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Clips

(August 16, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Angels' futility reaches record-tying 11 losses in a row after 3-2 loss to Mariners

Angels get good news on Garrett Richards, who calls his recovery from

elbow injury 'pretty amazing'

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)

Angels' losing streak at 11 games after Felix Hernandez, Mariners edge them, 3-2

Angels Notes: Garrett Richards throws for first time after UCL tear, calls his recovery 'pretty amazing'

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Calhoun thievery keeps Angels close

Trout goes deep, but Angels' skid hits 11

Richards begins his throwing program

Chacin looks to tame Mariners offense

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 13)

Cruz, Hernandez help Mariners hand Angels 11th straight loss

August 16, 2016 Page 3 of 15

FROM THE LA TIMES

Angels' futility reaches record-tying 11 losses in a row after 3-2 loss to Mariners

Mike DiGiovanna

The Angels have used “Calling All Angels” as the soundtrack to their pregame video montage since 2004, but it might be time to sub out the Train song for a Green Day hit that more appropriately captures the mood for this season: “Wake Me Up When September Ends.”

It’s only mid-August, and there are 44 games left, but the Angels, five-time division winners and World Series champions in the first decade of this century, are buried in the American League West.

They lost to Seattle, 3-2, on Monday night to fall 20 games behind the division-leading Texas Rangers and extend their losing streak to a franchise record-tying 11 games, done in 1974, 1992 and 1999.

Mariners ace Felix Hernandez gave up two runs and four hits in 6 2/3 innings and struck out eight batters to drop the Angels to 49-69, the sixth-worst record in the majors. It’s the first time the Angels have been 20 games under .500 since the end of 1999, when they were 70-92.

“It’s disappointing we’re out of it this early,” said John, a 51-year-old season-ticket holder from Orange who sat in the club level Monday but declined to give his last name. “Everyone I’ve talked to has given up hope for this year, but next year is another year, you never know.”

There was a glimmer of hope after the All-Star break when the Angels won 12 of 18 games to pull to within 12 1/2 games of Texas behind an offense that averaged 5.3 runs during the stretch, a patchwork rotation that kept the team in games and a bullpen bolstered by hard-throwing 24-year-old Cam Bedrosian.

Then the bats went cold, averaging three runs during the 11-game skid; the starting pitching faltered, fashioning an 8.25 earned-run average during the streak, and huge fissures developed in a bullpen that lost Bedrosian and closer Huston Street to injuries and setup man Joe Smith to a trade.

“We had a period in July where the pitching and hitting were clicking at the same time, and right now, they’re not,” General Manager Billy Eppler said. “That’s part of the game. You travel those peaks and valleys throughout the season. But without a question, the effort is still there.”

That was evident in the seventh inning Monday night, when Kole Calhoun made a leaping catch above the short right-field wall to rob Kyle Seager of a two-run home run. The results, however, have not been there.

The Tim Lincecum experiment was a disaster. The veteran right-hander, signed in the hope he would regain some of his Cy Young Award-winning form, was 2-6 with a 9.16 ERA in nine starts before being demoted to triple-A last week.

Matt Shoemaker, dominant in June (2.14 ERA in six starts), experienced a natural regression, going 3-5 with a 4.38 ERA in eight starts since July 3. Jered Weaver pitched as he has all season, sometimes effectively but usually not, as his 8-10 record and 5.32 ERA reflects.

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Tyler Skaggs returned to earth after throwing 12 1/3 scoreless innings in his first two starts back from elbow surgery; the left-hander was strafed for 11 runs and 19 hits in 101/3 innings of his last two starts.

And Ricky Nolasco was so-so in his first two starts after being acquired from Minnesota, though he pitched decently Monday night, giving up three runs and eight hits, including Nelson Cruz’s solo homer in the fifth, in 5 1/3 innings.

A late-April rib-cage strain derailed Street, who had a 6.45 ERA when he returned to the disabled list Aug. 2 because of a knee injury. Bedrosian, the team’s best reliever with a 1.12 ERA in 45 games, hasn’t pitched since Aug. 3 because of a finger injury. The bullpen has a 4.71 ERA during the losing streak.

The Angels had 35 at-bats with runners in scoring position in two games at Kansas City on July 26-27. They have 50 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the last 11 games, collecting 11 hits for a .220 average in those situations.

With Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry providing no offense in left field — both were designated for assignment July 30 — and first baseman C.J. Cron breaking a bone in his left hand July 8, the Angels have relied heavily on players such as Jefry Marte and Ji-Man Choi, who are more suited for reserve roles.

The lineup, most nights, drops off precipitously after Yunel Escobar, Calhoun, Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and Andrelton Simmons.

And it’s no coincidence the skid came against two of the best teams in baseball — the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians — and the surging Mariners, who have won nine of 10 games.

“Obviously, losing stinks,” said Trout, who hit a 446-foot solo homer to center field in the fifth inning Monday night, giving him seven home runs against Hernandez, the most the right-hander has given up to any player.

“The year hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to go, but for the guys in here, we’re still fighting, we’re not giving up, and that’s all you can ask for. We’re grinding, trying to put a streak together. We’re going to play hard and finish it out.”

Angels get good news on Garrett Richards, who calls his recovery from elbow injury 'pretty amazing'

Mike DiGiovanna

The Angels returned home from a brutal 0-9 trip, the latest indignity in a lost season in which so much has gone wrong, to a rare treat: some good news.

Garrett Richards, who suffered a season-ending tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in early May, was cleared to throw on Monday after imaging tests and an examination showed “significant improvement” in his elbow since his last evaluation in late-June.

The hard-throwing right-hander, who opted for stem-cell therapy instead of a ligament-replacement surgery that could have sidelined him for most of next season, made 25 throws at

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45 feet, the start of a six-week program that, if there are no setbacks, will have him throwing on a mound by late September.

Richards, the team’s top starter, hopes to pitch in Arizona Fall League games or in simulated games in October. If all goes well, he could be ready for the start of spring training in February.

“It’s kind of crazy how far it’s come in a short amount of time,” Richards said. “I’ve put myself in position to give myself every chance for this to be successful. I can lay my head down at night knowing I did everything I possibly could.”

A 2017 rotation would look far different — and much better — with Richards, who is 29-19 with a 3.11 earned-run average since the start of 2014, at the top of it. But the Angels know there are plenty of hurdles to clear before they can declare Richards their ace for next season.

“I’m cautiously optimistic,” General Manager Billy Eppler said. “I want to see how he goes through his long-toss progression and bullpen sessions. When he does that, I’ll feel better. I’m trying to rein in any overt optimism that we can pencil him in for 2017, but I do feel better about it today than I did yesterday.”

Richards and left-hander Andrew Heaney, who tore an elbow ligament in early April, both received stem-cell injections from Dr. Steve Yoon in Los Angeles, Heaney in April and Richards in May. Heaney did not respond as well and decided to have Tommy John surgery on July 1. Richards’ elbow fared much better.

“As far as [Dr. Yoon] is concerned, this has been a remarkable turnaround,” said Richards, who hadn’t thrown a baseball since May 2 in Milwaukee. “I couldn’t hope for anything better. It’s moving in the right direction. From what it looked like before to what it looks like now, it’s pretty amazing.

“If this happened later in the summer, I don’t know that I would have been able to take this step. I probably would have had surgery. I’m very fortunate that it happened when it happened.”

Even if Richards returns in 2017, the Angels will need to bolster their rotation this winter, but Eppler would at least have a nucleus of Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Tyler Skaggs and Ricky Nolasco from which to build.

“Getting him back would make filling some of the other spots a little easier,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “You can never bank on a player coming back, but the fact that Garrett has shown so much progress definitely makes us more optimistic about the five guys we’ll have in our rotation next year.

“It’s nice to get a bit of good news for a change. We’re excited about it. Hopefully today will be a big step forward in his rehabilitation.”

It takes a thief

Former Angels left-hander and current radio broadcaster Mark Langston was on the field Monday afternoon working with Tyler Skaggs, the left-hander who was on the mound when the Cleveland Indians stole seven of their eight bases in Friday night’s 13-3 win over the Angels in Progressive Field.

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Langston and pitching coach Charles Nagy helped Skaggs make adjustments in both his pickoff move to first base and his leg kick on his delivery home, which has been a little slow.

“You want to be quick to the plate, but you don’t want to be so quick you leave balls up in the zone,” Skaggs said. “You want to show them you can pick a guy off, that you have a good move, but at the same time, you can’t be too focused on the runner. So it’s a fine line.”

