July 5, 2016 Page 1 of 22

Clips

(July 5, 2016)

July 5, 2016 Page 2 of 22

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Fernando Salas falters in relief and Angels fall to Rays, 4-2

Geovany Soto might rejoin Angels this week

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)

After loss to slumping Rays, Angels’ Fernando Salas traces struggles back to one moment

Angels Notes: Geovany Soto stalled in rehab assignment

On deck: Angels at Rays, Tuesday, 4 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Tropeano solid in return; Angels fall to Rays on 4th

Scioscia doesn’t blame fatigue for ‘pen’s issues

Angels could hold Soto out until after break

Lincecum toes rubber on road vs. Rays, Odorizzi

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)

Angels’ Heaney to undergo Tommy John surgery

FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 17)

Angels-Rays Preview

FROM YAHOO SPORTS (Page 18)

First-half MLB awards: Trout, Kershaw leading the way again

July 5, 2016 Page 3 of 22

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Fernando Salas falters in relief and Angels fall to Rays, 4-2

Pedro Moura

Six weeks ago in Texas, the Angels asked reliever Fernando Salas to preserve a two-run eighth-inning lead against the Rangers. They were only four games under .500 then, not the 17 they fell behind after Monday’s latest loss, 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays.

That day, Salas did as requested, but barely. He loaded the bases, then lucked his way out when Mitch Moreland laced a first-pitch fastball off his right arm. Salas picked up his prize, tossed it underhanded to first base, and examined his arm as he jogged off the field.

At the time, the 31-year-old right-hander carried a 2.11 earned-run average in 21 1/3 innings. He had struck out 20 men and walked four. Since that moment, he owns a 9.72 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, with seven strikeouts and seven walks. He has been a far inferior pitcher, and he bore the brunt of Monday’s defeat when he yielded the decisive runs in the sixth inning.

“After the line drive in Texas, something has been different,” Salas said. “But it’s no excuse. It’s baseball. I’ll just keep trying.”

He said he is healthy, and he has told the team he is healthy. It’s unclear what, exactly, the liner could have caused, as Salas’ velocity appears normal. Two scouts said they did not notice any alterations within his delivery.

“Never in my career has it been this difficult,” Salas said. “It’s the same action with my arm and my body. I didn’t change anything.”

Still, this is his worst professional stretch. Salas is not a star; he settled into a middle-relief role following his surprising success as St. Louis’ closer in his first full season. But it is a role he filled well. Last season, his 74-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio portended more success than he had, and the Angels expected to rely on him in 2016. They have not been able to do so, and their bullpen has suffered.

“There are some guys we know can pitch better,” Manager Mike Scioscia said Monday. “We feel they will. But until then, these games keep coming, and we’ve got to get somebody who is going to come out here and pitch well.”

Twice during Monday’s matinee at Tropicana Field, Nick Tropeano yielded solo home runs on his changeup. On the first occasion, he left one up, to Brad Miller. The second time, Logan Morrison reached to push out a pitch placed right on the strike zone’s corner.

July 5, 2016 Page 4 of 22

Tropeano was upset with only the first. The start was his first in the majors since May 29. He spent three weeks on the disabled list with shoulder tightness, then made two minor league starts to work his way back here.

He said he dealt with “a lot of excitement” and a surge of adrenaline in his return. That was not matched by the game, a humdrum affair inside a sleepy stadium.

Yunel Escobar, an ex-Ray, reached on a first-inning bunt after an error and notched the Angels’ first hit with a double in the third inning. Mike Trout followed with a comeback single. They did not score a run then. The next inning, Andrelton Simmons pushed one across with a double, and, in the sixth, Jefry Marte slapped a solo homer.

The game was tied then, and Salas entered in relief of Tropeano. Within three batters, the Rays had taken the lead. The Angels rallied to bring up the potential go-ahead run in the ninth, but that man, C.J. Cron, popped out to end it.

Geovany Soto might rejoin Angels this week

Pedro Moura

Thursday will mark seven weeks since Geovany Soto underwent surgery for torn cartilage in his right knee. The stated prognosis was four to six weeks, and before four had elapsed the veteran catcher was pronouncing himself ready to resume playing.

But the start of his rehab assignment was delayed for precautionary reasons, and now the end of it will be too. Once likely to rejoin the Angels on Tuesday, Soto will instead stay with triple-A Salt Lake at least through Thursday.

He could meet the team for the final series of the first half, in Baltimore beginning Friday. Or he could rest until July 15, when the Angels start their second half at home against the Chicago White Sox.

“We’ll see how he comes out of it,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “With the rehab process, sometimes there’s just stiffness in your legs. Nothing connected with the injury, really. Just peripheral stuff. We want to make sure to get that out so he doesn’t pull a quad or hamstring just by staying on some schedule.”

Before he succumbed to injury, Soto had taken over primary catching duties from second-year player Carlos Perez. Since then, Perez has drawn about two-thirds of the starts, with rookie Jett Bandy handling the remaining games.

