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TRANSCRIPT
April 25, 2017 Page 1 of 21
Clips
(April 25, 2017)
April 25, 2017 Page 2 of 21
Today’s Clips Contents
FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)
Jesse Chavez gets it done for Angels
Desperate for depth, Angels acquire right-hander David Hernandez from Atlanta
Angels mailbag: Where to go from here?
FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 9)
Angels’ Jesse Chavez gets just enough run support to beat Blue Jays, 2-1
Angels Notes: David Hernandez added to supplement bullpen depth
FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 13)
Angels slide into split with Blue Jays
Chavez finds redemption with 7-K gem
Angels acquire reliever Hernandez from Braves
Ramirez steps in to start vs. A’s
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 17)
Angels edge Blue Jays, 2-1
FROM UPI (Page 19)
Short memory helps Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jesse Chavez come back to beat
Toronto Blue Jays
April 25, 2017 Page 3 of 21
FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Jesse Chavez gets it done for Angels
By Pedro Moura
As Friday night morphed into Saturday morning, Angels right-hander Jesse Chavez jogged from the
dugout to the bullpen at Angel Stadium to warm up.
After exhausting its standard configuration of relievers, his team needed him late in an extra-innings loss
to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Angels needed him again Monday, this time to start against the Blue Jays, who last year deemed
him unfit to start a single game.
Motivated to redeem himself after giving up a three-run home run to Jose Bautista three nights earlier,
he held them down for six innings in a 2-1 Angels victory.
“The couple mistakes I made the other night that let that inning elongate, I put them in the memory
bank and reminded myself to not let that happen again,” Chavez said. “Tonight, my mentality was,
anytime I get an out, there’s always another one.”
He got 18 outs, struck out seven, walked four and fired 101 pitches, his most since Aug. 19, 2015.
“It’s obviously a weird situation to come in and pitch against a team in the 13th inning, like he did, and
then come in and start against them a couple days later,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “But that’s
where we are.”
Where they are is in survival mode while the foundation of their projected pitching staff recovers from
injury. The four men who pitched for them Monday were Chavez, Yusmeiro Petit, David
Hernandez and Bud Norris. All veterans, they were acquired, in order, in November, in January, in
February and on Monday.
Exemplars of the organization’s player-development process, they are not. But they helped secure the
Angels’ ninth victory in 21 games and a series split.
Chavez likes to sit silently in the dugout before his starts, his head shrouded in a hood, and observe his
teammates go through infield drills and batting practice.
“I just like to watch them work,” he says.
The 33-year-old believes it offers him perspective about how to handle pressure-packed situations later
in the evening. His fellow players deserve his best effort. On Monday night, at least, he continuously
pitched out of trouble.
April 25, 2017 Page 4 of 21
Chavez worked through two first-inning walks, aided by catcher Martin Maldonado’s throwing out Kevin
Pillar trying to steal second. He allowed baserunners in every inning but survived unscathed until the
fourth, when Russell Martin clobbered a fastball over the wall in left-center field.
The Angels responded in the bottom half of the inning, when Mike Trout knocked a pitch down the
right-field line and Bautista mishandled the ball, turning a likely double into a triple. Albert Pujols then
singled Trout home.
In the fifth, Scioscia orchestrated the manufacturing of the winning run.
Cameron Maybin singled, Danny Espinosa walked, Maldonado laid down a sacrifice bunt and Maybin,
with a tricky slide, scored on a sharp grounder to second base by Yunel Escobar.
In the sixth, the Angels loaded the bases with one out but netted no runs.
To conclude Toronto’s half of the sixth, Martin was called out on strikes on a pitch that did not cross the
plate. He complained to home-plate umpire Toby Basner. In the middle of the inning, Basner ejected
Jays manager John Gibbons for shouting something from the dugout.
Overall, Basner’s performance confounded. Television replays showed his strike zone included pitches
that definitively did not catch any part of the plate. He repeatedly angered both teams.
In the late innings, “Let’s go Blue Jays” chants drowned out Angels-centric cheering. Few fans remained.
The Angels announced a crowd of just 25,304, their least-attended game since April 23, 2015.
Norris handled the ninth inning for his second career save. After the first two batters reached base, he
notched a strikeout and induced a game-ending double play.
“That's the style we need,” Scioscia said. “We did a pretty good job of that this series.”
Desperate for depth, Angels aquire right-hander David Hernandez from Atlanta
By Pedro Moura
The state of the Angels’ pitching staff is beginning to resemble last season’s. Desperate for depth to
handle the inevitable innings, Angels general manager Billy Eppler struck a deal with Atlanta to acquire
right-hander David Hernandez and immediately inserted the veteran into the bullpen.
A year ago, Eppler made a similar trade with the same team when he acquired right-hander Jhoulys
Chacin, who soon joined the Angels’ rotation.
The motivation for the moves is similar. The Angels need cover while their injured pitchers heal. Their
top three relievers are on the disabled list. Garrett Richards, their top starter, is too. Their opening-day
starter, Ricky Nolasco, is experiencing mechanical issues.
