motivation from the move. “I don’t think Albert takes it personal,” Scioscia said. “He understands how good Mike is in front of him. And just like whoever is hitting behind Albert, sometime they are going to walk Albert to get to him. That’s the nature of trying to find an out in this game.” The Rangers couldn’t find outs quite as efficiently as the Chicago Cubs did in shutting the Angels down on just one run in their first two games of the season.

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On this night the Angels bats came to the life for 11 hits. Trout, Pujols and Andrelton Simmons each notched their first hits of the young season. Yunel Escobar hit the Angels first homer and provided another RBI to tie the game. Craig Gentry also had an RBI for the second straight game. “It was frustrating the first couple games but it’s a long season,” Pujols said. “There are going to be guys contributing in different ways. We have big league players in this clubhouse who know how to handle the bat pretty well.” The Angels blew a chance to go ahead in the eighth, wasting a bases-loaded, no-out opportunity when Kole Calhoun struck out and Simmons hit into a double play. In the ninth, though, they converted. Giavotella singled with one out. Escobar walked. Pinch-hitter Carlos Perez grounded out, moving the runners and leaving first base open. That’s when the fans, who were on their feet cheering as Trout stepped into the box, quickly turned to boos as the Rangers put him on first. Pujols insisted he didn’t even notice what the Rangers were up to. He was too busy getting ready to hit. Texas closer Shawn Tolleson was then summoned to face Pujols. He missed with a fastball and then threw another one over the outside half of the plate, and Pujols hammered it into the gap. It would have been a double, but he was credited with a single because that’s all he needed to win the game. It was Pujols’ 19th walk-off hit of his career, including five with the Angels. It was the second that followed an intentional walk to Trout, the other coming last May against the San Diego Padres. “I got close to 2,000 RBI for a reason, or whatever,” said Pujols, who actually has 1,699. “I stay focused in that situation. I know how to handle myself. It’s not automatic. You will get yourself out and other times you come through. The main thing is to stay focused all the time.”

Pujols' walk-off gives Angels first win of the season

By MICHAEL AMBROSE / CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Rangers walked intentionally walked Mike Trout to load the bases with two outs in the ninth and Albert Pujols made them pay.

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Pujols hammered a Shawn Tolleson fastball to left-center to score Johnny Giavotella and give the Angels their first win of the season. Giavotella reached with a one-out single, and was pushed to second after Yunel Escobar walked. Carlos Perez then pinch hit for Daniel Nava after the Rangers pulled Sam Dyson for Andrew Faulkner. Perez grounded out to third, but Giavotella and Escobar were able to move up a base on the play. The Rangers then opted to face Pujols instead of Trout and intentionally walked him, a decision they may be rethinking. It was Pujols' 18th walk-off hit. Last season, the Angels won 23 games on the last at-bat, which was tied for the most in the majors with the Cubs. Despite how dour the start to the season may have felt to Angels fans, the Angels are second in the division and a game out of first. It was Pujols' second hit of the game, and his second of the season after going 0-for-7 against the Cubs. Trout also recorded his first two hits of the season Thursday. googleoff: all Angels pitcher Andrew Heaney not concerned about long-term impact of injury By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Despite the fear that Andrew Heaney’s forearm tightness is a precursor to something far more serious, at the moment Heaney and the Angels are remaining optimistic. Heaney may miss only a few weeks if all he has is a strained flexor muscle in his forearm. “I saw the MRI for myself,” Heaney said Thursday. “Obviously I’m not a doctor, but the way they explained it to me, it looked perfectly sound and healthy.” In this case, “it” refers to the ulnar collateral ligament, which leads to Tommy John surgery when it’s torn. Sometimes pitchers who first complain of forearm tightness end up with a torn UCL. That’s what happened to Tyler Skaggs in July 2014. There was one significant difference between Skaggs and Heaney that ought to ease the fears of nervous Angels fans, though. Skaggs felt something and left the game quickly that night in Baltimore. Heaney just felt a mild discomfort throughout Tuesday’s game, but kept pitching through six innings. Heaney, in fact, wasn’t even aware that his velocity had dipped from 93-94 mph in the first

