April 16, 2017 Page 1 of 15

Clips

(April 16, 2017)

April 16, 2017 Page 2 of 15

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Mike Moustakas hits game-winning homer as Royals hand Angels fourth loss in a row

Angels' Albert Pujols plays first base for first time in eight months

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 5)

Late homer sends Angels to fourth straight loss

Angels Notes: Mike Trout gets a break with a DH day

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 8)

Revere’s late RBI not enough as Halos fall

Royals, Halos honor Jackie Robinson at The K

Shoemaker delivers much-needed solid outing

Scioscia confident in Pujols’ defense at first

Skaggs starts series finale against Royals

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 13)

Moustakas' homer gives Royals 3-2 win over Angels

April 16, 2017 Page 3 of 15

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Mike Moustakas hits game-winning homer as Royals hand Angels fourth loss in a row

By Pedro Moura

The Angels trailed by one run with two outs and nobody on base in the ninth inning Saturday at

Kauffman Stadium. Up strolled their No. 2 hitter, the spot where many baseball analysts and observers

now believe a team’s best hitter should bat.

But Mike Trout hits in the traditional No. 3-hole for Mike Scioscia’s Angels, so he stood on deck. At the

plate was Ben Revere, the Angels’ fourth outfielder, and the least likely hitter in all of baseball to hit a

home run. He struck out looking on three pitches, and Trout reverted to the dugout as the Angels

finalized their 3-2 loss to Kansas City.

“I obviously wanted to hit,” Trout said. “But we had some chances, just couldn’t capitalize.”

Trout said he did not mind the predicament presented by Saturday’s finish.

“I like hitting third,” he said. “Some games I come up, some games I don’t. But, obviously, with Scioscia,

it doesn’t matter. I’m just happy I’m in the lineup.”

An eighth-inning home run by Chatsworth High graduate Mike Moustakas supplied the Royals’ winning

run. The Angels have lost four consecutive games.

It was a tight game throughout, and the Angels took an early lead. With one out in the first inning,

Revere tapped a grounder through the left side, and took third base when Trout singled to right field.

Trout then swiped second base, which eliminated the double-play possibility, a factor that came into

play when Albert Pujols grounded to shortstop. Instead of the inning coming to an end, the Angels

scored their first run.

With two outs in the sixth, Trout battled back from an 0-and-2 count to work a nine-pitch walk. Pujols

followed with a single, then Royals right-hander Nathan Karns uncorked a wild pitch. At that point,

Kansas City Manager Ned Yost opted to intentionally walk Kole Calhoun, to Calhoun’s surprise, and load

the bases for Andrelton Simmons.

Simmons drove a fastball deep to left field, but it was caught 15 feet short of the wall, and the inning

was over. The Angels threatened again in the seventh, when Cameron Maybin looped a single into short

center field and Danny Espinosa drove a fastball to the warning track in left for a long out. After Martin

Maldonado walked, Revere stroked a two-out single into right field to tie the score 2-2.

Yost then ordered an intentional walk of Trout. Pujols stepped up with the bases loaded and hammered

a baseball foul. In a 3-and-2 count, Pujols watched a 93-mph fastball travel through the inside of the

strike zone without swinging and home-plate umpire Ed Hickox called him out on strikes.

April 16, 2017 Page 4 of 15

Angels starter Matt Shoemaker required 33 pitches to finish the first inning, making a lengthy stint

unlikely. But he needed only 10 to get out of the second and 13 to get through the third, thanks to a

double-play ground ball by Eric Hosmer on a 3-and-1 pitch. Shoemaker retired six of seven Royals he

faced in the fourth and fifth innings, but the one man to reach base, Brandon Moss, hit a home run on a

hanging splitter.

“It was just a battle today,” said Shoemaker, who lasted 51/3 innings. “That’s the best way to put it.”

In the sixth, Shoemaker struck out Lorenzo Cain, then walked Hosmer on 10 pitches and shouted at

Hickox for several seconds. The penultimate pitch appeared to be within the zone, and Shoemaker

seemed to let Hickox know that.