Skaggs will get a chance to put Langston’s suggestions to use Wednesday night against the Seattle Mariners.

“Mark helped with the little things, like keeping your head on the runner the whole time, varying your looks, maybe side-arming a ball over there to keep him close,” Skaggs said. “It’s nice to talk to a left-handed pitcher who’s been there, done that.”

FROM OC REGISTER

Angels' losing streak at 11 games after Felix Hernandez, Mariners edge them, 3-2

By J. P. HOORNSTRA/ STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Mike Scioscia was asked to reflect on a double-digit losing streak Monday afternoon, something he hasn’t had to do since the 1990s. Considering how little practice he’s had, the Angels’ manager nailed it.

“I think it reflects on how many components you need to do well,” Scioscia said, “to get a game on your terms and win it.”

The Angels had Monday’s game against the Seattle Mariners on their terms for a time, but the trend continued. A 3-2 loss extended the streak to 11 games, the longest in team history since a 12-game streak to end the 1988 season.

Maybe the only component missing from the Angels’ attack Monday was a clutch hit.

After stranding a pair of runners in the first inning, the Angels got a run in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Cliff Pennington and Nick Buss with two outs. They stranded two more runners in the third.

Historically, that’s about as many chances as Felix Hernandez (7-4) allows in these parts. Monday marked his 10th win against the Angels in the last four seasons, as many as any major league pitcher has against an opponent over the same time span.

“We’ve faced Felix so many times,” Scioscia said. “At times we’ve gotten to him and beaten him. A lot of the games he’s pitched well. You always have the confidence you’re going to get to him. He’s started some games off maybe not hitting spots and we’ve gotten to him early. Other games, as the games go on he’s gotten stronger as he did tonight. You know there aren’t going to be a lot of opportunities against a pitcher of his caliber.”

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A solo home run by Mike Trout in the fifth inning, a booming blast to center field, was the only hit Hernandez allowed in a stretch of 16 batters after the second inning. Buss ended that streak with another double. The journeyman left fielder finished 2 for 4.

Hernandez allowed two runs in 6-2/3 innings, walking four batters and striking out eight. Since 2013, Hernandez is 44-2 when he receives at least three runs of support.

That made for a thin margin of error for Angels starter Ricky Nolasco (5-9). The right-hander from Rialto was more good than bad, allowing three runs in 5-1/3 innings while working out of a few early jams.

After Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager drew free passes to lead off the fourth inning, Adam Lind and Mike Zunino drove them in with RBI singles. The Mariners led, 2-1, and never trailed again.

“I’m pretty frustrated with the two walks,” Nolasco said. “That was the difference in the game. Obviously the homer was the scoring difference, but it’s the walks that bother me; something that I don’t usually do.”

A solo home run by Cruz, his 30th of the season, pushed the lead to 3-1.

Trout gave the announced crowd of 35,840 one last gasp in the seventh inning. With runners on second and third base, he poked a warning-track fly ball off the end of his bat to left-center field. When Nori Aoki tracked it down just in front of the fence, pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen breathed a sigh of relief. The Angels were running out of chances.

Right fielder Kole Calhoun kept the game close with a spectacular running catch, taking a home run way from Seager as he reached over the short fence to end the seventh inning.

Ultimately, Calhoun’s catch merely added to the narrative. On a night when the Angels made no errors, got occasionally spectacular defense, and limited the hottest team in the American League to three runs, the Angels’ four hits and seven runners left on base stuck out like sore thumbs.

The team is 20 games under .500 for the first time since 1999.

“We’re focused every day,” Nolasco said. “We’re giving it everything we’ve got day in and day out. It’s just not working out right now, but we’ve just got to keep fighting. Nobody’s going to feel sorry for us. We just gotta go out there and try to get over that hump, get that one out of the way and get on a little roll.”

Angels Notes: Garrett Richards throws for first time after UCL tear, calls his recovery 'pretty amazing'

By J.P. HOORNSTRA / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Garrett Richards was smiling Monday, a rare sight for the 28-year-old this season – or anyone in an Angels uniform lately. He had just finished throwing a baseball for the first time in months.

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Richards has spent most of the season hoping to avoid Tommy John surgery, ever since an MRI in early May revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The surgery typically comes with a 12- to 18-month recovery. Richards opted for stem cell treatment instead, since he could postpone surgery for later in the year if it didn’t work and still not miss any extra time.