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inning to 88-89 by the end of the sixth. It wasn’t until well after the game, when pitching coach Charlie Nagy pointed out that his velocity had dropped, that Heaney told the staff that he felt something. “I was conscious of the fact the ball was not coming out of my hand the same in the fourth, fifth and sixth as it was in the first, second and third,” Heaney said. “But for me that translated to ‘I’m a little tight,’ or maybe something’s not quite right. It wasn’t like ‘Oh my God I’m hurt.’ Or ‘I’m going to blow out.’” Heaney was evaluated on Tuesday night and underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning, which the Angels say brought good news. “The medical staff is very comfortable with the fact this is limited to a forearm strain which happens with a lot of pitchers,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. Although Heaney is relieved he’s not hurt more seriously, he was still disappointed to have his season start on such a sour note. “It (stinks),” he said. “I felt so good this spring. I felt I was going to be relied upon. It’s not ‘Hey rookie give us what you got.’ It’s ‘We need to you to pitch well and we know you can pitch well.’ “I know injuries happen, but it’s a little embarrassing. It’s one game. I know it’s fluky. First game of the year - how does that happen?” In the meantime, the Angels recalled Nick Tropeano and he will take Heaney’s spot in the rotation, starting Monday in Oakland. At another point in the season, the Angels may have called up a reliever to take Heaney’s spot for the four games before needing a starter. They couldn’t do that now because the only time a player can be recalled within 10 days of being optioned is to replace a player on the disabled list. Tropeano would not have been down for 10 days by Monday, so in order to come up he needed to replace Heaney directly. The injury also potentially puts the Angels bullpen in a tough spot because now two of the starters are probably limited in how deep they can go. Tropeano has not pitched more than four innings this spring. He will follow Jered Weaver, who has only gotten past five innings in minor league outings.

Cory Rasmus and Jose Alvarez are the only relievers who could consistently pick up multiple full

innings, and Alvarez is one of the pitchers Scioscia prefers to use later in games to protect leads.

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Hector Santiago gives Angels' rotation a much-needed lift

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Over the past week, the Angels placed two of their starting pitchers on the disabled list, with the latest, Andrew Heaney, shelved Wednesday due to a muscle strain. That came on the heels of existing injury-related concerns to the starting rotation. Jered Weaver is scheduled to make his first start Sunday, but experienced neck issues in spring training. Tyler Skaggs will begin the season in the minors, but he is still working his way back from Tommy John Surgery. So as Hector Santiago took the mound Thursday night at Angel Stadium with the rotation increasingly riddled with injuries, the Angels needed a strong outing from their left-hander. He delivered. In a 4-3 victory over the Texas Rangers, Santiago went six innings, allowing four hits and three runs with seven strikeouts and two walks. If the pressure increased, though, Santiago said he didn’t feel it. “You just try to go out there and to do your job,” Santiago said. “I’m not going to say this in a wrong way. I don’t try and worry about what other people are doing on our team. Obviously, I want to win. I want everybody to do good. I want everybody to be healthy. But honestly, I kind of just have to worry about myself to be able to be successful. You start worrying about too many things, you lose focus on your main goal: going out there and giving your team a chance to win.” Early on, Santiago looked like he might be in trouble. He walked leadoff hitter Delino DeShields Jr. in the top of the first inning, then Shin-Soo Choo reached third base on a throwing error. DeShields later scored on a sacrifice fly. But he settled in, retiring 10 straight batters at one point and displaying good command, along with an uptick in velocity. His fastball hit 95 mph, according to PITCHf/X, a speed he reached only a handful of times a season ago. “I think it’s in there,” Santiago said of his velocity. “It’s just a matter of trying to control it, harness it, be effective with that.” As a reliever in the Chicago White Sox organization, before joining the Angels, he used to reach the mid-90s more regularly, but had tried to scale back in order to handle more innings as a starter in recent seasons. “This year, I came in with the mentality of like, ‘let it be,’” he said. “Get after every pitch. If

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you’re going to go one, five or seven innings, give it all you got. Push yourself as hard as you can. Hopefully I can carry that stuff all the way through the year, deeper into the games. It’s just a matter of doing that six, seven innings. That’s how you build stamina for that.”

“He just made pitches,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia added. “When Hector’s pounding the

zone with his stuff, he has success. He had really good stuff.”

Angels Notes: For Cliff Pennington, new sliding rule still 'weird'

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Cliff Pennington still doesn’t know what to make of the new rules about slides at second base. As the baseball world watched the controversial ending of Tuesday’s Toronto Blue Jays game, when Jose Bautista was called out for a slide that used to be legal, Pennington was still scratching his head. Bautista appeared to slide directly into the base, but he reached out and swiped at Logan Forsythe’s legs as he was trying to turn a double play. “Guys did that before, absolutely,” Pennington said. “But that’s the way the rule reads now. You can’t do that. Even though it doesn’t appear he did a whole lot to affect the throw. That’s the way the rule is.” Pennington said, throughout spring training, it felt strange sliding into second with the new rules. “It’s a weird feeling as a runner,” he said. “Let’s just say that. And as a fielder, knowing they can’t get you. It’ll be weird to see what happens and how it goes.” Manager Mike Scioscia had no issue with the Bautista call or the intent of the rule. “That’s a no-brainer that’s going to be called 100 times out of 100,” Scioscia said. “You can’t reach out and touch a guy with your hand. I think it’s good.” ALSO Geovany Soto got his first start at catcher Thursday night. Scioscia remains noncommittal about how he will decide between Soto and Carlos Perez on a nightly basis. He did give one hint, however, saying Soto has performed better than Perez against left-handed pitchers. Soto started Thursday against lefty Derek Holland, although Perez started Tuesday against lefty Jon Lester. ...