Hernandez, 31, was traded while attending a country-music concert Sunday night in Atlanta. Monday
was an off day for the Braves’ triple-A affiliate in nearby Gwinnett, where Hernandez had spent the
April 25, 2017 Page 5 of 21
season’s first three weeks. He went home after the show, awoke before 3 a.m. Pacific time, steered to
the stadium to collect his gear, and then to Atlanta-Hartsfield International Airport for a cross-country
flight.
He said being in a big-league clubhouse again provided him energy.
Hernandez has a 4.10 career earned-run average over 487 major league innings, mostly out of the
bullpen. With Gwinnett, he logged a 1.12 ERA over eight innings.
“It’s definitely coming along,” he said. “I’m throwing strikes, and that’s what I struggled with last year. I
added a slider and it’s come along rather quickly, so hopefully it translates here.”
Hernandez will become the 14th man to appear out of the bullpen for the Angels this season. They
began the season with seven relievers. He could be a long-term option, or a short-term fix.
“He still has a very lively fastball, a good breaking ball, and experience pitching in the back end of
games,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “So we’ll see how he fits in.”
Some of the Angels’ injury troubles can be attributed to poor luck. Some might be best attributed to the
Angels’ response to said luck.
Right-hander Cam Bedrosian said he first began to feel the groin strain that forced him to the 10-day
disabled list when walking into the visiting dugout at Minute Maid Park after the Angels’ Tuesday
victory.
Earlier that night, he had thrown two innings for the first time as a reliever, exerting himself beyond his
norm. He said Monday he hopes to resume throwing in about one week.
Short hops
To make room for Hernandez, the Angels optioned right-hander Daniel Wright back to triple-A Salt Lake.
… Nolasco was once scheduled to start Monday against Toronto, but now will not pitch until Thursday
against Oakland, receiving nine days of rest in between starts. Right-handers JC Ramirez and Matt
Shoemaker will start Tuesday and Wednesday. … Luis Valbuena began his rehab assignment Monday at
Class-A Inland Empire. He played first base, not the third base that Scioscia had said. The manager said
the change was based on Valbuena’s input. “He’s going to play more first base up here, and he wants to
get a little more work there,” Scioscia said.
Angels mailbag: Where to go from here?
By Pedro Moura
Hello, Angels fans. As of today, your favorite baseball team is 8-12, on a 65-win pace, and its best
starting pitcher is not going to pitch at least until June. The outlook is not great. So let’s answer some
questions about the state of the team. As always, please submit mailbag questions through my Twitter
account (@pedromoura) or via email at [email protected].
April 25, 2017 Page 6 of 21
@pedromoura How many games below .500 do you think they will finish this year?
This is a tremendously difficult question to answer at this stage in the season because, as I’ve stated in
this space in previous weeks, so much of it depends on Garrett Richards’ health. Without him, a below-
.500 season seems certain. If he returns as soon as he’s eligible in June and pitches as he’s capable, the
outlook for the season looks much different than if he cannot pitch. With him, it’s conceivable they
could catch a hot streak and be in wild-card contention come the deadline. At that point, it’s partly a
matter of how badly the organization wants to contend and is willing to sacrifice the future. Would they
acquire someone? It’s hard to say right now.
TLDR: I’ll guess three.
The Angels under Arte Moreno have been about as transparent as the Kremlin. Swooping in to sign Torii
Hunter, Albert [Pujols] and Josh Hamilton.
They continue to be secretive about their front office. For example, starting this year, the Angels list just
the top front office positions on the team site at MLB.com.
I read that Arte fired about 40 front office personnel in the [Tony] Reagins firing purge. But I also
remember reading Mike DiGiovanna writing that [Jerry] Dipoto filled most if not all of those positions
with more sabremetric friendly hires.
Do you have any sense of the size of the Angels front office compared to other big market teams at or
near the salary cap? Has Eppler been able to convince Arte of the competitive advantage to be gained by
a large and savvy front office, or at least has [Billy] Eppler been given a big enough budget to create
one?
Thanks.
Bob (via [email protected])
Yes, it is interesting that the Angels now list no baseball-operations personnel on their online front-
office directory. The New York teams are famously secretive about who they list online, and even they
are more forthcoming.
When I asked General Manager Billy Eppler about that in February, he said he had no idea about it, and
nothing to do with the removal of dozens of names. They are all listed in the media guide that is publicly
available.
As far as the relative size of their front office, it’s hard to say, because not every team lists every person
who’s working for them. We know that the Angels’ baseball operations department, as listed in the
media guide, includes 20-30 employees, depending on what qualifies as baseball operations. Nine of
them are new hires under Eppler who work in data-focused roles. And we know that’s not the biggest
data department. The Dodgers, for example, list twice as many employees in research-and-development
positions.
April 25, 2017 Page 7 of 21
@pedromoura What's Valbuena's role when he makes his debut? How does it affect Cron/Marte?
I’m not under the impression anything has changed from the Angels’ original plan, which was to play
Valbuena at first base against right-handed pitching. Barring an injury to another infielder, his activation
will likely push either Cron or Marte to triple-A or to another team via a trade. There aren’t enough
roster spots for four men whose primary defensive position is first base.
Valbuena is still about a week away from a return. There is time.
@pedromoura Who on the team has the best and worst walk up music? What would would be your
walk up music and why would it be Motion City Soundtrack?
