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Clips

(August 24, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Tyler Skaggs struggles again in Angels’ 7-2 loss to Blue Jays

Angels to hire Matt Swanson from Cardinals to be new amateur scouting director

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)

Tyler Skaggs struggles again in Angels’ loss to Blue Jays

Angels’ Huston Street to have season-ending surgery

Angels Notes: Another step for Alex Meyer this weekend

Angels’ Nick Buss homers, looks ‘very comfortable’ so far

On deck: Angels at Blue Jays, Wednesday, 4 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Street to undergo season-ending knee surgery

Knuckler doesn’t faze Buss on first homer

Simmons’ 3 hits not enough vs. Blue Jays

Pennington reminisces on Blue Jays career

Shoemaker called to take on Blue Jays

Smith among top prospect performers Tuesday

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 16)

Martin has 3 hits, Blue Jays beat slumping Angels 7-2

FROM ESPN (Page 18)

Mike Trout isn’t the first great player on a bad team

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FROM THE LA TIMES

Tyler Skaggs struggles again in Angels’ 7-2 loss to Blue Jays

Pedro Moura

Nick Buss has played more than 1,000 professional baseball games and a bunch more as an amateur. But, until Tuesday at the Rogers Centre, the 29-year-old outfielder had never once faced a knuckleball pitcher. In their pregame hitters’ meeting, the Angels stressed to never let up on any pitches from Toronto starter R.A. Dickey, no matter how high they started.

And so Buss, making his 14th major league start, observed the first one Dickey threw him in the second inning. It dipped tremendously, for a ball. He hacked at the similar second pitch and missed. On the third, another fluttering knuckleball, Buss timed it right and unloaded for his first home run at his sport’s highest level.

It was the lone bright spot in another disheartening defeat for the Angels, this time 7-2 to the Blue Jays. Tyler Skaggs’ slide since his superb return to the major leagues continued, as the 25-year-old left-hander finished only four innings and gave up as many runs.

“I know I’m better than that,” Skaggs said.

Skaggs quickly allowed a first-inning run on a double, walk, and single. Shortstop Andrelton Simmons then attempted to trick Toronto into a double play when Troy Tulowitzki lofted a baseball to him and the infield fly rule was called. It did not work. Simmons let the ball drop in front of him, then watched it bounce up to his face while the Blue Jays baserunners stayed put.

In the third, a similar fly by Edwin Encarnacion traveled in the same direction, deeper. Manning left field, Buss took a false step back, then dove came up a foot short, loading the bases for Russell Martin without an out. Skaggs walked him to force in a run, and Toronto took the lead when Tulowitzki followed by grounding into a double play.

Skaggs yielded another run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth. Manager Mike Scioscia pulled him when he walked the first batter he faced in the fifth, but did not receive superior work from his bullpen.

Skaggs’ first two major league starts after elbow ligament-replacement surgery were scoreless. Now, through six outings, his earned-run average sits at 5.70. Tuesday was his worst start to date. The five walks he issued tied a career high, and he struck out only two men, a season low.

“Hopefully, Tyler is going to make some adjustments, because his stuff is good,” Scioscia said. “It’s just a matter of making some pitches and putting some guys away. Right now he’s having a tough time doing that.”

August 24, 2016 Page 4 of 21

Skaggs felt he threw his pitches into the strike zone too often two starts ago in Cleveland. He must reconfigure his approach.

“It’s a mindset,” Skaggs said. “I went from throwing too many strikes to walking four or five guys. I have to find the fine line between both of those.”

The Angels scattered some runners after Buss’ homer. Their next-best chance to score came in the eighth, when Mike Trout led off with a single and swiped second.

Albert Pujols grounded a ball to third that Josh Donaldson first flubbed. But, because of Pujols’ lack of speed and Donaldson’s quick recovery, the Angels’ designated hitter was still thrown out. He muttered to himself as he retreated to the visiting dugout.

Trout was then picked off, and C.J. Cron struck out swinging on a low fastball to end the inning. He flung his bat to the ground in disgust.

Angels to hire Matt Swanson from Cardinals to be new amateur scouting director

Pedro Moura

The Angels will hire St. Louis Cardinals scouting cross-checker Matt Swanson as their new amateur scouting director, according to a source who requested anonymity because the move has not been made official. In Swanson, Angels General Manager Billy Eppler chose a far less experienced but highly regarded option to replace Ric Wilson, who was removed from the job earlier this month.