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Tim Salmon was selected for the Triple-A Pacific Coast League Hall of Fame. Before Salmon

became one of the best players in Angels history, he was the 1992 PCL MVP. He hit 29 homers

and drove in 105 runs that season. Playing for the Edmonton Trappers, Salmon led all of Triple-

A with a .469 on-base percentage and a .672 slugging percentage that season.

On deck: Rangers at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m.

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 7 p.m. Did you know? Only three players began their careers with four consecutive seasons of 25 home runs and 100 runs: Joe DiMaggio, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout. THE PITCHERS RHP MATT SHOEMAKER (7-10, 4.46 ERA in 2015) Vs. Rangers: 4-0, 2.39 At Angel Stadium: 10-9, 2.61 Hates to face: Adrian Beltre, 4 for 11 (.364) Loves to face: Shin-Soo Choo, 1 for 9 (.111) RHP A.J. GRIFFIN ((14-10, 3.83 ERA in 2013) Vs. Angels: 2-2, 2.81 At Angel Stadium: 2-2, 2.77 Hates to face: Geovany Soto, 3 for 6 (.500) Loves to face: Mike Trout, 3 for 17 (.200) UPCOMING MATCHUP

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Saturday: Rangers LHP Cole Hamels (1-0, 2.57) vs. Angels RHP Garrett Richards (0-1, 5.40), 6:05

p.m., FSW

Catching a game together: Santa Ana dad's 'TroutNet' has drawn attention,

connection to Angels star

By KEITH SHARON / STAFF WRITER

If you’re going to make a sign to take to the stadium to announce to the world it is your son’s first ballgame, you want what happened to the Plaza family to happen to you. Thanks to his creative design, Jonathan Plaza and his 4-year-old son, A.J., have been on TV. They’ve met major leaguers, including Angels star Mike Trout. Those major leaguers have thrown them baseballs. They may have discovered a future business opportunity. Then, in the middle of last season, one miraculous play made them as famous as they could have dreamed. “I am so happy for my son,” said Plaza, 25, who lives in Santa Ana and has served in the Marines. On Opening Day of the 2015 season, Plaza made a poster for his son, put a hole in the middle and attached a mesh sack. He called it the “TroutNet” and took it to their seats in section 240, row A – the first row in right-center field. When Trout took the field to warm up, he noticed the sign and tossed a ball toward the Plazas. The ball landed in the net and a phenomenon was born.

Plaza thought about calling it “Trout Catcher” or “Catch a Trout.” But “TroutNet” seemed so simple. Both Trout and Kole Calhoun started tossing baseballs up to Plaza’s net every time he took it to the game. It became such a regular occurrence that Plaza wanted to teach his son a lesson. After collecting a few baseballs tossed by major leaguers, Plaza instructed his son to start giving them away. Now, A.J. picks lucky fans to receive the balls he catches in the net. “I didn’t want him to be a spoiled brat,” Plaza said. “Life isn’t all about him.” So Trout and Calhoun kept tossing balls into the net, and the Plazas kept handing them out. Plaza took pictures of his son with the net, posted them on Instagram, and Trout

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“liked” it. Suddenly, a divorced dad from Santa Ana had an Internet connection with one of the best players in baseball. Plaza, who is a loan counselor and between jobs, kept improving the net. He’s made seven models. He patented the design and trademarked the name “RALLYNET.” He’s in the earliest stages of finding out how to turn this into a business. “It’s my dream that every baseball fan can have one,” he said. He said he wants other people to have a chance to feel what he felt July 26. The Angels were playing the Texas Rangers, and Plaza had given the net to another fan. As Trout came to bat with the bases loaded, Plaza asked the fan if he could have the net back. “I had a feeling,” Plaza said. Trout blasted the next pitch over the fence in right center field for a grand slam home run ... straight into Plaza’s net. “Oh, my god!” was his reaction. After the game, Plaza was interviewed on television. Then he was invited to meet Trout on the field before batting practice. Trout signed an autograph for his son. “Alexander, live your life to the fullest,” he wrote. So far, that home run is the only batted ball that has landed in the net. This season, Plaza is taking his net on the road. He hopes to be in New York, Boston, Chicago and the All-Star game in San Diego. That grand slam ball now sits in Plaza’s Santa Ana apartment. He was offered $10,000 for it. He said no.

“That one is staying with me,” he said.

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Nick Tropeano called up, will join Angels' rotation

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM -- The Angels recalled Nick Tropeano from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday to replace Andrew Heaney, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list one day earlier because of a flexor muscle strain in his left arm. Tropeano will likely make his first start Monday against the Oakland Athletics. That was Heaney's scheduled start. In 11 major-league starts the past two seasons, Tropeano posted a 3.82 ERA with 51 strikeouts to 19 walks. The right-hander made four appearances, with three starts, in spring training last month, giving up 16 hits and 12 runs in 16 1/3 innings. For Heaney, who is shut down indefinitely, there is no clear-cut timetable for his return. The Angels already have C.J. Wilson on the disabled list, plus other injury concerns among their starting pitchers. Tyler Skaggs, who is recovering from August 2014 Tommy John surgery, will begin the season at Triple-A, and Jered Weaver experienced neck issues throughout the spring, forcing him to miss one of his Cactus League starts.