July 5, 2016 Page 5 of 22

Soto, 33, is on a one-year contract and a candidate to be traded by the Aug. 1 nonwaiver deadline. He recorded an .822 OPS in 17 starts before getting injured while working out on an elliptical.

Jose Alvarez is sent down

The Angels optioned left-hander Jose Alvarez to Salt Lake to create room for pitcher Nick Tropeano on the 25-man roster.

Since he opened the 2015 season on the Angels roster, the 27-year-old Alvarez had been a mainstay in Scioscia’s bullpen. He has a 3.81 earned-run average in 104 innings, but the Angels were concerned with the amount of pitches he has thrown behind in the count.

This season, Alvarez has 22 strikeouts and one walk when he records a strike with the first pitch of a plate appearance, but he hasn’t done so as often as he did a year ago. His departure leaves the Angels without a left-hander in their bullpen and without a clear choice to match up with left-handed-hitting opponents.

“We’ll see how this evolves,” Scioscia said. “Right now we don’t have the luxury nor that person in our organization to be that lefty specialist. We’ll have some right handed arms and hopefully they’ll do what they need to do to hold leads.”

Short hops

Left fielder Jefry Marte took a 95-mph fastball from Matt Moore off the side of his left knee. He stayed in the game, homered and was removed from the game because of a bruise. Scioscia said Marte should be fit to play Tuesday. … Right fielder Kole Calhoun had a scheduled day of rest. He was available to pinch-hit, but Tampa Bay orchestrated its bullpen usage to dissuade Scioscia from using him in such a manner.

FROM THE OC REGISTER

After loss to slumping Rays, Angels’ Fernando Salas traces struggles back to one moment

By JEFF FELTCHER / STAFF WRITER

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Fernando Salas doesn’t know exactly what’s wrong, but he seems to know the exact moment when it started going wrong.

After Salas continued his extended struggle, giving up the decisive runs in the Angels’ 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday, he insisted that he’s not hurt, and he’s not tired.

July 5, 2016 Page 6 of 22

Then he said this: “After the line drive in Texas, something has been different.”

He quickly got back on message, though: “It’s no excuse. It’s just baseball. I’ll just keep trying.”

The line drive in question was May 23. The Texas Rangers’ Mitch Moreland hit a line drive off Salas’ right arm. Salas bounded off the mound, picked the ball and threw out Moreland for the final out of the inning. He walked off the mound smiling, but looking at his arm.

It seemed uneventful enough, but the numbers are too dramatic for that moment to have meant nothing.

Salas had a 2.01 ERA and an 0.88 WHIP after recording that out. In 16 games since, his ERA is 9.72 and his WHIP is 1.74.

Whether Salas got hurt at that moment or simply suffered some kind of short-term injury that caused him to alter his mechanics is unclear.

“I feel good,” he said Monday. “It’s crazy. I am trying everything. I try to get outs and it’s hard. That’s just baseball. I don’t understand. I haven’t changed anything. It’s crazy. I just keep fighting and staying ready every day.”

Manager Mike Scioscia also said he doesn’t believe there is anything physically wrong with Salas.

“He says he’s fine,” Scioscia said. “I think, like some other guys in our pen, Fernando hasn’t been as crisp. His (lack of) command has definitely been in the equation of how he’s struggling.”

Scioscia’s theory for what may be going wrong with Salas and some of the other underperforming relievers – Huston Street, Joe Smith and recently demoted Mike Morin and Jose Alvarez – is that the starters have come up short so much that the relievers have been worked too much.

“The bullpen has been a secondary kind of peripheral thing that’s gone on because of our rotation,” Scioscia said. “A lot of these guys have been stretched a little bit.”

Scioscia said the workload is “one of the dynamics, not the only dynamic.” Monday’s game was the perfect example.

Nick Tropeano returned to the rotation after missing more than a month with a sore shoulder. Although Tropeano was effective – allowing only two solo homers – he only made it through five innings before his pitch count reached 95 and his day was over.

July 5, 2016 Page 7 of 22

“There are more positives than negatives, but still what we saw today from Nick was losing a lot of counts,” Scioscia said. “His pitch-count got up there in a hurry, but his stuff played.”

When Scioscia turned the game over to his bullpen, the Angels had just tied the game, 2-2, on a homer by Jefry Marte.

Salas was the first reliever into the game, which didn’t stay tied for long.

Brad Miller greeted him with a single. An out later, Logan Morrison singled into left, driving in Miller from second. An out after that, Steven Souza Jr. yanked a ground ball inside the third base line. By the time Daniel Nava retrieved it and threw it in, Morrison had scored an insurance run.

It was the fifth time in his last six outings that Salas had given up at least one run.

“Never in my career has it been this difficult,” Salas said. “But it’s just baseball. It’s the same action with my arm and my body. I don’t know. I’ll just keep fighting. Keep fighting.”

Angels Notes: Geovany Soto stalled in rehab assignment

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Geovany Soto’s rehab from knee surgery has been almost over for a couple weeks now, with no end in sight.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Monday that Soto, whose surgery was May 19, is still feeling some tightness in his legs, which has pushed his expected return back again. He continues to play at Salt Lake City.