Swanson will orchestrate and carry out the Angels’ plan for the 2017 amateur draft, a crucial class for an organization with a farm system widely regarded as the worst in the sport. If the Angels’ position in the standings doesn’t significantly change over the season’s final 37 games, they could pick anywhere from third to seventh. They have not picked inside the top 10 since 2000, and the last time they picked as high as third was 1997, when they selected future All-Star Troy Glaus.

Swanson, 33, pitched for the University of California and was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2005. He spent three seasons in the minors, and then worked in insurance until St. Louis hired him as an area scout in November 2008. After being based in Northern California for five years, he was promoted to his current role as the Cardinals’ Midwest cross-checker, supervising the team’s scouts in that region.

With St. Louis, Swanson was listed as the signing scout for right-handers Sam Tuivailala and Kyle Barraclough, left-hander Marco Gonzales, second baseman Kolten Wong, infielder Colin Walsh, and outfielders Stephen Piscotty and Greg Garcia, all of whom went on to reach the majors.

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Swanson becomes one of a select few Angels executives hired by Eppler, who held over most of predecessor Jerry Dipoto’s staff. Besides a new analytics department, assistant general manager Steve Martone is the most prominent Eppler hire.

Wilson is said to still be deliberating on a lesser role in the organization the Angels offered. He had held his job since 2010, when he replaced the fired Eddie Bane, who the year before had presided over one of the most successful drafts in recent history.

Street out for the year

Closer Huston Street visited Dr. Keith Meister, the Texas Rangers’ team physician, in Texas on Tuesday for a second opinion on his inflamed right knee. He opted for arthroscopic surgery; Meister will perform it Wednesday.

Street, 33, first landed on the disabled list three weeks ago because of pain in the knee. He’s now expected to miss the rest of the season.

Hampered by an early-season oblique strain, he pitched 22 1/3 innings in 2016, by far the worst year of his career. His 6.45 earned-run average more than doubled his 2.97 career mark. The Angels must pay him $9 million next season and a $1-million buyout or $10 million for 2018.

Short hops

The Angels are considering sending right-hander Alex Meyer to Class-A Inland Empire or triple-A Salt Lake to make his next start on Saturday. Meyer threw three innings in rookie ball Monday and struck out six teenagers. … Right-hander Garrett Richards, traveling with the team, has extended his throwing out to 80 or 90 feet. He will need to reach 150 feet before the Angels allow him to throw a bullpen session, Manager Mike Scioscia said. …The Rangers released Josh Hamilton, which does not affect the remaining money the Angels must pay him through the end of next season, more than $20 million.

FROM OC REGISTER

Tyler Skaggs struggles again in Angels’ loss to Blue Jays

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

TORONTO – Tyler Skaggs 2.0 – the version who has come back to the majors after nearly two years out, mostly rehabbing from Tommy John surgery – is learning some hard lessons.

Two starts ago in Cleveland, Skaggs gave up 10 hits and seven runs because too many of his pitches were in the zone.

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In Tuesday’s outing, he walked five batters, which was the biggest issue in allowing four runs in the Angels’ 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.

“It’s a mindset,” Skaggs said. “I went from throwing too many strikes to walking four or five guys. I have to find a fine line between both of those.”

Skaggs said he was “trying to be too fine,” which is certainly understandable in this setting. The left-handed Skaggs was facing a team full of right-handed power hitters in a homer-friendly Rogers Centre.

Still, he didn’t want to be that careful.

Skaggs threw just 55 percent of his 90 pitches for strikes, well below the 67 percent average he brought into the game or the 72 percent he threw when the Indians hit him hard.

“His stuff looked good,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He definitely threw too many pitches behind in the count. At times he got into the count and had trouble putting guys away.”

That was the other issue.

Skaggs gave up a hit on an 0-and-2 pitch to Darwin Barney leading off the game, and a double on a 1-and-2 pitch to Kevin Pillar leading off the fourth. His walk to Josh Donaldson in the third came after he had gotten ahead 0-and-2.

“It’s really frustrating,” Skaggs said. “I know I’m better than that.”

Skaggs was also a victim of one bad break in the two-run third inning that gave the Blue Jays a 3-2 lead.

After he’d walked the first two hitters of the inning, he got dangerous Edwin Encarnacion to hit a soft popup into shallow left center. Left fielder Nick Buss got a bad jump and the ball dropped just out of his reach.