On Thursday night against the Texas Rangers, Hector Santiago will be on the mound for the

Angels against Derek Holland.

FROM ANGELS.COM

After Rangers walk Trout, Pujols makes them pay By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- A slow roller put runners on second and third, with the score tied and two outs in the bottom of the ninth at Angel Stadium on Thursday night, and everybody knew what was coming: The Rangers were going to walk Mike Trout, and they were going to dare Albert Pujols to beat them. Mike Scioscia knew it. Hector Santiago knew it. Huston Street knew it.

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"I know it's Mike Trout," Street said, "but it's also Albert Pujols." And when Pujols unleashed a line drive deep into the left-center-field gap to give his Angels their first victory of this young season, a 4-3 win in Game No. 3, nobody was surprised, either. Santiago recalled his thoughts as soon as Trout stepped to the plate to look at four balls. "I was like, 'I can't wait until Albert gets this hit and looks right into the dugout," Santiago said. "You're kind of showing him up right there, saying, 'Here, we're not going to pitch to Trout, we're going to pitch to you.' He takes that against him, as if they're throwing at him. And he answers back every time." Pujols' walk-off hit was the 19th of his career, tied with David Ortiz for the most in the Majors since 2000, and his fifth with the Angels. It was his second after an opposing manager intentionally walked Trout to get to him, the other one coming against the Padres on May 25, 2015, with Bud Black -- now a special assistant with the Angels -- making the fateful decision. This time it was Jeff Banister, who later said: "We were not going to let Trout beat us." Pujols gets it. "I would do the same thing if I was the manager in that situation," he said, calling Trout "the best player in the game." The Angels were outscored by the Cubs, 15-1, in the two-game series that opened their season, managing only seven hits, four runners in scoring position and nine total bases. The opener of this four-game set might have been this lineup's awakening, with all four of their runs coming with two outs and 11 hits dispersed throughout the batting order. Pujols entered his key at-bat with only one hit in his first 11 at-bats, an eighth-inning chopper on a hit-and-run with Trout on first base. Then he turned on a 1-0, 93-mph fastball from the Rangers' closer, Shawn Tolleson, watched it sail over the head of left fielder Ian Desmond and met Trout just before second base, jumping as high as he could to bump chests with the 24-year-old center fielder. "I just stay focused all the time, man," Pujols said. "I've got close to 2,000 RBIs for a reason. Or whatever. I stay focused in that situation. I know how to handle myself. I'm not automatic. There's times that you're going to get yourself out, and there's times you're going to come through. That's how it goes, man." Pujols actually has 1,699, one away from becoming the 24th player in history to amass 1,700, but his point stands.

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In spots like these, there may not be a right answer. "It's just a bad situation to be in when you're the other team, unfortunately," Street said. "You've got the best player in baseball the last four years, and you've got the best player in baseball over the last 14 years. That's exactly what they're facing when they put themselves in that situation."

Santiago's solid start a welcome sign for Halos By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Perhaps the best sign for the Angels came long before Albert Pujols would send them to a 4-3, walk-off victory against the Rangers on Thursday night. It came from the left arm of the Angels starter, Hector Santiago, who limited the Rangers to two runs and four baserunners through the first six innings and was throwing his fastball mainly in the 93- to 94-mph range, a couple of ticks faster than his average from his first two seasons in Southern California. Pujols noticed the uptick in velocity, and said it "reminded me of when he was with the White Sox." Santiago was a reliever in those days, and he's trying to rekindle that mindset. "It's just trying to figure out the whole starting thing and being able to conserve velocity, being able to pitch late in games," Santiago said of not throwing that hard in prior seasons. "And this year, I kind of came in with the mentality of, 'Get after every pitch. If you're going to go one or five or seven innings, give it all you've got.' Hopefully I can carry that all the way through the year." Santiago walked just two, struck out seven and exited after giving up back-to-back hits to begin the seventh inning. It was a solid start, immediately after a solid spring in which he put up a 2.89 ERA in seven outings. And it was a welcome sign for a rotation that could use some, with Andrew Heaney nursing tightness in his forearm, C.J. Wilson shut down with shoulder tendinitis, Jered Weaver throwing mostly 80 mph and Tyler Skaggs still working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Santiago entered Spring Training thinking he might get pushed to the bullpen. Now he's basically the Angels' No. 2 starter.

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"That's how it always is," Santiago said. "The last four years it was come in, compete for a spot, nothing's secure, we've got a bunch of guys, and then something kind of happens. … It's kind of a good place to be where you're the underdog, and you kind of answer up."