Scioscia then came for Shoemaker, and right-hander Bud Norris finished the inning. Blake Parker pitched

a scoreless seventh. To begin the bottom of the eighth, left-hander Jose Alvarez served up the solo shot

to Moustakas.

That was the game’s difference. To begin the top of the ninth against Royals closer Kelvin Herrera,

Scioscia opted to pinch-hit utility man Cliff Pennington rather than C.J. Cron or Jefry Marte, who have

more power.

Scioscia said he wanted Pennington up to spark a rally with his on-base ability.

Pennington grounded out, leadoff hitter Yunel Escobar flied out, and Revere was called out on strikes.

The Angels were 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon, on top of the unsuspecting baseball world. Now they are

6-6, back in the middle of the pack, where most thought they always belonged. It is still early.

Angels' Albert Pujols plays first base for first time in eight months

By Pedro Moura

Albert Pujols played first base for the first time in eight months on Saturday at Kauffman Stadium.

Amid a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, Angels manager Mike Scioscia wanted to give center fielder Mike

Trout time to rest his feet, so he played Trout as his designated hitter. But Scioscia also wanted to keep

Pujols in his lineup, and Pujols has been working out at first base for more than a month. So, Pujols

manned first base for the first time since Aug. 10, 2016, at Wrigley Field.

“We’re gonna need to start to get guys a little break here or there,” Scioscia said.

Saturday’s arrangement did force first baseman C.J. Cron to the bench for the second consecutive night,

but Scioscia said Cron will play in Sunday’s series finale.

Pujols fell while fielding the first ball hit to him, in the eighth inning, but recorded the out. At the end of

last season, he said he wanted to play more first base in 2017, but December surgery to release the

plantar fascia in his right foot nixed those plans.

April 16, 2017 Page 5 of 15

The Angels also have a number of first-base options, in Cron, Jefry Marte and Luis Valbuena, who should

be activated from the disabled list within a couple weeks. So Pujols’ primary time at the position figures

to come in instances such as Saturday, when Scioscia seeks to rest his other regulars at the designated-

hitter slot.

Richards’ health

Scioscia said right-hander Garrett Richards has not had any tests done since Thursday’s MRI exam that

checked his neck for cervical spine and brachial nerve issues.

The results came back clean, general manager Billy Eppler said, but Richards continues to experience a

lack of strength in his biceps muscle. He’s on the 10-day disabled list because of a strain in that muscle.

Asked Saturday whether the Angels were still exploring the source of the feeling, Scioscia said, “They

know what it is.”

And then he stopped himself.

“I’m not going to talk in medical terms, because I’m not a doctor,” he said. “I’ll defer to the medical

department and they’ll be able to update you on what’s going on there.”

The Angels do not permit their athletic training staff to talk to reporters.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .

Late homer sends Angels to fourth straight loss

By Jeff Fletcher

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Angels are in a bona-fide, team-wide slump all of the sudden.

Their fourth straight loss, a 3-2 defeat at the hands of the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night, came by a

slightly different script than several of their recent defeats.

They’ve now added offensive troubles to their starting pitching issues, and the decisive run in this game

came against the Angels bullpen, an eighth-inning Mike Moustakas homer against Jose Alvarez.

Certainly, a four-game losing streak is a blink of an eye in a 162-game season, but it’s nonetheless

troubling. In this one the Angels managed just six hits, all singles. They are now hitting .180 in the last four

games.

“We have a lot of confidence with what we do in the batter’s box, but the last week has been a little

spotty,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Angels had been one of the hottest offensive teams in baseball for the first eight games, which

included three victories in which they rallied late.

April 16, 2017 Page 6 of 15

The hole wasn’t as deep this time, with Matt Shoemaker grinding his way through a grueling outing and

leaving with the Angels down just 2-1 in the fifth.

In the sixth, they had a shot to tie it, but Andrelton Simmons hit a flyout to left field, leaving the bases

loaded.

In the seventh, they got the job done, though. Cameron Maybin led off with a single. Martin Maldonado

drew a one-out walk. After Yunel Escobar struck out, Ben Revere lined a single into right to tie the game.