Little has gone right for Skaggs in the last four starts, a dramatic turnaround from his first two.

In his first start after being out for nearly two years, Skaggs was nothing short of dominant in seven scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals. He walked the first batter of the game, and then no one else.

He tacked on another 51/3 scoreless innings in his next start.

However, in the four starts since, Skaggs has allowed 19 earned runs in 172/3 innings.

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“Hopefully Tyler is going to make some adjustments because his stuff is good,” Scioscia said. “It’s just a matter of making some pitches and putting some guys away. Right now he’s having a tough time doing that. The walks were big tonight. You can’t give a team like that that many looks. …

“He’s just a hair off right now. He’s not able to make the pitches he needs. He’s not missing by a lot but he’s missing by enough.”

Angels’ Huston Street to have season-ending surgery

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

TORONTO -- Angels closer Huston Street's disappointing season is over.

Street is set to have season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Wednesday. Street made the decision after getting a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas on Tuesday.

The surgery is not expected to impact Street for next season.

Street, a three-time All-Star with 324 career saves and a 2.97 ERA, has a 6.45 ERA and just nine saves this season. He missed time earlier in the year with an oblique injury. He last pitched on July 31, before going on the DL with the knee problem.

Street, 33, is signed for one more season, at $9 million, with an option for 2018.

Angels Notes: Another step for Alex Meyer this weekend

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

TORONTO – Alex Meyer is scheduled to move up the Angels minor league ladder this week, pitching on Saturday for Class-A Inland Empire.

Meyer struck out six batters in three innings in the Arizona League on Monday. In three outings in that rookie league, Meyer has struck out 12 and walked one in 5 1/3 innings.

The Angels are expected to have him repeat a three-inning workload for Inland Empire and then pitch at Triple-A. The goal is to get him into the majors sometime in September, perhaps as a starter.

The Angels acquired Meyer in an Aug. 1 trade. Once one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Meyer has failed to live up to expectations and dealt with injuries.

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NEW SCOUTING DIRECTOR TABBED

The Angels will hire Matt Swanson as their new scouting director. Swanson had been the St. Louis Cardinals Midwest crosschecker for the past three years. Previously, he spent five years as a Cardinals area scout, covering the West.

A product of the University of California, Swanson, 33, spent three seasons pitching in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Earlier this month, the Angels decided to remove Ric Wilson from the position. Wilson was offered a position to stay in the organization, but he has not yet decided if he's staying.

ALSO

Garrett Richards has increased his throwing distance to about 80 or 90 feet, Manager Mike Scioscia said. Richards needs to get to about 150 feet before he can throw off a mound. The Angels are trying to get Richards to be able to pitch in the instructional league by November, so they can determine if he can avoid Tommy John surgery...

The Rangers release of Josh Hamilton has no impact on the Angels' financial obligation to him. They will still pay him more than $25 million next season. The Rangers are expected to re-sign Hamilton to a minor league deal...

The Angels will have a representative at Tim Tebow's workout next week in Los Angeles.

Angels’ Nick Buss homers, looks ‘very comfortable’ so far

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

TORONTO – Nick Buss is a quick learner.

On just the third knuckleball he had ever seen, he hit his first major league homer.

Buss belted a knuckleball from R.A. Dickey over the right-field fence in the second inning of the Angels’ 7-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.

Buss, who has only played 18 games in the majors, said his teammates told him what to look for from Dickey. Essentially, they said the ball is going to dip, so don’t give up on it, no matter how high it looks.

“Just be ready to fire the entire time,” Buss said.

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Buss, who also reached on a bunt single, has hit .265 in just over a week with the Angels, but with a .500 slugging percentage.

“Nick looks very comfortable,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s certainly not overmatched. He’s hitting the ball hard. He looks like he belongs here.”

On deck: Angels at Blue Jays, Wednesday, 4 p.m.

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

Where: Rogers Centre TV: Fox Sports West, 4 p.m. Did you know? Matt Shoemaker leads the Angels with 14 quality starts. THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP MATT SHOEMAKER (7-13, 4.14) Vs. Blue Jays: 1-1, 8.38 At Rogers Centre: 0-1, 10.50 Hates to face: Josh Donaldson, 3 for 7 (.429) Loves to face: Justin Smoak, 0 for 5 (.000) BLUE JAYS RHP MARCO ESTRADA (7-5, 3.20) Vs. Angels: 1-0, 4.97 At Rogers Centre: 9-9, 2.87 Hates to face: Andrelton Simmons, 4 for 7 (.571) Loves to face: None

FROM ANGELS.COM

Street to undergo season-ending knee surgery

By Austin Laymance / MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- Angels closer Huston Street will undergo season-ending surgery on his right knee on Wednesday, the Angels announced.