Danny Espinosa walks up to “In The Air Tonight” like a third of the time. That’s pretty good. I’m not sure
about the worst. There are several contenders.
I would switch mine often. Right now, I’d probably use the opening riff of Tycho’s “Awake.” I’d also use
“Until We Can’t (Let’s Go)” by Passion Pit. And “Shelter” by Porter Robinson and Madeon. And
“Cannons” by Youth Lagoon. And a lot of others. I think walk-up songs are under-utilized.
@pedromoura Does anyone have Flo Rida walk up music?
No, thankfully.
@pedromoura Why is Angels by Chance The Rapper not being played? (Instant win streak guaranteed
right after)
It’s weird. Browsing the list of songs played at the stadium, I’m not sure there’s anything released in the
last few years. Maybe that has to do with it, and I agree that it should be played. It’s an upbeat song,
catchy, and with a positive message, just the kind of track that could conceivably replace “Calling All
Angels” by Train before games or “Build Me Up Buttercup” in the seventh inning.
Yes....how much did @Angels overpay for Pujols and will it wind up costing them Trout?
I’m not sure if you’re looking for a literal answer here, but I’ve been (rightfully) criticized a time or two in
my life for taking things too literally, and I’ll do that here. Albert Pujols will be paid $240 million over 10
seasons, not counting that personal-services contract that kicks in afterward, which we’ll ignore for the
purposes of this exercise.
He’s just over halfway through it and has thus far provided the team between nine and 10 Wins Above
Replacement. At a going rate of like $8 million per win, that’s roughly $80 million to $90 million in value
to date, at a total cost of $100 million, plus a couple million this season.
That’s not bad at all, really. There are worse free-agent contracts signed every off-season. It’s the future
that gets tough, because Pujols is 37 and has exhibited significant signs of decline. His salary is only
going up. Various sources project him to be worth less than one win this year, and presumably less than
that going forward. To not get too complicated, let’s just call it one win each year and say he’ll provide
April 25, 2017 Page 8 of 21
$40 million in on-field value from now until the end of the 2021 season. That would make him overpaid
by $60 million, not counting off-the-field considerations, which are vast.
As far as whether it will end up costing them Trout, Trout’s not going to be a free agent until late
October or November 2020. Let’s play a little thought experiment here. Think about the events of late
October or November 2016. Which of them do you think you could have correctly predicted in April
2013? It’s too early to say.
@pedromoura What do you think the plans are for Escobar? Still productive. Like to see them sign him
for another couple of years.
Let’s see how this season goes first. Yunel Escobar can clearly hit singles as well as about anyone, but
he’s a 34-year-old third baseman whose effort in the field and on the bases waned last year. He tends to
suffer legions of little injuries. That’s probably not going to improve as he ages.
@pedromoura what went right for the Angels during their win streak that is going wrong for them now?
Their win streak lasted four games. Their losing streak lasted six games. Literally no team in baseball
history has ever experienced any combination of outcomes over stretches of those lengths that should
have been surprising. It is baseball. Randomness is ever-present.
@pedromoura What are the starting pitching possibilities that the team could trade for?
We’ll start to get a better sense of who will occupy the trade market in another month or so. A lot of
people across baseball are curious to see if Toronto will make their starters, like Marcus Stroman, J.A.
Happ and Marco Estrada, available. Right now, it’s too early to say. As far as who the Angels specifically
could acquire, that’s much more limited. As readers of this mailbag have surely heard before, the club
does not have a wide base of prospects from which they can deal.
That is part of a series of tweets Chad sent asking about the Angels’ farm system, and why it hasn’t been
rebuilt since it was torn apart.
My answer is that it has been rebuilt a little. Some evaluators consider outfielder Jahmai Jones a
legitimate top-100 prospect. Right-handed pitching prospect Jaime Barria, excelling in the California
League at 20, is a nice guy to have in your system.
I’m not going to revisit the Pujols and Josh Hamilton signings or the disregard of the international
market, but it also hasn’t been four or five years since the future was mortgaged. I’m not a homeowner,
and I’m probably using this term wrong, but trading pitching prospects Sean Newcomb and Chris Ellis for
Andrelton Simmons qualifies as at least a refinancing. Now, it was a sensible trade. Simmons is a good
player with a timeline in lock-step with Trout. But the system would look different now if Newcomb and
Ellis were knocking on the door.
Former general manager Jerry Dipoto also made some lower-key trades in recent off-seasons that
proved to hamper them long-term. The Angels dealt right-hander Tyler Chatwood to Colorado and
April 25, 2017 Page 9 of 21
outfielder Randal Grichuk to St. Louis, for catcher Chris Iannetta and third baseman David Freese. Both
veterans are long gone from the Angels, while the younger players continue to provide surplus value for
the Rockies and Cardinals.
@pedromoura I got few questions. What happened to Nate Smith?Why isn't he playing in Triple-A? Do
you prefer Maybin or Revere in left?
As I wrote in a recent mailbag, Smith has not pitched because of a forearm strain, but Eppler said last
week he could get back into games this week.
@pedromoura will any starter accrue more WAR than bedrosian and if so, on what date will that
overtaking occur ?
hat’s an interesting question, complicated by Cam Bedrosian heading to the disabled list since it was
posed. I think the answer is yes, even if he was healthy. While I buy Bedrosian as an elite reliever
because the scouts and evaluators I speak to largely do, I don't think he’s a top-five reliever in the sport.