Scioscia said Soto won’t be activated while the Angels are in Tampa. He could “possibly” be ready for this weekend in Baltimore.

After that, the Angels have four days off for the All-Star break, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t push him to get a game or two in Baltimore when he could take a whole extra week and return after the break.

Despite the continued holding pattern, Scioscia said he’s not worried about Soto because the surgically repaired knee is not an issue.

“Nothing connected with the injury, really,” Scioscia said. “Just peripheral stuff. We want to make sure to get that out so he doesn’t pull a quad or hamstring just by staying on some schedule. He’ll be fine.”

July 5, 2016 Page 8 of 22

The longer Soto is out, the more time the Angels have to evaluate the other two catchers. There is no clear choice between Jett Bandy and Carlos Perez to go down when Soto is activated. Bandy was hot last week, but he’s since cooled off. Perez had been cold for most of the season, but he had a five-hit game on Saturday. Both catchers have options.

ALVAREZ DOWN

The Angels optioned lefty Jose Alvarez to clear a roster spot for Nick Tropeano, leaving an all right-handed bullpen.

Alvarez had been in the majors continuously since the start of last season, emerging last year as one of their more dependable relievers.

This year, however, Alvarez has been inconsistent, to the tune of a 4.38 ERA. Lefties were hitting .292 against him and righties were hitting .333.

“I think it’s very clear, even thought the walks weren’t showing up in his game as much, the lack of command and bad counts were,” Scioscia said. “He threw a lot of pitches behind in the count. For a guy that really has good touch and feel, it’s uncharacteristic of him. He needs to broaden what he can do. Right now he’s having trouble locating his fastball. His cutter really wasn’t able to get in on righties the way he needs to and his breaking stuff was not working against left-handed hitters.”

Alvarez also happened to be one of only two relievers who could be optioned. The other was Cam Bedrosian, who has a 1.24 ERA.

ALSO

Kole Calhoun got the day off for the second time this season. The Angels had some situations late in Monday’s game where they could have used Calhoun to pinch-hit, but Scioscia figured the Rays would have countered with a left-handed reliever…

Jefry Marte was hit in the left knee by a pitch in the fourth inning. He stayed in the game long enough to hit a homer in the sixth, but then he came out. Scioscia said Marte should be fine to play on Tuesday…

Jhoulys Chacin, who was sent to the bullpen to make room for Tropeano in the rotation, pitched a perfect eighth inning in his first relief appearance.

July 5, 2016 Page 9 of 22

On deck: Angels at Rays, Tuesday, 4 p.m.

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

Where: Tropicana Field TV: Fox Sports West, 4 p.m. Did you know? Tim Lincecum’s only game at Tropicana Field was Aug 3, 2013. Desmond Jennings and Evan Longoria are the only current Rays he faced that day. THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP TIM LINCECUM (1-2, 6.75) Vs. Rays: 0-0, 1.29 (7 innings) At Tropicana Field: 0-0, 1.29 Hates to face: None Loves to face: Logan Forsythe, 2 for 11 (.182) RAYS RHP JAKE ODORIZZI (3-3, 3.91) Vs. Angels: 0-2, 5.14 At Tropicana Field: 11-12, 2.93 Hates to face: None Loves to face: Daniel Nava, 1 for 13 (.077)

FROM ANGELS.COM Tropeano solid in return; Angels fall to Rays on 4th

By Bill Chastain and Alden Gonzalez

ST. PETERSBURG -- Matt Moore gave the Rays a much-needed quality start and Logan Morrison led the offense in a 4-2 win over the Angels on Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field.

"Feels good to get a win," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Kind of difficult to come by these days. Matt Moore set the tone, he threw the ball really, really well."

The Rays' win snapped a four-game losing streak and handed the Angels their 12th loss in the last 14 games.

Simmons over 6 2/3 innings to move to 5-5 on the season, earning his second straight win. Ryan Garton recorded the last two outs of the game to earn the save.

Morrison homered, singled in the go-ahead run and scored from first base on a double by Steven Souza Jr., that pushed the Rays' lead to 4-2.

July 5, 2016 Page 10 of 22

Nick Tropeano started for the Angels and came away with a no-decision after allowing two runs on four hits in five innings. Fernando Salas took the loss, surrendering two runs in the sixth that proved to be the difference.

The Angels suffered their 50th loss in their 83rd game, the earliest they've reached that total since 1992.

"Our starting rotation has been really a project to get together," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said when asked why his team has yet to get going. "We have some guys back in our rotation now, but if you're not setting a tone with that starting pitcher, it makes it tough for the rest of your pieces to fall into place. Hopefully we'll get there."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Two hole works: Brad Miller hit a solo home run off Tropeano on a full count in the third inning, giving him 12 on the season. Clearly the Rays' shortstop likes hitting in the No. 2 spot in the lineup best, as 11 of his home runs have come while hitting second in the order. Miller's blast gave the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Having a rough go: Over his last 16 appearances, Salas has given up 18 runs on 22 hits and seven walks in 16 2/3 innings. Closer Huston Street (eight runs on 13 hits and five walks in his last 5 1/3 innings), setup man Joe Smith (a three-run inning in his second appearance since coming off the disabled list on Saturday) and middle reliever Mike Morin (4.93 ERA and now in Triple-A) have all struggled in the Angels' bullpen this season.