Street will have arthroscopic surgery for "persistent medial knee pain," according to the Angels. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Austin, Texas.

Street, 33, has been sidelined by the knee issue since Aug. 2. He's been limited to 26 appearances this season, going 3-2 with nine saves and a 6.45 ERA, a 1.93 WHIP and a 1.17

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strikeout-to-walk ratio. He also missed 32 games in April and May because of a strained left oblique muscle.

Street is set to earn $9 million next season and has a $10 million club option for 2018 ($1 million buyout).

The Angels have used Fernando Salas in the closer's role in Street's absence.

Knuckler doesn’t faze Buss on first homer

Rookie connects with Dickey’s signature pitch for two-run shot

By Dhiren Mahiban / MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Nick Buss had never faced a knuckleballer, so he watched attentively as teammate Mike Trout went through a 12-pitch at-bat against Blue Jays starterR.A. Dickey in the first inning.

When it was his turn to step to the plate, Buss had an idea of what to look for and took Dickey's 1-1 knuckleball over the wall in right field, briefly giving the Angels a 2-1 lead. However, that's all the offense Los Angeles would receive, as it fell 7-2 to the Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

"I feel like he had tougher ones to deal with 'cause it looked like he was mixing some heaters and curve balls to him too," Buss said of the Trout at-bat. "That was definitely helpful seeing what he had, seeing his total mix.

"It was great. It was fun to knock that out and get it done in my first at-bat."

Buss has six homers with Triple-A Salt Lake City this season, but in 17 career games split between the Dodgers and Angels, the 29-year-old had yet to go yard.

Prior to Tuesday's meeting with Dickey and the Blue Jays, Buss received plenty of advice on facing the knuckleball. Buss said he had teammates in college who were knuckleballers, but had never faced one at the pro level.

"Just to see it a little bit up, kind of at belt height, don't focus too much on seeing it up," he said. "I realized it's going to dip down a little bit, be ready to fire the entire time. If you've got to take at the last minute, take, but just got to be ready to hit every pitch."

Buss also reached base on a ninth-inning bunt single off reliever Scott Feldman to finish the night 2-for-4, boosting his batting average from .233 to .265.

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"Nick has looked really comfortable at the plate, certainly not over-matched, he's hitting the ball hard and it looks like he belongs here," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia.

The second-inning homer also saw Buss' three-game drought at the plate (0-for-9) come to an end. Despite the inconsistencies, the Southfield, Mich., native is content with the progress he's made since his Aug. 13 recall.

"I've had some ups and downs, probably just adjusting to some of the pitchers here, but ultimately I'm happy with how it's going," he said.

Simmons’ 3 hits not enough vs. Blue Jays

By Dhiren Mahiban and Alykhan Ravjiani / MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Russell Martin continued his torrid hitting to pace Toronto's offense, while R.A. Dickey notched another strong outing to lead the Blue Jays over the Angels, 7-2, on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.

Though he'd normally receive a day off with Dickey on the mound, Martin went 3-for-3 out of the DH spot and drove in a pair of runs to help the Blue Jays open their six-game homestand with a victory. Michael Saunders also added his 21st home run of the season, while Troy Tulowitzki continued his strong August with an RBI double as part of Toronto's 10-hit attack.

"He's smoking hot right now," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said about Martin. "He was due for that, he's been a good hitter his whole career. He's really seeing the ball. He probably likes DHing because it's not as physically demanding, so that can never hurt."

Dickey kept the Angels at bay all evening, tossing 6 2/3 innings and limiting Los Angeles to just two runs on Nick Buss' first career Major League home run. After a difficult month of July, the veteran knuckleballer has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts. With the win the Blue Jays keep a share of the top spot in the American League East, as the Red Sox defeated Rays at Tropicana Field.

"It's all about the process and trying to execute the mechanics I need to in order to produce good results," Dickey said. "All I can focus on is execution and process, and tonight the result was favorable, but I've been pretty close all year in a number of outings, I just haven't had the same results. I've had better knuckleballs this year and given up more runs, it's just the nature of the beast sometimes."