On Monday, Richards was told that a follow-up MRI revealed “significant improvement” in the elbow. He was cleared to throw from flat ground, beginning with light tosses from 45 feet with an Angels trainer in the afternoon.

“It feels just like it would Day One of spring training,” he said.

If he continues to progress without any setbacks, the hope now is that Richards can begin spring training healthy in 2017. For now, he’s merely hoping to pitch to minor leaguers this fall, either in instructional league or in Arizona Fall League games.

“From what it looked like before to where it is now, it’s pretty amazing,” Richards said. “If this probably would’ve happened later in the year, to where I would’ve been limited in time, I wasn’t able to give it this summer to get better, I don’t know that I would’ve been able to take this step. I probably would’ve just ended up having the surgery because of the timing.

“Very fortunate that it happened when it happened.”

The Angels have already lost pitchers Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano to Tommy John surgery this season. Of the three, Richards is closest to his prime, the closest thing the Angels have to a staff ace.

In six starts prior to his diagnosis, Richards had a 2.34 ERA and was striking out nearly a batter per inning. He’s 29-19 with a 3.11 ERA since the start of 2014.

Having Richards in the 2017 rotation would be a huge boost, but everyone’s being cautiously optimistic.

“Obviously Garrett is important,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Getting him back obviously makes filling some of the other spots a little easier. But I know that Billy Eppler’s working hard to not only make us deeper right now, but as the calendar turns to next year, I don’t think you can ever bank on a player coming back.

“The fact that Garrett has shown so much progress makes us more optimistic about the five guys we’ll have in our rotation next year. ... It’s nice to get a bit of good news for a change.”

LINCECUM’S SECOND COMEBACK BEGINS

In his first start since he was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake last week, Tim Lincecum allowed four runs in 41/3 innings against the Round Rock Express. Lincecum allowed four hits (including two home runs and a triple), walked four batters and struck out four.

The Angels don’t view the mechanical issues that led Lincecum to the minors as a quick fix.

“He might find something that gets in synch. The challenge is going to be to maintain it,” Scioscia said. “We’re not planning on a one-game fix. Neither is Tim. He’s got to experiment a

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little bit to find his sequence and find his mechanics. If it gets right in and it clicks, obviously we’d be excited about that. We’ll see how much time it takes.”

The 32-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner was designated for assignment last week. He was 2-6 with a 9.16 ERA in nine starts for the Angels this season.

ALSO

Relief pitcher Cam Bedrosian, on the 15-day disabled list with tendinitis in his right middle finger, will be re-evaluated in the coming days, Scioscia said. … Catcher Geovany Soto was listed as available off the bench one day after suffering a left thumb contusion. X-rays were normal and he’s listed as day to day. … So is Jefry Marte, who also left Sunday’s game after being hit by a pitch in the left shoulder. X-rays were normal. … Mike Trout’s stolen base in the third inning gave him 20 for the season. He’s the sixth player ever to have three 20-20 seasons (20 home runs, 20 steals) before his 25th birthday.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Calhoun thievery keeps Angels close

By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- Not even one of Gold Glove outfielder Kole Calhoun's finest catches Monday night could prevent the Angels from making an historical entry they could've done without.

They lost their 11th game in a row, matching the single-season franchise record for the fourth time, a 3-2 nail-biter to the Mariners and their ace, Felix Hernandez. Calhoun's leaping robbery of a two-run home-run bid by Kyle Seager in the seventh inning merely kept it that agonizingly close

"At some point, we're going to get out of this thing," Calhoun said about the losing streak that matched Angels frustrations in 1974, 1992 and 1999 -- the year before manager Mike Scioscia began his mostly successful tenure. "It's definitely a struggle.

"I haven't robbed that many (home runs). It kept us in the game. I tracked it well, and gave myself enough room. You hope you're not going into run into somebody (the fans), but you don't think about it, you just try to make a play on the ball."

Calhoun said he banged a knee when he came down on the lightly padded short wall, but said he was OK.

Angels starter Ricky Nolasco, who failed to win for the third time in as many starts for his new team, said the Angels "are focused every day. We're giving everything, day in and day out, it's just not working right now. It's frustrating."

Scioscia credited Calhoun's catch, and Nolasco's 5 1/3-inning struggle in his duel with Hernandez with giving the Angels chances to win.