So, two wins above replacement in a season seems to be about his ceiling. I think Ricky Nolasco, Tyler
Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker all could exceed that mark.
But because Bedrosian is the leader right now, it’ll take at least another month for the overtaking to
occur.
@pedromoura Why does Trout have a Twitter account if the only thing he tweet is "[Insert city]
!!!"
People like those tweets. Why not give the people what they want?
@pedromoura Why am i a angel fan
I don’t know you, but probably because you grew up in Orange County or its surrounding area and/or
one of your close relatives was a fan and a sports enthusiast.
FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER .
Angels’ Jesse Chavez gets just enough run support to beat Blue Jays, 2-1
By Jeff Fletcher
ANAHEIM — The Angels can wait for the offense as long as they can pitch like this.
The Angels squeaked out a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night, the first time this
season they won a game without scoring at least four runs.
April 25, 2017 Page 10 of 21
“When push came to shove, we held the lead,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I’m not going to focus too
much on the offense. Our offense will be fine. For us to reach our goal, we definitely have to control the
defense like we did tonight.”
Jesse Chavez pitched six strong innings and then Yusmeiro Petit, newcomer David Hernandez and Bud
Norris collaborated on the final three to lock up the victory.
Norris picked up his second save in as many tries, since Cam Bedrosian’s injury left him as a presumptive
closer. He gave up a single and a walk to start the inning, but then escaped with a strikeout and a double
play.
“Although it was a little rocky, I think hopefully he’s growing in the confidence to pitch the ninth the same
way he pitched the sixth,” Scioscia said. “If he does that, he’ll be very successful.”
There was plenty to be happy about when the Angels were in the field. Besides the pitching, the Angels
turned two double plays, picked a runner off and caught another runner stealing.
That all helped Chavez work around four walks. The only run he allowed was on a Russell Martin homer in
the fourth.
“When he needed to make pitches, he did,” Scioscia said. “He got some big strikeouts. He pitched a good
game. That’s a tough lineup.”
Chavez has now pitched well in three of his four starts, with a 3.13 ERA as a starter. He had one relief
appearance in the 13th inning on Friday, when he allowed a three-run homer.
Chavez had spent most of his career as a reliever, but he signed with the Angels because they offered
them a chance to start. So far, he seems to be happy with his performance.
“I feel OK,” he said. “It took a little bit to get going. When the lights come on, it’s a little different trying to
control the adrenaline. But we’re heading in the right direction, a lot of us. We just keep at the task at
hand, giving our offense a chance to win.”
The Angels offense ranks 12th in the league in runs, and is the primary reason that the club is languishing
at 9-12. Their runs on Monday night came on an an Albert Pujols RBI single, following a Mike Trout triple,
and a manufactured run in the fifth.
They turned a single, a stolen base, a walk, a sacrifice and a perfectly executed contact-play into a run-
scoring grounder.
Otherwise, there were more missed opportunities than converted ones.
General Manager Billy Eppler said before the game that he’s optimistic the hitters will heat up, and help
turn the team around.
April 25, 2017 Page 11 of 21
“At this point, we’ve seen things offensively go well and then we’ve seen games where we haven’t been
able to put up crooked numbers we want to,” Eppler said. “But it’s early in the season. In a lot of cases you
have to trust the back of the guy’s baseball card that these are absolutely realistic expectations.”
Angels Notes: David Hernandez added to supplement bullpen depth
By Jeff Fletcher
ANAHEIM — It took the Angels only three weeks of baseball to get to the point that their bullpen depth
needed to be supplemented.
Hours after they lost a game on Sunday, in part because they didn’t have enough fresh relievers, the
Angels swung a deal to get another candidate for the bullpen, veteran right-hander David Hernandez.
“We’ve had to peel some layers down on the depth chart,” General Manager Billy Eppler said. “That’s just
our circumstance now. It made us look around and look outside the organization.”
The Angels agreed late Sunday to acquire Hernandez from the Atlanta Braves, in exchange for cash
considerations or a player to be named. Hernandez, who was with the Braves’ Triple-A team in suburban
Atlanta, got the news around midnight in Georgia, after he’d been at a concert.
A few hours later, he was packing for a flight to Southern California. A few hours after that, he was
standing in the Angels’ clubhouse.
“It’s been a pretty hectic 12 hours,” he said Monday. “But I’m happy I finally made it. Being here at the
ballpark has definitely energized me.”
Hernandez, a 31-year-old veteran of parts of seven big league seasons, was no doubt thrilled to be back in
the majors after a rough spring. The San Francisco Giants brought him to spring training, but they released
him and he signed with the Braves. His contract allowed him to opt out on May 1 if he was not in the
majors.
He began the season in Atlanta’s farm system, where he’d allowed one earned run in eight innings, with
nine strikeouts.
“I was throwing strikes,” he said. “That’s what I struggled with last year. I was throwing strikes consistently.
I added a slider and it’s come along quickly.”
Manager Mike Scioscia said he “will see how he fits in” to the bullpen mix. Hernandez has pitched in a
variety of roles, including as a closer.