Pujols' bases-loaded walk-off beats Rangers Alden Gonzalez and T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Rangers manager Jeff Banister wasn't going to let Mike Trout beat him -- so instead, Albert Pujols did. With two outs, the score tied and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Pujols unleashed a line drive deep into the left-center-field gap, sending the Angels to a thrilling, 4-3 walk-off victory at home on Thursday night and proving, once again, that there's no real right answer in these situations. It was Pujols' 19th career walk-off hit, tied with David Ortiz for the most in the Majors since 2000, and his fifth with the Angels. "I stay focused in that situation," Pujols said. "I know how to handle myself. I'm not automatic. There's times that you're going to get yourself out, and there's times you're going to come through. That's how it goes, man." Pujols' 1,699th career RBI gave the Angels their first win of the season, after being outscored, 15-1, in a two-game series against the Cubs. And it made the Rangers open a season with three losses in four games for the first time since 2007. Despite loading the bases with none out in the bottom of the eighth, the Angels could not score, but rallied with one out in the ninth. Johnny Giavotella lined a single and Yunel Escobar drew a four-pitch walk against Rangers setup man Sam Dyson. Lefty Andrew Faulkner got pinch-hitter Carlos Perez to ground out softly, putting runners on second and third with two outs, then walked Trout to load the bases for Pujols. Pujols, who entered the at-bat 1-for-11 to start the season, turned on a 1-0, 93-mph fastball from Shawn Tolleson to win the game. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Pesky Esky: Escobar, who put together a solid spring, getting on base 49 percent of the time, came up with a couple of key two-out hits Thursday. The Angels' new leadoff hitter clobbered the Angels' first home run of the season, a solo shot well beyond the left-field bullpen that traveled a projected 407 feet, according to Statcast™. He then kept the Angels' rally going with a run-scoring line-drive single to right in the fifth.

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"We faced good pitching tonight and got it done," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, whose offense had just seven hits in the first two games. "It was a good sign." Escobar's solo blast Yunel Escobar unloads on a pitch and sends it high and deep to left field to put the Angels on the board, the team's first homer of the year Holland loses lead with walks: Rangers starter Derek Holland had a 2-1 lead going into the fifth, but walked Kole Calhoun, the Angels' No. 6 hitter, to lead off the inning and Geovany Soto with one out. That cost him after Giavotella flied out. Escobar singled home one run and Craig Gentry doubled home another to give the Angels a 3-2 lead. "I can't give away free passes like that," Holland said. Holland's five strikeouts Derek Holland fans five Angels in his five innings of work, allowing three runs on four hits Bringing heat: Hector Santiago's fastball sat mostly in the 91- to 92-mph range since he joined the Angels in 2014. Against the Rangers, though, Santiago was hitting mostly 93-94 mph with his fastball, relying on it heavily while allowing just two runs on two hits and two walks in the first six innings, striking out seven. "I don't know what I was throwing in Spring Training and all that, but I think that adrenaline gets you going," Santiago said. "I definitely felt good. Obviously it's the first game of the season, so everything is going to feel better." Santiago's six strong innings Hector Santiago strikes out seven over six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and Chirinos goes deep: The Rangers had just one hit through five innings, a home run by Robinson Chirinos in the third. It was just the second home run by a Rangers batter in four games. The Rangers got an unearned run in the first on a walk, an error, a balk and Prince Fielder's sacrifice fly. "Four hits," Banister said. "We've got to find a way to get this offense going." QUOTABLE "I know it's Mike Trout, but it's also Albert Pujols. As a pitcher, you don't want to face either one of those guys. But, I mean, it's Albert Pujols. He makes a habit out of getting those hits -- being clutch, big moments. You've seen it throughout his entire career." -- Angels closer Huston Street, on walking Trout to pitch to Pujols "We were not going to let Trout beat us. Obviously you pick your poison with those two guys but you still have to make pitches on both of them." -- Banister

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SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Adrian Beltre, who turned 37 on Thursday, has not distinguished himself offensively on his birthday. He made a couple of excellent defensive plays on Thursday night but was 0-for-4 at the plate. He is 9-for-50 on his birthday in his career and his only birthday home run came in 2003. WHAT'S NEXT Rangers: Right-hander A.J. Griffin pitches against the Angels at 9:05 p.m. (CT) Friday at Angel Stadium. Griffin will be making his first start since Sept. 24, 2013. He was signed as a Minor League free agent in the offseason and he won a spot as the fifth starter in Spring Training. Angels: Matt Shoemaker makes his season debut in the second of a four-game series. The 29-year-old right-hander endured a rough spring, giving up 19 runs on 30 hits (nine of them

homers ) in 25 innings. But he has a 2.39 career ERA against the Rangers. Heaney gets good news after MRI on elbow By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com ANAHEIM -- Andrew Heaney had an MRI on Wednesday morning and had only one question: "How's my ligament?" Doctors told Heaney that his ulnar collateral ligament, the one that would require season-ending Tommy John surgery if torn, remained "fat and healthy," and Heaney felt a lot better. There's no telling when he'll return from the flexor muscle strain that landed him on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, but the 24-year-old left-hander feels confident he won't go under the knife. "I saw the MRI for myself," Heaney said Thursday, an elbow sleeve covering most of his tender left forearm. "Obviously I'm not a doctor, but the way they explained it to me, it looked perfectly sound and healthy." The Angels will give Heaney at least a couple of weeks off, then determine when he can resume throwing. In the meantime, they called up Nick Tropeano from Triple-A Salt Lake. Tropeano, beaten out by Matt Shoemaker for the fifth spot of the Angels' rotation this spring, is lined up to start Monday's series opener from Oakland if he isn't needed for emergency relief before then. Jered Weaver, who completed a simulated game Tuesday, is locked in for Sunday's series finale against the Rangers.