"That's a huge catch for Kole, obviously saving two runs," Scioscia said. "That's the way Kole plays. He's a great right fielder."

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Aside from Mike Trout's 23rd home run, and the first of two doubles by Nick Buss, Scioscia said, the Angels "just couldn't get a key hit" against their longtime nemesis, King Felix.

"It was good to see Ricky go out and give us a chance," Scioscia said. "Two walks (that turned into Mariners runs) hurt him."

Nolasco agreed. "I thought it (outing) was decent, I just had to battle for the most part," he said. "I was pretty frustrated with the two walks to lead off the fourth inning. I think that was the difference in the game. It's frustrating because it (walks) doesn't happen to me too often."

Trout goes deep, but Angels' skid hits 11

By Greg Johns and Earl Bloom / MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- Though he still hasn't figured out quite how to deal with Mike Trout, Mariners ace Felix Hernandez handled the rest of the Angels in a 3-2 victory on Monday as soaring Seattle continued pushing its way back into the American League playoff chase.

The Mariners are 63-54 after winning 11 of their past 13 games and sit two games back of the Red Sox in the Wild Card race and 5 1/2 back of Texas in the AL West. The Angels are headed the opposite direction, having lost 11 straight for the first time since 1999 while falling to 49-69.

Hernandez secured the 150th win of his career in Seattle and said it felt good coming in a key situation as the Mariners push to end a 15-year playoff drought.

"One hundred fifty more and I'll get to 300. That's the goal," Hernandez said with a grin. "I'm happy. I'm happy that we won today. It was a big win for us."

Though Hernandez gave up a solo homer to Trout in the fifth after walking the Angels star in his first two at-bats, he allowed just two runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts over 6 2/3 innings. Hernandez is now 3-0 with a 4.08 ERA in six starts since coming off a two-month stint on the disabled list.

The 30-year-old struck out six in a row before Trout unloaded his 23rd homer of the season.

"I was trying to strike out Trout, too, but I left that pitch right there and he hit it out of the ballpark," Hernandez said. "You know what? He's my nightmare. He's got my number. You just have to tip your hat to him."

Tom Wilhelmsen got Hernandez out of a jam in the seventh by getting Trout to fly out to left with two on and pitched a perfect eighth before rookie Edwin Diaz closed things out with his seventh straight save.

Ricky Nolasco allowed eight hits and three runs in 5 1/3 nnings and remains winless in three starts for the Angels since being acquired from the Twins.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Owning King Felix: Hernandez had struck out six consecutive Angels before Trout homered to center field with two out in the fifth inning. It was Trout's seventh career home run vs.

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Hernandez, the most the Mariners ace has allowed to one batter. This one measured 445 feet, according to Statcast™. Trout has hit .391 with 19 RBIs in 76 career at-bats against Hernandez.

"We've faced him so many times," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Hernandez, who made his 50th career start against the Angels. "With Felix, you know he's going to get stronger as the game goes on, as he did tonight. You know there aren't going to be a lot of opportunities when you go against a pitcher of his caliber."

Boomstick cranks No. 30: Mariners right fielder Nelson Cruz ripped his 30th home run of the season in the fifth, blasting a 2-2 curve over the fence in left-center on a shot projected at 425 feet by Statcast™. The solo shot not only gave Seattle a 3-1 lead, it put Cruz at 74 homers since signing with the Mariners in 2015, the most ever in the first two years by a Mariners player. Richie Sexson had 73 in his first two years with Seattle in 2005-06. Cruz joins Ken Griffey Jr. (6), Alex Rodriguez (4), Jay Buhner (3), Richie Sexson (2) and Bret Boone (2) as the only Mariners with multiple 30-homer seasons. Cruz also worked a 10-pitch leadoff walk in the fourth to ignite a two-run rally.

"The atmosphere is good," Cruz said. "Since the Griffey weekend, everything has changed. We feel it and the team is playing better. You definitely wake up every day wanting to come do something to help your team win. To be able to deliver that, it's good."

Good as Gold: Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun, a Gold Glove winner in 2015, used a well-timed leap at the short wall to rob Kyle Seager of a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

"That's a huge catch from Kole, obviously saving two runs," Scioscia said. "That's the way Kole plays. He's a great right fielder."