After a quiet eighth, the Angels came up in the ninth, suddenly behind by a run and with closer Kelvin

Herrera on the mound. Scioscia chose Cliff Pennington — instead of homer threats C.J. Cron or Jefry Marte

— to pinch-hit for Maldonado leading off the inning.

“We had a chance with Penny to get on base,” Scioscia said.”Penny will do a lot of things from drawing a

walk to hopefully finding a hole. I thought he was a good choice at leadoff.”

Pennington grounded out, then Escobar hit a flyout to center and then Revere struck out looking to end

the game.

With Trout on deck.

“You obviously want to hit,” Trout said. “I wanted to hit. We had some chances but we couldn’t capitalize.”

On the bright side, Shoemaker gave up just two runs in 5 1/3 innings after a 33-pitch first inning that could

have gone much worse. He gave up just one run.

“Bouncing back from 30-whatever pitches in the first inning is incredible,” Scioscia said. “He found his

release point and made some adjustments. For him to get that far was remarkable considering how tough

the first inning was.”

The game was then in the hands of the bullpen, with Bud Norris getting out of the sixth and then Blake

Parker working a perfect seventh.

In the eighth, the Royals had the lefty-heavy top of their order due against Alvarez, a left-handed pitcher

who is not a lefty specialist. Alvarez got the left-handed hitting Alex Gordon, but then he missed with his

pitch to Moustakas, who hit it out.

“We have a lot of confidence in Jose against lefties and righties,” Scioscia said. “Tonight he missed with

one spot and it ended up over the wall.”

Angels Notes: Mike Trout gets a break with a DH day

By Jeff Fletcher

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Scioscia’s decision to give Mike Trout a partial day off rippled throughout the

lineup, including Albert Pujols’ first game in the field since August and Kole Calhoun moving in the batting

order.

April 16, 2017 Page 7 of 15

The impetus to it all was the schedule, with the Angels early in a stretch of 20 games in a row and 27 in 28

days to start the season.

So Trout, who had started the first 11 games in center field, moved to DH for Saturday’s game. Scioscia

said it was just “preventative,” and nothing is bothering Trout physically.

“We’re going to need to start getting guys a little break here or there,” Scioscia said. “Anytime we have a

chance to get Mike to DH, we’re going to take advantage of that.”

By putting Trout at DH, Scioscia needed to put Pujols at first base for his first action in the field — including

spring training — since before he was sidelined by a foot problem last August.

“Albert is ready for it,” Scioscia said. “He’s been working out on the defensive side all spring. He’s feeling

good.”

Scioscia has said the Angels would be conservative in their use of Pujols at first because they want to keep

him healthy and in the lineup.

With Trout out of the outfield, both Cameron Maybin (in center field) and Ben Revere (in left) were in the

lineup. With Pujols at first, neither C.J. Cron nor Jefry Marte were.

That led to a different lineup look, with Calhoun moved from his normal No. 2 spot to hitting fifth, behind

Pujols. Scioscia said he’s toyed with the idea of having Calhoun hit in the middle of the lineup before, but

ultimately he prefers him setting the table for Trout and Pujols, so Calhoun is likely to return to the top

when Trout returns to center.

GOOD VIBES

Tyler Skaggs will start on Sunday in a ballpark where he pitched what he considers his finest moment with

the Angels.

Last July, Skaggs pitched seven scoreless innings at Kauffman Stadium in his first major league game in

nearly two years, following Tommy John surgery.

“It definitely holds a special place in my heart,” Skaggs said, “especially since my family was here.”

That game is the example of what the Angels believe Skaggs can be at his best, a top-of-the-rotation

starter. He dominated the Royals, allowing just three hits.

He said that returning to the venue of that outing can have an impact.

“I think you go out there with a little more swagger, a little more confidence,” he said. “But at the same

time, it’s a new year. I just want to go out and have fun, playing a kids’ game.”

Skaggs has allowed five runs in each of his first two starts this season: “I feel great. I’ve got to start picking

it up a little bit.”