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Heaney began to feel pain in his left forearm midway through the second inning of his Tuesday start against the Cubs, moments after a nosebleed prompted the Angels' training staff to lodge gauze into his left nostril. Heaney's bloody nose Andrew Heaney heads to the dugout during the top of the 2nd inning so the trainer can attend to a nose bleed, causing an injury delay It wasn't pain, just discomfort. And Heaney never gave much thought to coming out of the game. He completed six frames, striking out seven, walking none and getting burned only by a four-run third inning. But his velocity dropped, going from an average of 93.4 mph in the first to 91.7 in the second, 90.7 in the third and, ultimately, 89.7 in the sixth. The Angels kept asking Heaney if he was OK. "I'm fine," he would tell them. "It wasn't until afterward that they had said my velo had gone down," Heaney recalled. "So that's why they were concerned. That's kind of when I was like, 'OK, maybe it's worse than I thought.' That's when I said something." Tyler Skaggs could be ready to face Major League hitters before the end of April, but he's slated to pitch only four innings for Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday and still has a ways to go in his return from Tommy John surgery. C.J Wilson, dealing with shoulder tendinitis, isn't even playing catch. Tropeano will be a part of the rotation for a while. "You don't want to see anyone get injured, especially a friend or a teammate," Tropeano said. "I'm here just to contribute, help the team win." Heaney emerged as a rookie last season, posting a 3.49 ERA in 18 starts after coming up to the Major Leagues in late June. The Angels were counting on him to be a big part of their rotation all year. "It sucks," Heaney said. "It sucks. I felt so good in spring, felt like I was going to be relied upon. It's not like, 'Hey, rookie, give us what you've got.' It's like, 'OK, we need you to pitch well, we know you can pitch well.' I know injuries happen, especially pitchers. That's just the nature of the game. But it's a little embarrassing. One game, you know? I think it's fluky, but some people perceive it like, 'It's the first game of the year, how the hell does that happen?' It's frustrating, in essence."

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Shoemaker set for season debut vs. Griffin, Rangers By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker will try to remain perfect against the Rangers when he faces right-hander A.J. Griffin on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Griffin will be making his first start for the Rangers and his first in the Major Leagues since Sept. 24, 2013. Shoemaker is 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA in four career starts against the Rangers. That's tied with Collin McHugh of the Astros for the second most wins against the Rangers without a loss by an active pitcher. Wei-Yin Chen, now with the Marlins, is 5-0 against the Rangers. Griffin missed the past two seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery and some minor shoulder issues. He won the fifth-starter spot in Spring Training. His last two Major League starts were against the Angels at the end of 2013 and he is 2-2 with a 2.81 ERA in five career starts against the Angels. Mike Trout is 3-for-15 with two home runs off him while Albert Pujols is 2-for-9 with a home run. "I think those starts are pretty far off," Griffin said. "We've had a little time for them to cool off my trail." Shoemaer had a rough spring in Arizona, allowing 19 runs in 25 innings. But he was better in his last start against the Cubs on Sunday, allowing two runs in five innings. That exhibition game was at Angel Stadium. "I think Matt is where he needs to be," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think you saw that, getting out of Arizona, there's no doubt that his secondary stuff was crisper." Things to know about this game • Rangers manager Jeff Banister said backup catcher Bryan Holaday will get at least one game in Anaheim, but has yet to identify which one. • The Angels expect Daniel Nava to start in left field on Friday with a right-hander on the mound. Craig Gentry was there on Thursday with a left-hander pitching. • Carlos Perez is also expected back behind the plate for the Angels on Friday. Backup Geovany Soto started for the first time on Thursday.