Angels starter Tyler Skaggs continued to struggle on Tuesday, lasting four-plus innings while giving up four runs and walking a season-high five batters. Skaggs fell to 0-3 with 19 earned runs allowed in 17 2/3 innings over his last four starts.

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"Unfortunately, kind of the same stuff we've seen his last couple starts: his stuff looked good, definitely threw too many pitches behind in the count," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "At times he got [ahead] in the count and had trouble putting guys away, but hopefully Tyler's going to make some adjustments, because his stuff is good, it's just a matter of making some pitches and putting some guys away.

"Right now, he's having a tough time doing that. The walks obviously played big tonight. Can't give that club that many looks, and it played a big part tonight."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Russell the muscle: Martin put the Blue Jays on the board in the bottom of the first when he slapped a changeup off Skaggs into right field to bring home Darwin Barney. Martin would later add another run after earning a bases-loaded walk in the top of the third inning. Toronto's starting backstop has been one of baseball's best hitters over the past week, going 15-for-32 with 13 RBIs in his past eight games.

"Russell has always had that knack of getting the big hit at the right time," Gibbons said. "He does something good with the bat when you need it. I've seen that so, so many times."

Going deep: Rookie left fielder Buss got the Angels on the board in the second, taking Dickey's 2-2 knuckleball over the wall in right field for a two-run home run. The 29-year-old's first homer came in his 50th MLB at-bat.

"It was great. It was fun to knock that out and get it done in my first at-bat," Buss said. "I haven't seen a knuckleball before, but talking to the guys, they did a great job of explaining what it was going to be like, what to look for and how his ball moves."

In a pinch: With regular second baseman Devon Travis day to day due to an injured ligament in his right hand, Barney got the nod in his place. Barney finished 2-for-4 with a walk out of the leadoff spot, and he scored two of Toronto's seven runs.

"It's similar to hitting ninth in this order," Barney said about hitting leadoff. "You're trying to get on base for the guys in the heart of our lineup, and obviously that was the goal today -- to have good at-bats and find a way on base. I was able to do that."

QUOTABLE "We're both really old. I think that's more a show of respect. It's hard to stay in this game as long as he has, and to kind of come up alongside of him from 2001 until now, I think that was just a little tip of respect, and I really appreciated it" -- Dickey, on Albert Pujols tipping his cap towards him prior to his first at-bat of the night. Pujols finished 0-for-3 and is 0-for-13 in his career against Dickey.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Matt Shoemaker will look to win back-to-back starts for the first time since mid-July

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when he gets the ball on Wednesday night at 4:07 p.m. PT. The 29-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits while striking out five his last time out in a 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Blue Jays: Marco Estrada gets the ball on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. ET for the Blue Jays in the middle game of their three-game series against the Angels. Estrada is coming off his shortest outing of the season, allowing a season-high five earned runs and three home runs in four innings against the Yankees. The 33-year-old ended up with a no-decision as Toronto came back to earn a 12-6 victory.

Pennington reminisces on Blue Jays career

Angels infielder recalls thrill of 2015 pennant race in return to Toronto

By Dhiren Mahiban / MLB.com |

TORONTO -- Cliff Pennington may have been a Blue Jay for parts of just three months, but the experience left him with a lifetime of memories.

The Angels' infielder was back at the Rogers Centre for the first time as a member of the opposition since signing a two-year deal with Los Angeles last November.

The 32-year-old appeared in 33 games with the Blue Jays over the final two months of the 2015 regular season, hitting .160 with three doubles, two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Despite the short stay, winning the American League East crown and being a part of the postseason run in Toronto will remain amongst career highlights for the nine-year veteran.

"It was an amazing three months I spent here playing at the Rogers Centre. Those last three months was one of the coolest experiences I've had as a player," Pennington said on Tuesday ahead of a three-game series against the Blue Jays. "It's going to be fun to come back.

"Obviously winning a lot of ballgames, but the atmosphere here in the Rogers Centre was one of the coolest things I've experienced."

Prior to hitting the cages on Tuesday afternoon, Pennington spent time on the field chatting with former teammates, including Blue Jays infielder Ryan Goins. Pennington's time in Toronto even saw the Texas native enter a game as a reliever, pitching a third of an inning and facing three batters during the ALCS against the Kansas City Royals -- something Goins remembered well.