"The good thing is I'm healthy," Salas said in Spanish. "You just have to keep working. Things aren't really going my way right now."

Moore's 1-2 pitch: With two outs in the fourth, Moore was ahead of Jefry Marte 1-2 in the count. Unfortunately for the Rays left-hander, he hit Marte on the left knee with his next pitch. Moore followed that by walking Jett Bandy, then got burned when Simmons doubled home Marte to tie the game at 1.

Trop at The Trop: Tropeano pitched decently enough in his return to the rotation, giving up three earned runs or less for the ninth time in 11 tries in the Majors this season. Tropeano's only real mistakes were two changeups that he left up to Miller and Morrison, both of which resulted in home runs.

"Overall, I'm just kind of trying to get the rust out a little bit," said Tropeano, who recently missed about three weeks with a shoulder issue. "I had the adrenaline of just coming back here [with the Angels] for the first time, a lot of excitement. But too many balls early on. I ran my pitch count up."

July 5, 2016 Page 11 of 22

QUOTABLE "Hopefully Ryan Garton has a smile from ear to ear and doesn't wipe it off all night." -- Cash, on Garton, who recorded his first Major League save

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Moore has won consecutive starts for the first time since September 2013 vs. the Yankees and Blue Jays. He is 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA over his last five starts.

INJURY REPORT Marte, a corner infielder who has been used recently in left field, exited Monday's game early with a bruise on his left knee. Marte took a fastball there from Moore in the fourth, stayed in the game and homered in the sixth. He was replaced by Daniel Nava. Scioscia doesn't expect Marte to miss any additional time.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Tim Lincecum (1-2, 6.75 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season in the second of this four-game series, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. PT. Lincecum got roughed up in back-to-back starts from Angel Stadium, giving up a combined nine runs on 15 hits and six walks in 7 1/3 innings. His only start against the Rays came in 2013, when he threw seven innings of one-run ball.

Rays: Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.91) makes his 18th start of the season. The right-hander strives to pitch to contact. Last time out, that approach didn't work, as the Tigers fouled off 34 pitches, which resulted in an elevated pitch count and an early exit. He is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.

Scioscia doesn’t blame fatigue for ‘pen’s issues Salas allows two runs to put Rays ahead for good during Monday’s loss

By Alden Gonzalez

ST. PETERSBURG -- Fernando Salas suffered the loss on Monday, allowing a couple of runs in the bottom of the sixth to balloon his ERA to 9.72 over his last 16 games as the Angels fell to the Rays 4-2 at Tropicana Field.

Hours before that, Jose Alvarez was sent to Triple-A because his WHIP sits at 1.60, second-highest on the team. The day before that, Joe Smith increased the Angels' deficit from two to five with a rough seventh inning. Two days before that, Mike Morin was optioned to the Minors with a 4.93 ERA. And two days before that, Huston Street gave up three runs in the ninth inning.

July 5, 2016 Page 12 of 22

Those five relievers -- Street, Smith, Salas, Alvarez and Morin -- were supposed to be the backbone of this Angels bullpen; the group that would be counted on to hold leads late. But they have all struggled.

"The depth has come up and gotten us a little bit," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "There are some guys we know can pitch better, and we think they will. But until then, these games keep coming, and we have to get somebody up here who's going to pitch well."

Scioscia called the bullpen struggles "a peripheral thing," indicating that the rash of injuries and underperformance to his starting rotation remain the core reason his team has lost 50 of its first 83 games. But the two issues may be related.

Inconsistency within the rotation has led to an increased workload by the bullpen, which may now be feeling the effects of it.

Angels relievers have a 5.82 ERA over their last 11 games and have accumulated 279 1/3 innings over the course of this season, ninth-most in the Major Leagues. From April 27 to May 13, they endured a 14-game stretch in which an Angels starting pitcher completed six innings only once. From June 7-18, they absorbed 41 1/3 innings in 11 games.

"Usually you survive the stretch where you're throwing a lot of innings, a lot of innings, a lot of innings, a lot of innings, a lot of innings," Street said. "The hard part -- the hardest part -- is the next stretch; the next 30 innings. I definitely think that it takes a toll. I don't expect anybody to make an excuse, and I wouldn't allow them to. That's the big leagues. You have to find a way to get it done."

Scioscia doesn't necessarily pin the struggles of his best relievers on workload, however.

"I think these guys just haven't been as crisp as they can be," he said. "A small part of that could be attributed to fatigue, but at times we've made sure they've bounced back and have gotten their rest and they're fine."

Cam Bedrosian has emerged as a bright spot, with a 1.24 ERA and 9.3 strikeouts per nine innings in 33 appearances. And Deolis Guerra has yet to issue a walk in 23 innings, striking out 18 batters and giving up only six runs in that span.