Wilhelmsen wins Trout battle: After Hernandez allowed a double to Nick Buss and a two-out walk to Calhoun in the seventh, manager Scott Servais wasn't about to let him face Trout again with a 3-2 lead. In came Wilhelmsen. And though he had an open base to work with after a passed ball by catcher Mike Zunino allowed the runners to move up, Wilhelmsen threw an 80-mph curve on a 3-2 pitch to Trout … and Trout drove it to the left-field wall, where it was tracked down by Norichika Aokias Wilhelmsen threw his arms in the air.

"I knew he hit it in the deepest part of the park here," said Servais. "You never know. When Mike Trout is at the plate and the ball comes off his bat like that in the air, it's not a good feeling. No doubt. Everybody in our dugout got real quiet and then we exploded. Sheer happiness."

QUOTABLE "I go back to it again. Adam watches the Olympics every night before he goes to bed and he fills us in the next day on what he saw. It's the athleticism that he's seeing. It was Usain Bolt the other night, it was the gymnast. The athleticism just continues to keep coming out." -- Servais on first baseman Adam Lind's one-handed grab of a bad hop grounder by Ji-Man Choi in the sixth

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS When Hernandez struck out the side in the fourth, he moved past Roger Clemens as the all-

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time strikeout leader for any pitcher against the Angels. Clemens racked up 324 strikeouts in 47 career starts against the Halos. Hernandez now has 328 in 50 starts vs. the Angels.

WHAT'S NEXT Mariners: Ariel Miranda starts Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. PT game in place of James Paxton, who continues to be bothered by a sore elbow after being hit by a line drive in his last outing. The 27-year-old southpaw is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two outings, including one start, since being acquired from the Orioles in a trade for Wade Mileyon July 31.

Angels: Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (2-6, 6.00 ERA) starts Tuesday night as he tries to bounce back from a rocky outing Thursday. He retired just four Indians and gave up seven earned runs. Chacin has a 2.25 ERA in two career outings vs. the Mariners.

Richards begins his throwing program

By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- In the most encouraging news the Angels have received in some time, right-hander Garrett Richards resumed throwing Monday afternoon, and moved closer to realizing his plan of avoiding Tommy John surgery that could keep him out until 2018.

"It's nice to get a bit of good news for a change," said manager Mike Scioscia, who has already lost two starters, left-hander Andrew Heaney and right-hander Nick Tropeano, to Tommy John surgeries this season. "We're excited about it. Hopefully today is a big step forward in his (Richards') rehabilitation."

Dr. Steve Yoon noted "significant improvement" to the torn ulnar collateral ligament after Richards first received stem-cell injections in May. According to the Angels, Yoon said there has been no breakdown in the calcification, rather that the calcification has continued to improve since his last examination.

"Everything's great," Richards said. "I started throwing again, obviously, and I'm getting back into baseball activities. This is why I made this decision, to try and be able to pitch next year, instead of waiting (until 2018)."

Richards, 28, last pitched May 1. A 15-game winner in 2015, he said he hopes to resume pitching as soon as the fall instructional league. He was 1-3 with a 2.34 ERA in six starts at the time he landed on the disabled list.

Chacin looks to tame Mariners offense

By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com |

Angels right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, trying to recover from a rocky outing in Cleveland, and Mariners left-hander Ariel Miranda, making a spot start in place of James Paxton, are the mound opponents Tuesday night at Angel Stadium in the second game of a four-game series.

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After a successful, eight-outing stint with a 2.55 ERA out of the Angels bullpen, Chacin returned to the rotation Thursday against the Indians. He gave up seven earned runs in an inning and a third, raising his ERA to 6.00.

Chacin (2-6) pitched seven innings against the Mariners in his Angels debut May, allowing two earned runs. He made nine more starts before being reassigned to the bullpen July 4.

Paxton has been out since getting hit with a line drive in the ninth in his last start (against the Angels on Aug. 7). He's still having some bruising and tightness, Seattle is going with Miranda, who was acquired in a trade from the Orioles for Wade Miley on July 31.

Miranda made one spot start already, allowing eight hits and two runs in six innings in a no-decision on Aug. 4 against Boston. He's been in the bullpen since, but only threw once -- and was the winning pitcher in a 15-inning win over the Tigers.

The Mariners have used 12 starters this year and still are unsure on Wednesday's starter, but manager Scott Servais said he's confident Miranda will fill in well.