April 16, 2017 Page 8 of 15

ALSO

Alex Meyer, one of the Angels’ top pitching prospects, has allowed five runs in 10 innings, with 13

strikeouts, in his first two starts at Triple-A. Scioscia said the reports are that he’s looking better than he

did in spring training, though. Meyer is one of the key pitchers the Angels could turn to if they need to

replace a major league starter, like Garrett Richards, for an extended period. …

Upon further review of J.C. Ramirez’s first big league start on Friday, Scioscia was encouraged. “He threw

the ball better than some of the results, but still some things got away from him,” Scioscia said. Ramirez is

expected to start again on Wednesday in Houston.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Revere’s late RBI not enough as Halos fall

By Maria Guardado and Robert Falkoff / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Mike Moustakas' go-ahead home run off reliever Jose Alvarez in the eighth inning

powered the Royals to a 3-2 win on Saturday night, clinching a series victory against the Angels at

Kauffman Stadium.

Moustakas crushed a 1-1 fastball to right-center field for his fifth homer of the season, breaking a 2-2 tie

and restoring the Royals' lead. Moustakas' solo shot came an inning after the Angels rallied to even the

game at 2 on Ben Revere's RBI single off Kansas City relieverJoakim Soria.

"Tough lefty on the mound, and I was trying to get something out over the plate," Moustakas said.

"[Alvarez] came with a fastball, and I was able to put the barrel on it. I'm seeing the ball pretty good

right now. I had some pretty good at-bats earlier in the game, but just didn't have anything to show for

it."

It was the 300th career RBI for Moustakas, who blasted his third career go-ahead homer in the eighth

inning or later. He has also homered in consecutive games for the eighth time in his career.

Royals closer Kelvin Herrera pitched a clean ninth to pick up his second save of the season.

"That's kind of how we've been around here," Moustakas said. "Get a lead and turn it over to those guys

at the back end."

Right-hander Nathan Karns held the Angels to one run over six innings, allowing just four singles, while

walking two and striking out three in his second start of the season. Karns gave up a run in the first on

an Albert Pujols groundout, but Karns blanked the Angels the rest of the way -- at one point retiring 12

in a row -- and departed with a 2-1 lead.

April 16, 2017 Page 9 of 15

Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker allowed two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, with two walks

and seven strikeouts in a 105-pitch effort. Shoemaker endured a taxing first inning, surrendering an RBI

single to Eric Hosmer and throwing 33 pitches. But Shoemaker recovered well, pitching into the sixth

before being lifted after issuing a one-out walk to Hosmer. The only other blip for Shoemaker came in

the fourth, when he gave up a solo shot to Brandon Moss that put the Royals ahead, 2-1.

After a 6-2 start, the Angels have lost four straight games. Their offense has mustered only three runs on

10 hits -- none for extra bases -- over the first two games of the series. Entering Friday's series opener,

the Halos led the American League in hits, total bases and batting average.

"If you're constantly coming from behind, your offense can stall," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

"We've come back a number of times this year, but you want to get the game on your terms so you keep

pressuring teams, and we haven't been able to do that. But we've got a lot of confidence in what we're

going to do in the batter's box. The last week has been a little spotty."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Moss' early go-ahead shot: Moss broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run off Shoemaker in the fourth.

Moss, who entered Saturday batting .077 (2-for-26) over eight games, hammered a 2-1 splitter to right

field for his second homer of the season. The ball had an exit velocity of 103 mph and a launch angle of

37 degrees, traveling an estimated 392 feet, according to Statcast™.

Angels pitchers have surrendered 19 home runs in 12 games, the most of any AL team.

Escaping trouble: Soria had another strong outing. Although he allowed a game-tying single to Revere in

the seventh, Soria kept the game tied at 2 by striking out Pujols with the bases loaded to end the inning.

He then came through with a scoreless eighth, fanning four over 1 2/3 innings and earning the win.

"[Soria] ended up giving up the base hit to Revere on a two-strike changeup that was up just a hair,"

Royals manager Ned Yost said. "That was the only blip that he had. His pitches all had action. He just

threw the ball great."