But Street (4.96) and Smith (4.61) have career highs in ERA, and Morin and Alvarez are in the Minor Leagues. And Salas has now allowed 18 runs over his last 16 2/3 innings, scattering 22 hits, issuing seven walks and striking out only seven batters in that span.

"I haven't seen much difference with my mechanics, but I need to be more fine with my location and I'm confident I can get that back," Salas said in Spanish. "We just need to keep fighting. The season is long. We're only halfway there."

July 5, 2016 Page 13 of 22

Angels could hold Soto out until after break Catcher has missed six-and-a-half weeks after right knee procedure

By Sam Blum

ST. PETERSBURG -- Geovany Soto was initially on track to be activated off the disabled list as early as Tuesday, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia said his veteran catcher will not be available for this four-game series against the Rays and may not return until after the All-Star break.

Soto has some stiffness in his legs after catching in a Minor League rehab assignment on Thursday and Saturday, something Scioscia said is "not connected" to the surgery he had on his right knee May 19.

Soto could "possibly" return for the Angels' last series before the All-Star break, which starts in Baltimore on Friday, but they may also hold him out until the start of the second half. The 33-year-old is six-and-a-half weeks removed from a procedure that carried an initial timeline of four-to-six weeks.

"It's just peripheral stuff," Scioscia said. "You want to make sure you get that out so you don't pull a quad or hamstring just by staying on some schedule. He'll be fine."

Alvarez sent down

The Angels sent down their only lefty reliever, Jose Alvarez, in order to make room on the roster for Monday starter Nick Tropeano.

Alvarez had a 4.38 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP in 37 innings, but also a 2.92 strikeout-to-walk ratio that was an improvement from his solid 2015 season. The 27-year-old gave up a couple of runs (one earned) without recording an out in Boston on Sunday, but prior to that, he had notched seven consecutive scoreless outings.

This is Alvarez's first stint in the Minors since 2014.

"Jose needs to go down there and just find his release point," Scioscia said. "It's not so much the walks that are showing up with Jose. It's the number of pitches he throws behind in the count, because he hasn't been able to command the ball. He needs to go work on a couple of things, but he'll be back."

Marte injures knee

July 5, 2016 Page 14 of 22

Jefry Marte exited Monday's eventual 4-2 loss to the Rays early because of a bruised left knee, but Scioscia doesn't expect him to miss any additional time.

Marte, a corner infielder who has been used in left field of late, took a Matt Moore fastball to the left knee in the third inning but stayed in the game. He homered in the top of the sixth, then was replaced for defense by left fielder Daniel Nava in the bottom half.

Lincecum toes rubber on road vs. Rays, Odorizzi

By Sam Blum

Jake Odorizzi always tries to pitch to contact, and will do the same when the Rays host Tim Lincecum and the Angels on Tuesday.

Odorizzi lasted just five-plus innings in his last start, allowing two runs in a loss that the Rays' bullpen let get away. But the number that stuck out most to Odorizzi was the 34 foul balls the Detroit Tigers got off him -- a primary cause for his short start.

"Kind of an anomaly with how many foul balls there were," Odorizzi said, "Just means I'm around the zone, throwing strikes. They just didn't put it in play or didn't miss it. I think if I take the same approach into this game, knock on wood, it won't be the same result with how many balls don't get put into play."

The Rays have been swept in four of their past five Series. The Angels haven't won back-to-back games since June 18 and 19, while the Rays haven't since June 14 and 15.

The Angels will start two-time Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum, who has struggled for the Angels in his past two starts. He has a 6.75 ERA in three starts since being called up to join the rotation.

Three things to know about this game

• Lincecum has only faced the Rays once in his 264 career starts, on Aug. 3, 2013 with the Giants. He pitched seven innings at Tropicana Field, allowing just one earned run.

• Odorizzi has gone nine straight home starts without a win, the longest stretch of his career.

• When the Angels allow a home run, they're just 15-43. The Rays have hit 110 home runs this season, good for fifth in the Majors.

July 5, 2016 Page 15 of 22

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Morrison drives in 2, Rays top Angels 4-2 to end skid

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Solid starting pitching, timely hitting and some much-needed relief from a struggling bullpen.

The last-place Tampa Bay Rays got all three for a change Monday and ended a four-game losing streak with a 4-2 victory over the reeling Los Angeles Angels.

"It feels good to get a win," manager Kevin Cash said. "Kind of difficult to come by these days."

Logan Morrison homered and drove in two runs for the Rays, who won for just the third time in 19 games. Matt Moore (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits over 6 2/3 innings, improving to 4-0 in his career against Los Angeles and handing the Angels their 12th loss in 14 games.

"Matt Moore set the tone. He's on a really good run. It's great to see," Cash said after the left-hander won consecutive starts for the first time since September 2013.

Tampa Bay's beleaguered bullpen got the job done, with Erasmo Ramirez getting four outs before Dana Eveland and rookie Ryan Garton combined for a scoreless ninth.

Garton got two outs for his first major league save.