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FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pujols' RBI single in 9th lifts Angels over Rangers 4-3 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols' first RBI of the season came at a very opportune time for the Los Angeles Angels after a pair of season-opening losses. Pujols delivered a bases-loaded single with two outs in the ninth inning to give the Angels their first victory, 4-3 over the Texas Rangers on Thursday night. "I love that situation," said Pujols, whose next RBI will be his 1,700th in the regular season. "It has happened for the 16 years I've been playing this game, and it's going to happen many times the rest of my career. The more at-bats you have, the more comfortable you are and the more you want it." Yunel Escobar drove in the Angels' first two runs with a homer and RBI single in the opener of a four-game series. Sam Dyson, who escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the Angels' eighth, gave up a one-out single by Johnny Giavotella in the ninth and a walk to Escobar. Both advanced on a grounder to third by pinch-hitter Carlos Perez, and Pujols greeted Shawn Tolleson with a line drive to left-center on a 1-0 pitch after Andrew Faulkner's intentional walk to Mike Trout. "You know what? It doesn't matter what they do with Trout. I still need to stay focused and just try to get a good pitch to hit," Pujols said. "I would do the same thing if I was the manager in that situation. Mike is the best player in the game, and as a manager, you don't want the best player in the game to beat you." Huston Street (1-0) pitched a perfect inning to get the win. The Angels had lost 9-0 and 6-1 to the Chicago Cubs in their first two games. Trout led off the Angels' eighth with a single against Keone Kela, and Pujols followed with an infield hit off Dyson (0-1). C.J. Cron's dribbler up the third-base line also went for a hit, but Dyson struck out Kole Calhoun and retired Andrelton Simmons on a double-play grounder to third base. "I had to strike out somebody to get out of that situation, then I got a ground-ball double play after that," Dyson said. "I'm kind of a ground-ball guy, so it's not out of the realm to do that. "I felt fine mentally going out for the ninth, but I just didn't do the job. There are three outs in an inning, and sometimes it's a little hard to get those three outs."

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Angels left-hander Hector Santiago was lifted in the seventh with a 3-2 lead after singles by Ian Desmond and Mitch Moreland gave Texas runners at the corners with none out. Elvis Andrus tied it with a sacrifice fly against Fernando Salas. Texas starter Derek Holland took a 2-1 lead into the fifth before walking two of his first three batters. Calhoun scored on Escobar's two-out single, and Craig Gentry drove in Geovany Soto with a double inside third base on a 3-2 pitch. Santiago allowed three runs -two earned -- and four hits in six-plus innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. He gave up only one hit over the first five innings, a first-pitch homer by No. 9 hitter Robinson Chirinos leading off the third. "He was awesome," Pujols said. "If you look at his last two starts in spring training and that game he threw against the Dodgers, he reminded me of when he was with the White Sox. His velocity was up, he was pumping 93, 94 consistently, pounding the strike zone and using his cutter and changeup." Holland gave up three runs, four hits and two walks in five innings and struck out five in his season debut. The 29-year-old lefty threw only one inning in his first start last season and spent the next four months on the disabled list with a strained shoulder. SPIKE MARKS Rangers: 3B Adrian Beltre was 0 for 4 on his 37th birthday. He has played 14 games on this date, going 9 for 50 with a homer and five RBI. ... It was the first road game of the season for the Rangers, who led the AL with a 45-36 road record last year en route to the West Division title. ... Holland beat the Halos last Oct. 1 at Arlington to clinch a postseason berth for Texas. Angels: Escobar led the AL with a .450 spring training batting average and did not strike out in 65 plate appearances. ... SS Simmons was presented with his 2015 Wilson defensive player of the year award at home plate before the game. ... Santiago was 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in six starts against Texas last season. UP NEXT Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin will have his contract purchased from Triple-A Round Rock on Friday to start the second game of the series, marking his first big league appearance since Sept. 24, 2013, with Oakland. He signed with Texas as a free agent in December after missing the previous two seasons following Tommy John surgery. Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker is 4-0 with a 2.39 ERA in four career starts against the Rangers.

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FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS Albert Pujols’ single in ninth gives LA Angels first win of season

By Clay Fowler, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

ANAHEIM >> Considering the injuries crumbling the Angels’ starting rotation, wasting a quality start seemed a painful plight Thursday night.

The uneasy feeling that Hector Santiago’s performance on the mound wouldn’t be enough to earn the Angels their first win of the season crept into play when the Rangers pulled even with a run in the seventh inning.

It worsened when the Angels loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth inning, but couldn’t push a run across.

Hitless in his first two games, Albert Pujols put several feelings to rest by delivering a game-winning single in the ninth inning to award the Angels a 4-3 win over Texas in the first of a four-game series against the defending AL West champions.

Pujols and Mike Trout were a combined 0 for 15 through the first two games of the season. Both collected two hits on Thursday, but the Rangers elected to intentionally walk Trout to load the bases for Pujols with one out in the ninth inning.

“I was like ‘I can’t wait until Albert gets this hit and looks right into the dugout,’” Santiago said. “You’re kind of showing him up right there saying ‘We’re not going to pitch to Trout. We’re going to pitch to you.’ He takes that against him ... and he answers back every time.”

After Johnny Giavotella’s one-out single in the ninth inning, a walk was issued to Yunel Escobar, who finished 2 for 4 with a pair of RBIs. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he wasn’t surprised the Rangers elected to intentionally walk Trout.

Pujols took one pitch from Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson, then belted a fastball into the left-center field gap.