He has a career 4.10 ERA, pitching in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks and
Philadelphia Phillies. Angels pitching coach Charlie Nagy had him in Arizona in 2012, the year Hernandez
posted a 2.50 ERA in 72 games. Last season in Philadelphia, Hernandez had a 3.84 ERA in 70 games.
April 25, 2017 Page 12 of 21
The Angels’ bullpen is currently without four of its projected top pitchers. Cam Bedrosian, Huston Street
and Andrew Bailey are all on the disabled list, and J.C. Ramirez went into the rotation to take Garrett
Richards spot. Mike Morin is also on the disabled list.
On Sunday, the Angels were burned by their lack of bullpen depth. They had only six active relievers
because Daniel Wright, who made a spot start, took one slot. Two of those six — Bud Norris and Yusmeiro
Petit — were unavailable because of their recent workload. Deolis Guerra and Brooks Pounders gave up six
runs in the final two innings and the Angels lost.
ALSO
Ricky Nolasco will rejoin the Angels rotation on Thursday, which will give him eight days off since his last
start. The Angels pushed Nolasco back because he wanted to work on some mechanical issues in an extra
bullpen session between starts, Scioscia said. …
Cam Bedrosian (groin) said he is hoping to be able to throw in about a week and return to the active roster
in about two weeks. …
Andrew Bailey (shoulder) threw for the third time in four days on Monday. He said he feels “way better
than before,” but he doesn’t have a timetable for a return. He said he’s throwing at a distance of 80 feet
now, and he needs to get stretched out to 120 before he can throw a bullpen session. After a couple
bullpens, he would need one or two innings in the minors. …
Luis Valbuena, who has been out with a hamstring injury, went 1 for 3 with a double in the first game of his
rehab assignment at Class-A Inland Empire. He played first base. He is also expected to play some third
during his rehab assignment, which will be five to seven days. …
Daniel Wright was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Hernandez. Wright went down a day after
pitching five scoreless innings in a spot start. …
Vicente Campos, who was hurt for much of spring training, was activated from the disabled list and
optioned to Triple-A. Campos will start for Salt Lake City and go into the mix for when the Angels need a
starter. …
Left-hander Nate Smith, one of the Angels’ top pitching prospects, threw two innings at extended spring
on Monday. Smith had been battling a forearm issue since early in spring training. …
Michael Hermosillo, one of the Angels’ top prospects, was promoted from Class-A Inland Empire to
Double-A Mobile (Ala.). Hermosillo hit .321 with a .438 on-base percentage in the season’s first two weeks.
April 25, 2017 Page 13 of 21
FROM ANGELS.COM
Angels slide into split with Blue Jays
By Maria Guardado and Chad Thornburg / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- Thanks to a solid start by Jesse Chavez and a crafty slide by Cameron Maybin, the Angels
secured a split of their four-game series with the Blue Jays after holding on for a 2-1 victory in Monday
night's finale at Angel Stadium.
Chavez held Toronto to one run on four hits while walking four and striking out seven over six innings
against his former club. Chavez had been slated to start on Sunday, but his outing was pushed back one
day after he was pressed into relief action and allowed the game-winning home run during the Angels'
13-inning loss to the Blue Jays on Friday.
"You never want to end with an 'L,' and tonight [the goal] was not let that happen, not make that one
pitch a mistake," Chavez said. "Because the other night, I got two quick outs, and it kind of unraveled.
Tonight, my mentality was every time I get an out, there's always another one. That was kind of what
worked out tonight."
Chavez's lone mistake came in the fourth, when he surrendered a home run to Russell Martin that
briefly gave the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.
The Angels' bullpen, which had faltered in their two losses to Toronto over the weekend, sealed the win
with Yusmeiro Petit, David Hernandez and Bud Norris combining for three scoreless innings. Hernandez,
acquired in a trade with the Braves earlier in the day, worked two-thirds of an inning in his Angels debut,
while Norris picked up his second career save.
The Blue Jays threatened in the ninth, putting the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first with
no outs, but Norris worked out of the jam by striking out Chris Coghlan and inducing a game-ending 4-6-
3 double play.
"It's kind of a new neighborhood for him just being in the bullpen, let alone being pushed to the back
end," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Norris. "Not that he's necessarily going to close every game,
but the way it's worked out, he's pitched the ninth inning and done a good job the last couple
opportunities he had. I think he's fine."
Blue Jays left-hander Francisco Liriano yielded two runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking four and
striking out two. Liriano has rebounded from a rough season debut -- in which he surrendered five runs
and recorded just one out -- to post a 2.08 ERA across his last three outings, yielding only four earned
runs through 17 1/3 innings.
"I just try to keep the team in the ballgame," Liriano said. "We're just having a tough time winning
games, but I think we've just got to keep playing hard and put this one behind us and come ready to play
tomorrow."
April 25, 2017 Page 14 of 21
Toronto manager John Gibbons was ejected for a second consecutive game after arguing balls and
strikes in the sixth. Gibbons was upset after Martin took a called third strike from Chavez to end the
inning, as the ball appeared to be well outside the zone.