"Obviously, the back end of the bullpen, we're asking some guys we know are not accustomed to doing things like that at the major league level," Cash said.

"Hopefully Ryan Garton has got a smile from ear to ear and doesn't wipe it off all night," the manager added. "I don't know if he envisioned closing out a ballgame today for us, but we felt he was a good option, especially with the fastball he's able to locate up in the zone."

During the 18-game stretch leading into Monday, Rays relievers compiled a 9.29 ERA and allowed at least one run 16 times. Tampa Bay was outscored 20-4 in innings seven through nine during a four-game sweep Detroit completed on Sunday.

"It was great to get the call and be able to help the team out this time," Garton said. "I felt good to be able to do my job."

Morrison hit a solo homer off starter Nick Tropeano and gave the Rays the lead for good with an RBI single off Fernando Salas (3-6). Brad Miller also had a solo homer for the last-place Rays, who won for just the third time in 19 games.

July 5, 2016 Page 16 of 22

Jefry Marte homered off Moore before leaving in the sixth with a bruised left knee. The outfielder was hit by a pitch in the fourth but remained in the game long enough to go deep on the first pitch of the sixth to make it 2-all.

Andrelton Simmons drove in the other run for Los Angeles with a fourth-inning double.

Salas has taken the loss in four of his last eight appearances. The right-hander has a 9.72 ERA over his past 16 outings, compared to 2.01 through his first 22 appearances this year.

"Fernando just hasn't been as crisp. His command has been in the equation of why he's been struggling," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's a better pitcher than he's shown. There's no doubt about that."

Tropeano was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game to make his first major league start since May 29. The right-hander, who spent much of the past month on the disabled list because of shoulder tightness, allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, including solo homers to Miller in the third and Morrison in the fifth.

The Rays snapped a 2-all tie in the sixth against Salas, with Morrison delivering a go-ahead single and Steven Souza Jr. doubling into the left-field corner to drive in Morrison from first base to make it 4-2.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Scioscia said C Geovany Soto (right knee) could return during the four-game series with the Rays. Soto is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake.

Rays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) will start a rehab assignment with Class A Charlotte on Wednesday. . Tampa Bay closer Alex Colome (right biceps tendinitis) felt fine after a bullpen session Sunday and didn't rule out being ready to return this week.

COMING AND GOING

Angels: To make room for Tropeano, LHP Jose Alvarez was optioned to Salt Lake to "find his release point," according to Scioscia. The move leaves Los Angeles without a left-hander in the bullpen. "In a perfect world you have one or two lefties that can go there and match up, but we're not there right now," Scioscia said.

Rays: CF Desmond Jennings was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring. RHP Tyler Sturdevant was recalled from Triple-A Durham to help a struggling bullpen.

UP NEXT

July 5, 2016 Page 17 of 22

Angels: RHP Tim Lincecum (1-2, 6.75 ERA) makes his second career start against Tampa Bay, which hasn't faced him since Aug. 3, 2013, when he was with San Francisco.

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.91 ERA) tries to end a stretch of nine consecutive home starts without a win, the longest streak by a Rays pitcher to start a season since Scott Kazmir went 10 in 2007. Odorizzi is 0-2 with a 5.14 ERA in three career starts against the Angels.

FROM FOX SPORTS

Angels-Rays Preview

The Sports Xchange

TV: FOX Sports Sun

Time: Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays haven't won often in the last three weeks, but they've had a surprisingly good chance when Matt Moore is pitching.

Moore (5-5) held the Los Angeles Angels to two runs in 6 2/3 innings, helping the Rays to a 4-2 win Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field. In the last 22 games, Moore is 3-1, and the rest of the Rays are 3-15.

Tampa Bay (34-48) won for just the third time in 19 games, while the Angels (33-50) have now lost 12 of 14 games. The Rays bullpen, which had allowed runs in 17 of the last 18 games, got the final seven outs. Reliever Ryan Garton struck out Mike Trout and got C.J. Cron to pop out foul in the ninth, stranding two runners for his first career save.

The Rays jumped ahead in the sixth off reliever Fernando Salas, with Brad Miller getting a single and scoring from second on an RBI single by Logan Morrison. Up 3-2, Morrison scored on an RBI double down the left-field line from Steven Souza for a 4-2 lead.

Moore got himself into and out of several jams -- in the third, he gave up a two-out double to Yunel Escobar and a single to Mike Trout, but got Albert Pujols to pop out to center to strand two. In the fourth, after tying the game at 1-1, the Angels had runners at second and third with two outs, and Shane Robinson popped out to center. In the fifth, runners at first and third and Johnny Giavotella popped out to right.

Moore left after 6 2/3 innings with his second straight quality start -- he held Boston to three hits in seven shutout innings in earning a win Wednesday. In his last five starts, he has three wins and a 2.43 ERA.

July 5, 2016 Page 18 of 22

Jefry Marte's solo home run in the sixth tied the game at 2-2, but the Angels had a chance to take the lead, with Jett Bandy getting a double and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. Robinson hit a hard grounder to third, where Evan Longoria threw home, getting Robinson caught in a 5-2-5-1 rundown. Moore got a comebacker from Escobar to end the inning and strand Robinson at second.