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW

In the fifth, Martin Maldonado hit a two-out grounder to third and was initially ruled safe at first. But

the Royals issued a challenge after first baseman Hosmer appeared to keep his foot on the bag while

making an outstanding pick on Moustakas' throw. The call was overturned following the replay review,

ending the inning.

WHAT'S NEXT

Angels: The Angels will send left-hander Tyler Skaggs to the mound Sunday for the series finale with the

Royals at Kauffman Stadium at 11:15 a.m. PT. Skaggs has an 8.71 ERA over his first two starts, allowing

five runs in each of those outings.

Royals: The Royals will go with right-hander Ian Kennedy for the series finale against the Angels on

Sunday at 1:15 p.m. CT. Kennedy has pitched well in his first two starts, but he has yet to notch his first

win due to a lack of offensive support.

April 16, 2017 Page 10 of 15

Royals, Halos honor Jackie Robinson at The K

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- The Angels and Royals joined Major League Baseball in celebrating Jackie Robinson Day

on Saturday, with all players and on-field personnel wearing his universally retired No. 42 at Kauffman

Stadium.

Robinson made his MLB debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947, when he broke baseball's

color barrier and became the first African-American player to take the field in the modern era. Saturday

marked the 70th anniversary of Robinson's achievement, which has made the Hall of Famer one of the

most revered figures in baseball history.

"It's always special, to be honest," Angels outfielder Cameron Maybin said. "To have a chance to

acknowledge his legacy, carry his legacy on. It's fun that we get to do it for a day, but as far as being a

part of the African-American community, he's somebody that we celebrate daily. Because without his

achievements, without his perseverance, we wouldn't be able to be here."

Robinson was honored during a special pregame ceremony, and Kauffman Stadium joined all other

ballparks with Jackie Robinson Day jeweled bases and lineup cards.

"I just think it's great that we can honor Jackie's legacy, year in and year out," Royals manager Ned Yost

said. "He has meant so much not only to the history of the game, but to United States history. It's a neat

thing to take April 15 and celebrate Jackie Robinson Day."

Added Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain: "It's definitely a special day, and I'm just happy to go out there

and represent. The things he went through … I'm not sure I would have been able to handle that. It just

shows how strong-minded he was. He was focused on overcoming all of it."

In addition to participating in Saturday's festivities, Maybin also celebrated Jackie Robinson Day by

inviting students from Grades 4-9 to participate in an essay contest about the positivity that can emerge

from overcoming obstacles. Maybin, who helps run the Maybin Mission Foundation, plans to visit the

schools of each winner and welcome the students as future guests at Angel Stadium.

"We wanted to do something different for the kids, to give them the opportunity to talk about any

scenario in their life that might have enabled them to overcome a situation and grow from failures,"

Maybin said. "Giving them the opportunity to talk about situations that have allowed them to persevere,

as Jackie did."

April 16, 2017 Page 11 of 15

Shoemaker delivers much-needed solid outing

Angels’ rotation has struggled early

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- The Angels lost their fourth straight game on Saturday night, falling 3-2 to the Royals, but

one silver lining from the defeat was the bounce-back performance by right-hander Matt Shoemaker.

Shoemaker entered Saturday with a 7.71 ERA over his first two starts, as part of the Angels' early

rotation woes. But he took a step in the right direction by allowing two runs on five hits, while walking

two and striking out seven, over 5 1/3 innings.

Shoemaker threw 33 pitches in the first inning, yet was able to pitch into the sixth.

"Bouncing back from a 30-pitch first inning was incredible," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Shoe, I think,

started to find his release point better. I think he felt a little stronger as he went and made some

adjustments. For him to get that far was remarkable considering how tough the first inning was."

Shoemaker issued an eight-pitch leadoff walk to Alex Gordon in the first, a harbinger of his strenuous

night to come. Gordon later scored on Eric Hosmer's RBI single, which tied the game at 1.

"It was just a battle today," Shoemaker said. "That's the best way to put it."

Still, Shoemaker settled down after the first, getting his pitch count under control by throwing 10 in the

second and 13 in the third. In the fourth, he left a 2-1 splitter over the plate to Brandon Moss, who

crushed it to right field to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.