"It was cool to see him pitch in that playoff game, I mean not really that cool, we were getting our teeth kicked in," Goins recalled. "But he was a great teammate, defender, brought good at-

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bats to the plate. I can remember a home run he hit against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium that was huge for our team.

"He was great, honestly. With Devon [Travis] going down, we needed somebody else, and he was the guy."

Hamstring injuries have limited Pennington to just 43 games this season, in which the former first-round pick of the Oakland Athletics is hitting .231 with three doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs.

When available, he's been an asset to Mike Scioscia's ballclub.

"When he's in there and healthy, you just see a difference in his ability to play three positions on the infield," said Scioscia. "Actually, he can play the outfield and first base also, and he's given good at-bats. His versatility is important to us, when it wasn't there, we could definitely see a void."

Pennington still keeps in touch with his former teammates including Josh Donaldson and Chris Colabello -- a product of the closeness of the Blue Jays' clubhouse.

"It was [a tight group], confident group and came out and knew they were going to win, knew they were going to hit homers and pound the baseball everyday," he said.

Shoemaker called to take on Blue Jays

By Dhiren Mahiban / MLB.com |

Matt Shoemaker will look to win back-to-back starts for the first time since mid-July when he gets the ball on Wednesday night in the second game of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The 29-year-old right-hander allowed two earned runs on five hits over seven innings while striking out five his last time out in a 6-4 win over the Seattle Mariners. Shoemaker (7-13, 4.14 ERA) is 1-1 in two career appearances against the Blue Jays with a 8.38 ERA. Shoemaker was charged with the loss in his lone career start against Toronto on May 21, 2015.

Toronto will counter with Marco Estrada (7-5, 3.20) in the second game of the series. The right-hander surrendered five earned runs on five hits in four innings of work while picking up a no-decision his last time out against the New York Yankees on Aug. 16.

Things to know about this game

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• Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin will head back behind the plate on Wednesday night. The 33-year-old collected three hits as the the designated hitter in the series opener on Tuesday.

• Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons is hitting .571 in nine career plate appearances against Estrada.

• The Blue Jays are expected to activate Jose Bautista (knee) from the 15-day disabled list on Thursday.

Smith among top prospect performers Tuesday

By William Boor / MLB.com |

Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith proved worthy of their elite prospect rankings as the duo led Double-A Binghamton to a 9-1 victory over Hartford on Tuesday night.

The duo, ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in the Mets' system, combined to go 6-for-10 with five RBIs in just the latest of several good offensive games for both players.

Rosario, MLB Pipeline's No. 15 overall prospect, went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. He also scored a pair of runs as Smith drove him in for each of his two RBIs.

"He's got all the talent in the world and right now he got better with his plate discipline," Binghamton hitting coach Luis Natera told MiLB.com. "He uses the whole field, he's got a great two-strike approach and the ability to go the opposite field. He's reminding me a lot of Jose Reyes."

Smith, the No. 61 overall prospect, has hit in five straight games and has back-to-back three-hit performances after a 3-for-5 night of his own. The first baseman has been on fire all month, hitting .413 in 20 games.

"When he gets some separation, he gets on top of the ball really well and stays back," Natera said. "He can do damage when he does that. Right now, he's made a good adjustment with his hands."

Although Rosario hasn't been as hot as his teammate in August, he has hits in five of his past six games and is batting .327 through 42 Double-A games in total.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Tuesday:

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• Yoan Moncada (Red Sox's No. 1, No. 2 overall) has reached base in seven straight plate appearances for Double-A Portland. The highly-touted 21-year-old hit his 14th homer of the season on a night where he primarily kept the bat on his shoulder, going 1-for-1 with three RBIs and four walks.

• Nate Smith (Angels' No. 5) faced the minimum in seven dominant innings for Triple-A Salt Lake. The 24-year-old lefty gave up just one hit and struck out four in seven scoreless frames. Smith threw 56 of his 86 pitches for strikes and induced eight groundouts.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Martin has 3 hits, Blue Jays beat slumping Angels 7-2

TORONTO -- A rare chance to pitch with a lead gave R.A. Dickey the opportunity to be more than just a knuckleballer.

Russell Martin had three hits and two RBI, Dickey pitched 6 2/3 innings for his first home win since July 10 and the Toronto Blue Jays beat theLos Angeles Angels 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Toronto remained tied with Boston for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox beat Tampa Bay 2-1.

Dickey had received eight total runs of support in his previous five starts, losing three. His teammates gave him six runs to work with Tuesday, which he appreciated.