The Rays took early leads on a pair of solo home runs -- Miller hit his 12th in the third inning for a 1-0 lead, only to see Los Angeles tie the game in the fourth on an RBI double by Andrelton Simmons. Morrison hit his ninth home run for a 2-1 lead in the fourth off Angels starter Nick Tropeano, called up before the game to start. Tropeano held the Rays to the two runs on four hits in his five innings, striking out four.

FROM YAHOO SPORTS

First-half MLB awards: Trout, Kershaw leading the way again

Jeff Passan

Every team in baseball reached the halfway point in the season last week, which makes it an appropriate time for Yahoo Sports’ midseason awards. We’ll cut the regularly scheduled pontificating of 10 Degrees and go right to the one certain to cause all sorts of comments-section consternation. Because every time a kind word is lent to the accomplishments of …

1. Mike Trout, the anonymous masses descend and make the same tired crack about how much I love him. To which, as a player at least, I’ll gladly plead guilty. It is impossible to like Trout too much. He warrants every single kind word – and, by a slim margin, the first-half American League MVP award.

1. Mike Trout 2. Jose Altuve 3. David Ortiz 4. Josh Donaldson 5. Manny Machado 6. Ian Desmond 7. Francisco Lindor 8. Xander Bogaerts 9. Robinson Cano 10. Jackie Bradley Jr.

Trout’s triple-slash numbers (.324/.426/.569) are virtually identical to Altuve’s (.353/.424/.567) in two categories. Both are spectacular basestealers. Both have enviable walk-to-strikeout

July 5, 2016 Page 19 of 22

rates. The difference comes down to Trout playing center field, the third most important position aside from shortstop and catcher, compared to Altuve’s second base.

I’m not one of those who casts his MVP vote based on a player’s team. On the contrary, what Trout has done in spite of the Los Angeles Angels horror show that surrounds him merits plenty of praise. Value does not exist only at the top of the standings. Otherwise

2. Clayton Kershaw wouldn’t be the first-half National League MVP. And if anyone wants to make the argument he isn’t, I welcome it, because it’s nearly impossible to make cogently.

1. Clayton Kershaw 2. Matt Carpenter 3. Kris Bryant 4. Nolan Arenado 5. Anthony Rizzo 6. Corey Seager 7. Jose Fernandez 8. Noah Syndergaard 9. Jake Lamb 10. Marcell Ozuna

Even as he sits on the disabled list with a bad back and a TBD return date, Kershaw’s first half – 11-2 record, 1.79 ERA, 145 strikeouts and nine walks (!!!) in 121 innings – is fiction posing as reality. Carpenter is the only player in the NL with a 1.000-plus OPS, Bryant the league’s home run king, Arenado its best two-day player. There are others, each with a fair down-ballot argument.

Nobody’s first half came anywhere close to that of …

3. Clayton Kershaw, though, which made the first-half NL Cy Young Award ballot easier than usual.

1. Clayton Kershaw 2. Jose Fernandez 3. Noah Syndergaard 4. Jake Arrieta 5. Madison Bumgarner

Since the Kershaw pick is obvious, it’s worth discussing the next four, not just for their order but those who don’t appear. Sorry, Johnny Cueto. You are a stud. Jon Lester: You weren’t even on this list before your last start, so worry not. Stephen Strasburg, Jacob deGrom, Julio Teheran – maybe at the end of the season.

July 5, 2016 Page 20 of 22

As for this order: Honestly, Nos. 2-5 could be flipped any which way. Fernandez is threatening to join some seriously elite company with his 2016; only twice has a starter struck out more than 13 per nine innings – Pedro Martinez in 1999 and Randy Johnson in 2001. Fernandez is currently at 13.1 K/9.

Syndergaard’s strikeout-to-walk rate is goofy, Arrieta hasn’t been 2015 Arrieta but still has been great and Bumgarner is at his finest, again low on the ballot only because he happens to pitch in the NL. Were he in the AL …

4. Chris Sale would not be the choice for Cy Young. Reality is the AL landscape for pitching is more barren than Edwina McDunnough.

1. Chris Sale 2. Danny Salazar 3. Cole Hamels 4. Steven Wright 5. Aaron Sanchez

The case for Sale is more about volume than anything. His 120 innings lead the AL. His 118-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio is elite. The 14-2 record is nice, if shallow. Salazar is really the only other choice, and his 27 fewer innings and significantly higher walk rate simply don’t add up.

Nobody in the AL has the peripherals of Salazar’s teammate Corey Kluber, and yet he has allowed 53 runs and sports a 3.79 ERA, which keeps him off the ballot for now. And should the next 16 starts go as well as his first dozen …

5. Michael Fulmer may find himself toward the top of Cy Young ballots by the end of the season. For now, he’ll have to settle for first-half AL Rookie of the Year.