"I was sitting over there [in the dugout]. We can tell up and down, but you can't tell in and out," Gibbons
said. "And I thought it was kind of a moving zone. Liriano, his ball-to-strike ratio wasn't good, but it
didn't look like he was scattering it everywhere, you know. I defend my guys. I've always done that. I
always will."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Pujols ties it: After Martin homered to give Toronto a 1-0 lead in the fourth, Mike Trout led off the
bottom of the inning by tripling to right field after Jose Bautista slipped while trying to field the ball.
Trout's triple, which had a 79.4-mph exit velocity and a 35-degree launch angle, had a hit probability of
only 3 percent, according to Statcast™.
Trout subsequently scored on Albert Pujols' single to tie the game at 1. Pujols collected his 1,833rd
career RBI on the play, tying him with Dave Winfield for 17th on the all-time list. On Sunday, Pujols
passed Manny Ramirez to become the all-time leader among Dominican players, and he is MLB's active
leader.
Angels' small ball: The Angels took a 2-1 lead after manufacturing the go-ahead run in the fifth. Maybin
singled, stole second and advanced to third on Martin Maldonado's sacrifice bunt before scoring
on Yunel Escobar's RBI fielder's-choice grounder to second base. The Blue Jays challenged whether
Maybin was safe after beating second baseman Devon Travis' short-hopped throw home, and the ruling
was allowed to stand following a replay review.
The play was close, and it wasn't clear Maybin caught the plate as he leaned away from the tag and
reached for home.
"I didn't think I touched the plate at first, that's why I went right back to it," Maybin said. "I knew I was
pretty close, but the good [catchers], even with the new rule, they find a way to kind of still block the
plate a little bit. It was one of those things where you've got to slide a little bit later and use your
athleticism. I was fortunate to get in there."
QUOTABLE
"It probably kept me in the game. If he didn't do that, maybe I was the one who was going to be thrown
out of the game there. So I definitely appreciate the manager doing that for me." -- Martin, on Gibbons
arguing the called third strike that led to his ejection
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Toronto outfielder Kevin Pillar's 0-for-3 night brought an end to his career-high-tying 11-game hitting
streak. He hit .362 (17-for-47) with eight extra-base hits in those 11 games.
WHAT'S NEXT
Blue Jays: The Blue Jays will head east to St. Louis for a three-game Interleague series against the
April 25, 2017 Page 15 of 21
Cardinals that marks the first meeting between the clubs since 2014. Right-hander Marco Estrada will
start Tuesday's opener at 8:15 p.m. ET, facing an opponent he's very familiar with from his five seasons
in Milwaukee.
Angels: The Angels continue their seven-game homestand by opening a three-game series with the A's
at 7:07 PT on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. Right-hander JC Ramirez, who has logged a 6.46 ERA this
season, will start the opener for the Halos.
Chavez finds redemption with 7-K gem
By Maria Guardado / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- On Friday night, right-hander Jesse Chavez was forced to make his first relief appearance of
the season after the Angels exhausted their entire bullpen during their 13-inning series opener against
the Blue Jays. Chavez surrendered a three-run home run to Jose Bautista, which held up as the game-
winning hit in the Angels' 8-7 loss.
Three days later, Chavez reverted to starting and took the mound against Toronto for the second time
this series and earned some redemption, tossing six innings of one-run ball to lead the Angels to a 2-1
win in Monday's finale and clinch a series split.
"You never want to end with an 'L,' and tonight [the goal] was not let that happen, not make that one
pitch a mistake," Chavez said. "Because the other night, I got two quick outs, and it kind of unraveled.
Tonight, my mentality was every time I get an out, there's always another one. That was kind of what
worked out."
Chavez issued four walks but held the Blue Jays to four hits and struck out seven in the 101-pitch
effort. Russell Martin produced the Blue Jays' lone run of the evening in the fourth after hammering an
0-1 fastball over the left-center-field fence for his second homer of the season.
"I think the four walks were a little uncharacteristic of the way Jesse usually goes about his business, but
when he needed to make pitches, he did," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He got some big
strikeouts, got a double-play ball that helped him, He pitched a good game. That's a tough lineup."
Chavez, 33, worked exclusively out of the bullpen last year and has not started regularly since 2015, but
he's performed well in three of his four starts for the Angels this season. He is now 2-3 with a 4.13 ERA
across 24 innings in 2017.
"I feel OK," Chavez said. "It took a little bit to get going. When the lights come on, it's a little different
trying to control the adrenaline, as far as that goes. But we're heading in the right direction, a lot of us.
We just keep at the task at hand, giving our offense a chance to win."
April 25, 2017 Page 16 of 21
Angels aquire reliever Hernandez from Braves
By Maria Guardado / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- David Hernandez was attending a Faith Hill and Tim McGraw concert in Atlanta on Sunday
night when he learned that the Braves had traded him to the Angels in exchange for cash considerations
or a player to be named.
Hernandez, who has been with the Braves' Triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett since the start of the season,
gathered as many belongings as he could and threw them in suitcases. On Monday morning, he woke up
at 5:30 a.m. ET, made a stop in Gwinnett to pick up his baseball gear and then headed to the airport for
his 10 a.m. flight to Southern California.
"It's just been kind of a heck of a day," Hernandez said before the Angels' series finale with the Blue Jays
at Angel Stadium. "But I think just being here at the ballpark is definitely energizing."