Shoemaker opened the sixth by striking out Lorenzo Cain looking, but Shoemaker then walked Hosmer

on 10 pitches, prompting Scioscia to call on reliever Bud Norris to finish the inning. After issuing the

walk, Shoemaker yelled at home-plate umpire Ed Hickox, who called the penultimate pitch of Hosmer's

at-bat a ball, which Shoemaker appeared to think was a strike.

"We're all human," Shoemaker said. "We make mistakes, they make mistakes. You can't say much else

about it."

Shoemaker threw 105 pitches, his most since a 115-pitch shutout against the White Sox on July 16,

2016. He came away with a no-decision after Ben Revere's RBI single tied the game at 2 in the seventh.

Though Shoemaker would have liked to pitch deeper into the game, he said he was pleased with his

overall performance.

"I'm glad we got through it," Shoemaker said. "You've just got to bear down, make good pitches,

execute. … It's definitely a step forward, but we want to keep getting better."

April 16, 2017 Page 12 of 15

Scioscia confident in Pujols’ defense at first

Veteran appears in field for first time since last August

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

KANSAS CITY -- Angels slugger Albert Pujols started at first base Saturday against the Royals for the first

time since Aug. 10, 2016.

Pujols, who underwent foot surgery in December, didn't play first in any games during Spring Training,

and he served exclusively as the Halos' designated hitter through the first 11 games of the regular

season. But manager Mike Scioscia said he decided to play Pujols in the field Saturday in order to

give Mike Trout a partial day off at the DH spot.

The Angels are currently in a stretch of 20 consecutive games without an off-day. The next break in their

schedule won't come until May 1.

"I think Albert is ready for it," Scioscia said. "He's been working out on the defensive side really all spring

and feels good. We're in a stretch where we're playing 20 in a row without an off-day, so we're going to

need to start to get guys a little break here or there. We're going to use our bench. I think we've got a

deeper bench this year, as we've talked about, and any time we get a chance to give Mike a chance to

DH, we're going to take advantage of it."

Cameron Maybin played center field in place of Trout, with reserve outfielder Ben Revere getting the

start in left. With C.J. Cron and Jefry Marte out of the lineup, Scioscia also decided to have Kole

Calhoun bat fifth and slot Revere into the No. 2 spot.

"I think Kole is multi-dimensional. He's versatile," Scioscia said. "He's really comfortable in the two-hole,

we know that. Right now, we need somebody to take advantage of when Mike and Albert are going to

get on base. Kole is a really good pick to hit behind Albert right now against righties."

Scioscia said he doesn't expect to permanently shift Calhoun from the top to the middle of the lineup,

however.

"Offensively, there are some different ways we can go," Scioscia said. "We really like the top four with

[Yunel Escobar] and then Kole, Mike and Albert, but we can adjust off of that if we need to."

Worth noting

• Scioscia said there is no update on ace right-hander Garrett Richards, who landed on the disabled list

with a right biceps strain last week and underwent an MRI of his cervical spine on Thursday, which ruled

out cervical-disc or brachial-nerve issues. An extended absence from Richards would be a huge blow for

the Angels, whose starters combined to post a 6.27 ERA through the first 11 games.

April 16, 2017 Page 13 of 15

Asked if he believes the Angels have enough depth to withstand Richards' absence, Scioscia said, "I think

the guys that we have here can get it done, because it's not much different than guys we had the last

quarter of last season, when we went 25-20. So I think there is enough depth there."

JC Ramirez started in place of Richards on Friday and allowed five runs over five innings in the Angels' 7-

1 loss. He will make another start Wednesday against the Astros, but if the Angels need a long-term

replacement in their rotation, they could choose to call up Alex Meyer from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Meyer, the club's No. 8 prospect per MLBPipeline.com, has a 4.50 ERA in two starts for Salt Lake this

season, and he has been "better than we saw in the spring," according to Scioscia.

• Cron was out of the lineup for a third consecutive game, but Scioscia said he'll be back at first on

Sunday for the Halos' series finale against the Royals.