"Always great pitching with the lead," Dickey said. "You can take some little risks that you might not normally take. Threw a lot of good changeups tonight, good sinkers down in the zone. I actually had good conventional stuff tonight and that helped me through some innings when I didn't have a great knuckleball."

Dickey (9-13) came in 2-8 with a 5.57 ERA in 13 home starts but held the last-place Angels in check, allowing two runs and six hits.

Manager John Gibbons said Dickey was "fantastic" after giving up a two-run homer to Angels rookie Nick Buss in the second.

"Then he kind of put it in cruise control," Gibbons said.

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Martin had an RBI single in the first, drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk in the third, singled and scored in the fifth, and doubled over the head of center fielder Mike Trout in the seventh. Martin is 12 for 27 with nine RBI in his past five games.

"He's smoking hot right now," Gibbons said.

Michael Saunders hit his 21st home run, a solo shot off A.J. Achter in the eighth, and Edwin Encarnacion and Darwin Barney each reached base three times as the Blue Jays won their fifth straight over the Angels. Toronto has outscored Los Angeles 51-16 in that span.

"Down the stretch every game is important," Barney said. "I don't think we're taking anyone lightly."

Buss hit his first major league home run, but Los Angeles lost for the fourth time in six games. The Angels have lost 15 of 18 overall.

"He looks very comfortable at the plate," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Buss. "He's certainly not overmatched. He's hitting the ball hard. He looks like he belongs here."

The Angels lost their 11th straight road game, their longest such skid since a 14-game streak in 1969.

Trailing 2-1, Toronto loaded the bases with no outs against left-handerTyler Skaggs in the third. Barney scored the tying run when Martin walked and Encarnacion put the Blue Jays in front by scoring on Troy Tulowitzki's double play groundout.

Skaggs (1-3) allowed four runs and four hits in four-plus innings and is winless in five starts. His five walks were a season-worst.

"Unfortunately, kind of the same stuff we've seen the last couple of starts," Scioscia said. "Whether it's a release point issue, whether it's a mechanical adjustment or whatever it is, he's a hair off right now and he's not able to make the pitches he needs to."

JOEY BATS ALMOST BACK

Blue Jays OF Jose Bautista (left knee) is expected be activated off the 15-day DL as soon as he is eligible on Thursday. Gibbons said Bautista will be used at DH often to protect his knee.

CRIME DOESN'T PAY

Josh Donaldson was caught stealing in the fifth, snapping a streak of 23 consecutive successful attempts. He hadn't been caught stealing since June 3, 2013, with Oakland.

TRAINER'S ROOM

August 24, 2016 Page 18 of 21

Blue Jays: 2B Devon Travis was not available after getting a cortisone injection in his sore right ring finger. Barney started in his place. ... OFKevin Pillar (sprained left thumb) was activated off the 15-day DL and started in center field. RHP Ryan Tepera was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo to clear a spot for Pillar.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Matt Shoemaker (7-13, 4.14) is 1-1 with an 8.38 ERA in two career games against Toronto.

Blue Jays: RHP Marco Estrada (7-5, 3.20) allowed a season-high five earned runs against the Yankees on Aug. 16. It was the third time in 21 starts this season Estrada has allowed more than three earned runs.

FROM ESPN

Mike Trout isn’t the first great player on a bad team

Lee Singer & Jacob Nitzberg, ESPN Stats & Information

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have lost 15 of their past 18 games and have the second-worst record in the American League. The Angels also have Mike Trout, who is unquestionably one of the elite players in baseball and who again leads the majors in Wins Above Replacement this season.

This raises the question: How often do we see truly elite players on terrible teams? In the Angels’ case, maybe never.

The Angels currently have a .416 win percentage this season, on pace to be their worst under Mike Scioscia and the fourth-worst in franchise history. Trout is on pace for 10 Wins Above Replacement. The Angels’ win percentage would be the second-worst in major-league history by a team with a 10-WAR position player.

In fact, there have been 55 instances in major league history of a position player producing a 10-WAR season. Of those 55, only three of those players’ teams even finished below .500, and those 55 teams averaged 92 wins.