Hernandez, who pitched a scoreless two-thirds of an inning in Monday's 2-1 win, should help restore
some of the Angels' bullpen depth, which has significantly thinned following injuries to Huston
Street, Andrew Bailey, Cam Bedrosian and Mike Morin. The Halos' bullpen entered Monday with a 4.50
ERA through 20 games, which ranks 21st in the Majors.
"He still has a very lively fastball, good breaking ball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He has
experience pitching in the back end of games. We'll see how he fits in."
Hernandez, who will turn 32 next month, has a career 4.10 ERA over seven Major League seasons with
the Orioles, D-backs and Phillies. After not making the Braves' bullpen out of Spring Training, the right-
hander opened the season in Gwinnett, where he logged a 1.13 ERA with nine strikeouts and two walks
over eight innings.
"Throwing strikes, I think that's what with I struggled with last year," Hernandez said. "I felt like I was
pounding the strike zone. I added a slider, and it's coming along rather quickly, so hopefully it translates
up here. … It's definitely a blessing in disguise, starting at Triple-A. It afforded me to be able to work on
some things."
The Angels cleared a spot on their 25-man roster for Hernandez after optioning right-hander Daniel
Wright to Triple-A Salt Lake on Monday. Wright started the Angels' 6-2 loss to the Blue Jays on Sunday,
pitching five scoreless innings.
Worth noting
• Right-hander Vicente Campos (right elbow median nerve irritation) was reinstated from the disabled
list on Monday after completing a rehab assignment and was optioned to Salt Lake.
• Infielder Luis Valbuena (right hamstring strain) was slated to begin a rehab assignment on Monday and
play first base at Class A Advanced Inland Empire.
April 25, 2017 Page 17 of 21
Ramirez steps in to start vs. A’s
By Alex Espinosa / Special to MLB.com
The A's and Angels will meet for their second series this season, beginning Tuesday night in Anaheim
when right-handers Jesse Hahn and JC Ramirez are set to go head-to-head.
Oakland has been getting familiar with its AL West foes to begin the season, as the club is in the middle
of a 15-game stretch against division competition. The A's hosted the Angels for a four-game set to open
the season, with the two teams splitting the series. While the Angels started out the year hot and have
cooled off lately, Oakland has responded nicely, putting together a five-game winning streak before
Sunday's loss.
Tuesday's starters have shared similar paths to begin 2017.
Ramirez opened the season in the Angels bullpen, but was inserted into the rotation once Garrett
Richards went out with an injury. The 28-year-old has been knocked around for eight earned runs in 10
1/3 innings in two starts, but has also racked up 12 strikeouts while walking just three.
Hahn, 27, began the year with Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Nashville, but was called up before the
Minor League season started to be an A's long-relief man. He's since bumped Raul Alcantara out of the
rotation as the No. 5 starter, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in 18 innings of work with 14 strikeouts.
Things to know about this game
• Veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco was slated to start Tuesday, but has been pushed back to work on
a mechanical issue, according to Angels manager Mike Scioscia.
• A's outfielder Rajai Davis (hamstring) has missed three straight starts, but is expected to be available
for the series opener in Anaheim.
• Ramirez faced the A's twice as a reliever in the first series, earning a win on April 5 after tossing 2 2/3
scoreless innings.
• A's first baseman Yonder Alonso has been showing more thump early this season, batting
.292/.370/.563 with three home runs. While his 88.2-mph average exit velocity is identical to what he
posted last year, his average launch angle has increased from 10.3 to 18.5 degrees, allowing Alonso to
drive the ball in the air more.
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Angels edge Blue Jays, 2-1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Cameron Maybin stood at third base in the tie game, eyed the infield playing in and
then immediately broke on contact.
April 25, 2017 Page 18 of 21
He dove head-first into home, slid his out-stretched left hand around catcher Russell Martin's tag and
scored what proved the final run Monday night in the Los Angeles Angels' 2-1 victory over the Toronto
Blue Jays.
"It's just a matter of using my size and athleticism, stretch as long as I can," Maybin said. "I have about a
6-8, 6-9 wing span. That's something you learn from playing basketball -- how long your arms are."
Right-hander Jesse Chavez, who came in relief to take the loss in Friday's 13-inning loss to Toronto, went
six innings for the Angels, holding the Blue Jays to one run on four hits. Chavez (2-3) walked four but
struck out seven.
"Today was just a normal day," Chavez said. "I felt good, felt normal."
Bud Norris pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.
Martin's solo home run in the fourth accounted for Toronto's only run. It was his second of the season.
The Blue Jays have scored four runs or less in 14 of their 18 games this season.
"We're not clicking as a unit," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons. "That's the bottom line."
The Angels tied the score in the bottom of the fourth when a Mike Trout double turned into a triple
after right-fielder Jose Bautista slipped. Albert Pujols singled to score Trout. The Angels' winning rally in
the fifth came against Francisco Liriano (1-2) after Maybin's leadoff single. A walk and sacrifice bunt put
runners at second and third.
The Blue Jays played the infield in and Yunel Escobar hit a bouncer to second baseman Devon Travis. He
fired home, but Maybin avoided the tag by Martin.