"Right now, we're finding guys to go in there. Miranda threw the ball well for us early and I feel good about putting him in there," Servais said.

Things to know about this game

• Mariners outfielder Norichika Aoki has three home runs in 14 career at-bats vs. Chacin.

• Seattle's Nos. 3 and 4 hitters Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz, are a combined 0-for-8 with three strikeouts vs. Chacin.

• The Angels have also used 12 starting pitchers this season, and 48 players overall.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cruz, Hernandez help Mariners hand Angels 11th straight loss

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Once he got rolling, Felix Hernandez had little trouble with the reeling Los

Angeles Angels -- except Mike Trout.

Nelson Cruz hit his 30th home run to lead Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners past Los Angeles

3-2 on Monday night as the Angels matched a franchise record with their 11th consecutive

defeat.

Hernandez (7-4) struck out eight and pitched into the seventh inning to earn his 150th win and

help the Mariners remain two games behind Boston for the second AL wild card.

King Felix has 328 career strikeouts against Los Angeles, surpassingRoger Clemens for the most

of any pitcher vs. the Angels.

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"Felix was really great tonight again," Mariners manager Scott Servaissaid. "Started to get some

rhythm going tonight again, good changeup tonight, some strikeouts, a few extra walks, but he

hung in there and gave us a great effort."

Hernandez gave up two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Feeling as though he had little command after

giving up early walks and a run in the second inning, Hernandez found his grove. He struck out

six straight before yielding a home run to Trout.

Trout's seven home runs off Hernandez are the most by any player in baseball.

"I was trying to strike out Trout, too, but I left that pitch up," Hernandez said. "He's my

nightmare. He's got my number."

The Angels had lost 11 straight on three other occasions, but never under manager Mike

Scioscia. Last in the AL West, Los Angeles (49-69) is a season-high 20 games under .500.

The last time the team dropped 11 in a row was during the 1999 season.

"I don't know if we're looking for a spark or if we're looking to grind it out, play our own offense

and create or own breaks," Scioscia said. "Right now, we're just not getting enough done, but

we will turn this around and we will play better."

Cruz drove Ricky Nolasco's 2-2 curveball into the left-field stands in the fifth to become the

sixth player in Mariners history with multiple 30-homer seasons. It's the fourth consecutive

season Cruz has hit 30 or more.

"He threw me the first pitch similar, it was a curveball high and I thought it was a ball and was

like, `Wow a strike?" Cruz said. "Then later, he threw me another big, looping curveball."

Trout also stole his 20th base, marking the third time he's reached 20 home runs and 20 steals

in a season. He became the seventh player in major league history with three 20-20 seasons

and is the only one still active, now that Alex Rodriguez was released by the Yankees.

Trout belted his 23rd homer in the fifth, making the score 3-2.

Nolasco (4-10) issued walks to Cruz and Kyle Seager in the fourth beforeAdam Lind singled

home Cruz, and Mike Zunino singled in Seager. Cruz's fifth-inning homer put Seattle up 3-1.

With one on and two outs and the Mariners hanging onto a 3-2 lead in the seventh, Seager hit a

deep liner to right field, but Kole Calhoun went over the fence and into the stands to make the

catch and end the inning.

Edwin Diaz earned the save with a perfect ninth inning. He's converted all seven save

opportunities since moving into the closer role on Aug. 2.

The Angels scored in the first when Nick Buss hit an opposite-field double to drive in Cliff

Pennington with two outs.

August 16, 2016 Page 15 of 15

TRAINER'S ROOM

Mariners: LHP James Paxton is still dealing with lingering effects from taking a line drive off his

forearm in his last outing. The bruised forearm will force Paxton to skip his turn in the rotation

Tuesday and might land him on the 15-day disabled list.

Angels: RHP Garrett Richards was cleared to play catch for the first time since tearing his ulnar

collateral ligament on May 6. Richards threw 25 pitches from 45 feet and will continue with the

regimen until the end of the season.

UP NEXT

Mariners: LHP Ariel Miranda (1-0, 6.00 ERA) will start in place of Paxton on Tuesday. Miranda,

acquired from Baltimore for Wade Miley at the trade deadline, will make his fifth major league

start and third for the Mariners.

Angels: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (2-6, 6.00) will make his second start since returning to the rotation

after a stint in the bullpen. Chacin took the spot held by Tim Lincecum after he was designated

for assignment.