1. Michael Fulmer 2. Nomar Mazara 3. Chris Devenski

While a vote for Mazara is understandable, his adjusted OPS is actually below league average, whereas Fulmer’s adjusted ERA is the second best among AL pitchers with at least 70 innings behind only Salazar. Fulmer’s raw numbers – 2.17 ERA, 70 strikeouts and 25 walks in 70 2/3 innings – are plenty good, too, and as far as parting gifts go, this was a nice one for former team president Dave Dombrowski to leave the Detroit Tigers.

Of course, same as with the Cy Young, a full handful of candidates in the NL outrate everyone in the AL. In fact …

6. Corey Seager would appear about as high on the AL MVP ballot as he does in the NL, where he more or less has wrapped up the first-half Rookie of the Year.

July 5, 2016 Page 21 of 22

1. Corey Seager 2. Kenta Maeda 3. Aledmys Diaz

The second and third slots went to Maeda, a rotation stabilizer who after a rough patch in May has become a reliable six-inning pitcher, and Diaz, whose blazing start tapered into something a little less impressive but still strong. Trevor Story’s 19 home runs almost certainly will get him on most ballots. His 105 strikeouts in 293 at-bats helped disqualify him from this one. Diaz nabbed his spot just ahead of Steven Matz, whose peripherals portend good things so long as his elbow doesn’t conspire against them.

Winning Rookie of the Year, mind you, doesn’t always portend greatness …

7. Wil Myers can attest. The two seasons after he took the award were a mess of injuries and disappointment. So to see him finally fulfilling the promise – .286/.353/.536 with 19 home runs, 13 stolen bases and a warranted All-Star slot – makes him the perfect choice for NL Comeback Player of the Year over teammate Melvin Upton Jr.

The AL offers a finer palate of comebacks. CC Sabathia, out of rehab and back into the New York Yankees’ rotation, is a great tale of perseverance. Michael Saunders, finally healthy and raking, has stabilized Toronto’s lineup. The clear first-half AL Comeback Player of the Year, though, is Ian Desmond, who shook off an awful 2015, weathered the disappointment of turning down a $100 million-plus contract only to end up with a one-year, $8 million deal with the Texas Rangers, switched from his career position of shortstop to center field and has put up a .321/.374/.526 line while looking like he has been in center his whole career.

Considering the stakes and history, it’s one of the more impressive performances in years. Not quite to the level of what …

8. Joe Maddon’s Chicago Cubs were doing over the season’s first two months, but still. The Cubs came back to earth in June and started July with three straight losses before a win on the Fourth, which left their projected record at 103-59. So, yes, despite the issues of late, Maddon remains the choice for first-half NL Manager of the Year.

1. Joe Maddon 2. Bruce Bochy 3. Dusty Baker

Like Maddon, the Giants’ Bochy has sloughed off injuries to guide his team to the top of its division with a commanding advantage in the wild-card race should the Dodgers continue to play well. Despite the plaudits from players, Baker does not exactly inspire homilies on his strategic acumen. His vote is more for the correlative effects of his arrival than the causative ones, and yet Baker’s players swear by his ability as a motivator, and that, remember, is one of

July 5, 2016 Page 22 of 22

Maddon’s chief qualities. It would be unfair to deny Baker praise for one thing simply because he doesn’t necessarily display another, more quantitative one.

Handicapping a Manager of the Year race essentially involves looking at the top of the standings. It’s how …

9. Jeff Banister gets the nod for first-half AL Manager of the Year: His Texas Rangers have been the league’s best team.

1. Jeff Banister 2. Terry Francona 3. A.J. Hinch

Now, the Rangers certainly have gone through their trials and travails. Yu Darvish hit the DL three starts into his Tommy John surgery comeback. Starters Derek Holland and Colby Lewis are out. Same with relievers Keone Kela and Tanner Scheppers. And with their patchwork rotation, the Rangers just keep winning. Not 14 in a row, like Francona’s Cleveland Indians, but enough for Texas to stretch its AL West lead over the resurgent Houston Astros, their greatest threat, to 7½ games. It can’t be understated how even-headed Hinch kept Houston during its miserable April that looked primed to torpedo the Astros. April for …

10. Mike Trout was a bit substandard: a .909 OPS, just one stolen base, a few too many strikeouts. Then came May (.340/.445/.613) and June (.333/.426/.576) and July thus far (.364/.533/.545), and Trout reminded the thing that makes him so transcendent is also what gives the masses Trout fatigue.

Consistency is so boring. The same … thing … again … and … again … and … again. It doesn’t matter whether his team is good or bad. Nor whether he’s facing aces or scrubs. Fastball, curveball, changeup, cutter, splitter, slider, high, low, inside, outside, pipe shot – cool. Mike Trout at 24 – yes, he’s still just 24 – is like Mike Trout at 20, only with minute evolutions, slight improvements, like he’s a software engineer patching his own bugs.

It’s trite to call a human being a robot because our vulnerabilities and fallibilities are not some programming error, and yet Mike Trout is the closest thing baseball has to it now. Whether that means he’s MVP for a second time or snubbed for a fourth time isn’t all that imperative. He’s the same as ever, and for anybody who enjoys greatness, that’s more than enough.