“I don’t think Albert takes it personally. I think he understands how good Mike is in front of him,” Scioscia said. “Those two guys in the middle - Mike and Albert - are as good as there are. So, whoever has to get it done will get it done.”

Santiago pitched into the seventh inning and allowed three runs - two earned - on four hits with a pair of walks, a continuation of his strong spring training performance.

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He started last season with a 2.33 ERA in his first 17 starts, but faded badly down the stretch, failing to record a win in 12 of his last 14 appearances.

With Andrew Heaney joining C.J. Wilson on the disabled list Wednesday and Jered Weaver battling a neck problem, each healthy member of the Angels starting rotation has become that much more important.

Santiago was cognizant of the thinning pitching staff, but he wasn’t feeling the burden Thursday night.

“I don’t want to say added pressure, you just kind of go out there and do your job,” Santiago said. “Obviously I want everybody to be healthy, but I have to just worry about myself to be successful. You start thinking about too many things, you lose focus.”

The Angels appeared poised to win the game in the eighth inning when Trout, Pujols and C.J Cron singled to load the bases with no outs in a tie game. But Kole Calhoun struck out and Andrelton Simmons grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead on a Robinson Chirinos solo home run in the third inning, the only hit Santiago allowed in the first five innings.

Escobar erased his first-inning error with a solo home run in the third inning. By the time he hit an RBI single to tie the game in the fifth inning, Escobar had either scored or driven in all three Angels runs to that point in the season.

Craig Gentry followed Escobar’s single with an RBI double down the left field line to make Rangers starter Derek Holland pay for both walks he issued in the inning and give the Angels a 3-2 lead.

The Rangers collected a pair of singles to begin the seventh inning and end Santiago’s night before tying the game with a sacrifice fly.

“Hector had great stuff and I think he got stronger as the game went along,” Scioscia said. “In the seventh inning a base hit finds a hole and a jam job by (Mitch) Moreland. I think (Santiago) was a little tired at that point, but Hector pitched a great ballgame.”

Angels call up unproven Tropeano to replace Heaney By Clay Fowler, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

ANAHEIM >> It was already tenuous when the Angels began the season so uncertain about

what $40 million worth of starting pitching would produce.

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Jered Weaver’s velocity dipped to a new low in the spring and C.J. Wilson admitted his

mounting injuries created some doubt he’ll ever return to the Angels starting rotation. Weaver

and Wilson are both owed $20 million in 2016, the final year of their contracts.

When Andrew Heaney’s flexor muscle strain landed him on the disabled list Wednesday, one

start into his season, the Angels’ starting rotation entered a new level of discord.

Unproven Nick Tropeano, who has 11 major league starts since he was a fifth-round draft pick

in 2011, was called up Wednesday to take Heaney’s place on the roster. After posting a 6.48

ERA in five spring training starts, Tropeano will likely start in Heaney’s place Monday at

Oakland.

Starting Sunday’s series finale against Texas is Weaver, who said his fastball topped out at 86

mph in a simulated game this week.

Weaver said endurance will be an issue for him potentially as long as two months. Tropeano

has pitched into the seventh inning just twice in his career.

“Right now we’re trying to get our starting rotation in order and hopefully it will give us enough

length to do the things that we need to do,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “The solution

isn’t to say… ‘Let’s start to stress some guys who are important to the pen.’ We need the

starters to get to a certain point in the game.”

Scioscia is holding out hope Weaver can rediscover success he had as recently as the last half of

2014, when he went 8-3 with a 3.78 ERA.

Another beacon of hope is 24-year-old Tyler Skaggs, who began 2014 in the Angels starting

rotation. Skaggs started this season at Triple-A Salt Lake in what could be the final stage of his

recovery from Tommy John surgery nearly 19 months ago.

Heaney ‘embarrassed’ by injury

It wasn’t until after Heaney’s start in Tuesday’s 6-1 loss that the strained flexor muscle in his

pitching arm became a significant concern. He said the ball felt different coming out of his hand

beginning in the fourth inning, but he could still pitch effectively.

When it was brought to his attention after the game that his velocity slightly declined during

the game, he decided to talk with the Angels training staff.

Heaney’s disappointment is only enhanced by the prominent role he was in line for this season.

“It sucks. I felt so good in spring and then I felt like I was going to be relied on,” Heaney said.

“(The injury) is a little embarrassing... I think it’s fluky but some perceive it as ‘First game of the

year. How the hell does that happen?’”

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Simmons receives award

Andrelton Simmons was honored as baseball’s best defensive player in 2015 prior to the series

opener against Texas when he received the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award.

Simmons was acquired in a November trade that sent Erick Aybar and two top pitching

prospects to the Braves.

He won gold gloves in 2013 and 2014, his second and third seasons in the majors. Unlike the

gold glove award, which is voted on by managers and coaches, the award Simmons received

Thursday is based on sabermetrics.

Last season for the Braves, Simmons led NL shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved, Ultimate Zone

Rating and FanGraphs’ Defensive Runs Above Average.