Skaggs starts series finale against Royals

By Robert Falkoff / Special to MLB.com

Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs likely hopes Sunday's start against the Royals is reminiscent of his 2016

debut at Kauffman Stadium.

Making his first appearance after Tommy John surgery, Skaggs tossed seven scoreless innings on July 26,

2016. But the beginning of '17 has been rough for Skaggs, who has an 8.71 ERA through two starts.

The Royals counter with right-hander Ian Kennedy, who lost in the home opener last Monday despite

allowing just two runs in six innings -- a two-run homer by A's slugger Khris Davis in Kansas City's 2-0

loss.

Three things to know about this game

• Kennedy is winless against the Angels, compiling an 0-4 record with a 6.55 ERA in five career games

(four starts).

• Skaggs has allowed five runs in each of his two starts. He went five innings against the Rangers last

Tuesday, surrendering five earned runs on eight hits.

• The Royals are 0-5 in day games.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Moustakas' homer gives Royals 3-2 win over Angels

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals have hit 13 of their 15 homers this season with the bases

empty, including two Saturday night.

April 16, 2017 Page 14 of 15

At least they got the timing right this time.

Mike Moustakas hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning, lifting the Royals over the Los Angeles

Angels 3-2.

"I was thinking after Moose hit his, it would be nice to get a two- or three-run homer every now and

then," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "But look, they win you ball games, and they won us one today. I

won't complain."

Moustakas connected off Jose Alvarez (0-1) for his fifth home run this season.

"A tough lefty on the mound," Moustakas said. "I was trying to get something out over the plate to drive

it. He gave me two sliders in a row and he came back with a fastball and I was able to put some barrel on

it and it carried out of the yard."

Los Angeles had tied the score in the seventh when Cameron Maybin led off with a single against Mike

Minor, Martin Maldonado walked with one out and Ben Revere hit a two-out single against Joakim

Soria (1-0), who threw 38 pitches over 1 2/3 innings while striking out four.

Royals starter Nathan Karns allowed Albert Pujols' RBI grounder in the first and four hits over six innings.

Karns escaped a bases-loaded jam when Andrelton Simmons lined out to Alex Gordon on the left-field

warning track on his final pitch.

"That was pretty intense," Karns said. "I threw a changeup to Simmons and was able to stay in the park

and Gordo was able to get it for me. I relied on my defense a lot."

Kansas City starters Jason Vargas, Danny Duffy and Karns have allowed two runs over 20 2/3 innings for

a 0.87 ERA.

Kelvin Herrera pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

Eric Hosmer hit an RBI single in a 33-pitch bottom of the first and Brandon Moss homered in the fourth

against Matt Shoemaker, who gave up two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven.

"For him to get that far was remarkable considering how tough that first inning was," Angels manager

Mike Scioscia said.

Shoemaker is 0-3 with a 9.41 ERA in five career starts against the Royals.

"It was just a battle today," Shoemaker said. "That's the best way to put it. Just a hard-fought battle on

both ends. Unfortunately, we just came up on the not good end."

BACK IN THE FIELD

Pujols played first base for the first time since Aug. 10. With the Angels playing 37 games in 38 days,

Angels manager Mike Scioscia used Mike Trout as the DH. "We've got a little deeper bench this year,"

Scioscia said. "Any time we get a chance to get Mike at DH, we're going to take advantage of it."

April 16, 2017 Page 15 of 15

RING TIME

Royals RHP Jason Hammel, LHP Travis Wood and OF Jorge Soler, who all played for the Cubs last year,

will be in Chicago on Monday -- when the Royals are off -- for a World Series ring ceremony at Wrigley

Field. When Hammel was told the ring had a lot of diamonds, he replied, "There's a lot of years of pain."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (lack of biceps strength) had an MRI of his spine, which ruled out a cervical

disk or nerve issue. Richards went on the DL after one start.

Royals: Soler (oblique strain) continues taking batting practice and shagging balls in the outfield.

UP NEXT

Angels: LHP Tyler Skaggs, slated to start Sunday's series finale, pitched seven scoreless innings on July 26

last year in his only career start against the Royals.

Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy is 0-4 with a 6.55 ERA in five appearances against the Angels.