Despite that, there are a number of great players who have played on not-so-great teams. We take a look at some of the notable ones, including pitchers (in reverse chronological order):

Felix Hernandez

August 24, 2016 Page 19 of 21

2010 Seattle Mariners - 61-101 (.377)

Felix Hernandez won the 2010 AL Cy Young Award with a 13-12 record, but a league-leading 2.27 ERA. His 13 wins are the fewest by a Cy Young-winning starter in a full season, and the Mariners went 17-17 in his starts, the worst winning percentage by a team in starts by a Cy Young winner.

Seattle went 61-101 in 2010, the worst winning percentage by a team with a Cy Young winner, and finished with the worst record in the American League and second-worst in the majors.

Zack Greinke

2009 Kansas City Royals - 65-97 (.401)

Greinke won the AL Cy Young Award in 2009, finishing the season with a 16-8 record. He led the major leagues with a 2.16 ERA and the American League with a 1.07 WHIP. Greinke allowed a career-low 11 home runs, leading the AL in fewest per 9 IP.

Greinke's Royals finished 65-97 tied for worst record in the AL Central and second-worst in the league.

Ichiro Suzuki

2004 Seattle Mariners - 63-99 (.389)

In 2004, Ichiro set the major league record with 262 hits in a single season. Ichiro hit .372 that season, leading the major leagues, a mark that has not been equaled since. He finished the season with a career-high .869 OPS in addition to winning his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award.

The Mariners finished the season last in the AL West, with the second-worst record in the American League and third-worst in the majors.

Cal Ripken Jr.

1991 Baltimore Orioles - 67-95 (.414)

Ripken won the MVP in 1991 as well as his first career Gold Glove Award. His 368 total bases led the majors, something only Alex Rodriguez, Robin Yount, Ernie Banks and Honus Wagner have done as shortstops.

Ripken's WAR was 11.5 that season, tied with Wagner for the highest ever by a shortstop. But the Orioles finished 67-95, making them the worst team ever to have a 10+ WAR position player.

August 24, 2016 Page 20 of 21

Tony Gwynn

1987 San Diego Padres - 65-97 (.401)

Gwynn hit .370 in 1987, leading the major leagues with his best average in a season at that point in his career. He also led the majors with 218 hits, making the All-Star team and winning both a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Award that season.

The Padres finished with the worst record in the National League and second-worst in the majors.

Steve Carlton

1972 Philadelphia Phillies - 59-97 (.378)

Carlton won the first of his four Cy Young Awards in 1972, finishing the season 27-10 with a 1.97 ERA and 310 strikeouts, leading the National League and setting career bests in each of those categories.

All other Phillies pitchers went 32-87 that season as they finished with the worst record in the National League and second-worst in the majors.

Ernie Banks

1958-59 Chicago Cubs - combined 146-162 (.474)

Banks won back-to-back MVP Awards in 1958 and 1959. In 1958 he led the major leagues with 47 homers and 129 RBIs, and followed that up with 45 homers and a major-league-leading and career-high 143 RBIs in 1959.

Banks never reached the postseason with the Cubs, who finished fifth in the National League in each of those two seasons. He played 2,528 career regular-season games, the most by any player who didn't reach the postseason in major league history.

Ralph Kiner

1947 Pittsburgh Pirates - 62-92 (.403)

In 1947, his second year in the majors, Kiner hit 51 home runs, tied for the major league lead. He led the majors in slugging (.639) and led the National League in OPS (1.055), trailing only Ted Williams in the majors.

He also led the major leagues with 361 total bases that season, tied for his career best, and finished sixth in the MVP voting.

August 24, 2016 Page 21 of 21

Despite that, the Pirates finished that season 62-92, the worst record in the National League and second-worst record in the majors.

Jimmie Foxx

1935 Philadelphia Athletics - 58-91 (.389)

Foxx hit .346 in 1935, finishing tied for the major league lead with 36 home runs. He also led the major leagues in slugging (.636) and led the American League in OPS (1.096).

The Athletics finished that season 58-91, good for the worst record in the American League and second-worst record in the majors.

Rogers Hornsby

1924 St. Louis Cardinals - 65-89 (.422)

In 1924, Hornsby hit a major-league-leading .424, the best single-season batting average by an NL player in the modern era (since 1900).

Hornsby had a .507 on-base percentage and a 1.203 OPS, both of which led the National League and were second only to Babe Ruth in the majors. He also led the NL in runs (121), hits (227), doubles (43) and total bases (373), finishing second in MVP voting to Brooklyn's Dazzy Vance.

Despite that, Hornsby's Cardinals finished the year 65-89, the fifth-worst record in the majors.