"I wasn't sure if I got the plate or not right away, so I just went back and touched it," Maybin said.
"(Martin) never touch me."
Liriano went 5 1/3 innings, allowing the two runs on five hits and four walks, with two strikeouts.
"His stuff was good, but his balls-to-strikes ratio wasn't," Gibbons said. "But he held them down and
gave us a shot."
The victory allowed the Angels to split the four-game series against Toronto.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: Josh Donaldson (right calf strain) was eligible to come off the disabled list Monday, but
remains out with an uncertain return. Gibbons said he did speak to his third baseman from Anaheim
Monday and Donaldson said from the team's training facility he was feeling better.
April 25, 2017 Page 19 of 21
Angels: The team reinstated right-hander Vicente Campos from the disabled list and optioned him to
Triple-A Salt Lake City. The Angels hope he has better luck there than at Single-A Inland Empire, where
Sunday he gave up three runs on two homers in 1 2/3 innings.
RETURN ENGAGEMENT
Chavez coming back three days as a starter after appearing as a reliever against the same team is an
oddity, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia said his right-hander handled it well. Said Scioscia: "The four
walks were a little uncharacteristic of the way Jesse normally goes about things. But he made pitches
when he had to."
DOUBLE EJECTION
Gibbons was ejected for the second time this season, and in two games, unhappy about the strike zone
on Liriano and a strike three called against Martin. Said Gibbons: "I thought it was kind of a moving zone.
It didn't look like (Liriano) was moving it everywhere."
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Marco Estrada, who has the lowest ERA (2.63) in the Toronto rotation, will start Tuesday in St.
Louis. He has not allowed an earned run in the combined 13 innings of his last two starts.
Angels: JC Ramirez (0-2) is scheduled to make his third start for the Angels Tuesday at home against the
A's. The converted reliever has struggled in his first two starts (6.97 ERA) but will be pitching with an
extra day's rest.
FROM UPI
Short memory helps Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jesse Chavez come back to beat Toronto Blue
Jays
By Joe Haakenson / The Sports Xchange
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jesse Chavez made the most of his do-over.
The Los Angeles pitcher was called upon Friday in the first game of a series with the Toronto Blue
Jays after the Angels had gone through their entire bullpen entering the 13th inning.
So Chavez, who pitched in 39 games as a reliever for the Blue Jays last season, obliged. He got the first
two outs of the inning before finding trouble, eventually giving up a game-deciding, three-run homer
to Jose Bautista.
On Monday, he got the opportunity to start fresh, and responded with six strong innings as the Angels
held on for a 2-1 win at Angel Stadium.
April 25, 2017 Page 20 of 21
"There were a couple mistakes I made the other night that made that inning elongate," said Chavez,
who gave up only a solo homer to Russell Martin on Monday. "I took my memory bank and just
reminded myself of not letting the same thing happen again."
He certainly didn't let Bautista get him again, walking the Toronto right fielder the first two times he
faced him before getting him on a flyout in Bautista's third at-bat. In all, Chavez (2-3) gave up four hits
and walked four while striking out seven.
David Hernandez, acquired earlier in the day in a trade with the Atlanta Braves, got two outs in the
eighth inning in his Angels debut. Bud Norris pitched the ninth for his second save.
The Angels' defense was solid in support of the pitchers, something manager Mike Scioscia said is a must
if his team is going to contend.
"I want to talk about the defense and what we did on the mound because that's the style we need,"
Scioscia said. "We need to control the game on the defensive end, and we did a pretty good job in this
series. Not just making plays in the field, but our pitcher-catcher relationship, making sure we're hitting
our spots, all the things that are going to be important for our first line of defense, which is your pitcher
on the mound."
The Angels' offense couldn't muster much against Toronto starter Francisco Liriano but was able to do
enough. Mike Trout tripled and scored on an Albert Pujols single in the fourth, and an RBI groundout
by Yunel Escobar in the fifth provided the Angels with the winning margin.
The Blue Jays had a potential rally snuffed out in the seventh inning after Chris Coghlan led off with a
single against Angels reliever Yusmeiro Petit. Coghlan appeared to steal second on a pitch to Devon
Travis, but plate umpire Toby Basner ruled batter's interference on Travis.
Replays showed that Travis hit Angels catcher Martin Maldonado in the back with the follow-through on
his swing. That meant Travis was ruled out and Coghlan had to return to first base.
Blue Jays bench coach DeMarlo Hale, running the game for Toronto after manager John Gibbons was
ejected one inning earlier, came out to argue to no avail. The inning fizzled from there.
Gibbons was ejected after arguing balls and strikes with Basner when Martin was called out on strikes to
end the sixth inning. It was the second ejection for Gibbons in two days. He was booted from the Sunday
game for arguing a quick-pitch call on Blue Jays starter Marcus Stroman.
After the game, Gibbons seemed to indicate his ejection was warranted.
"We can tell up and down, but you can't tell in and out," Gibbons said of pitch location. "I thought it was
kind of a moving zone. ... You know, I defend my guys, I always will. It's frustrating."
Liriano (1-2) got the loss despite giving up just two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings.
April 25, 2017 Page 21 of 21
"His stuff was good, but ball-strike ratio, he put himself in some jams," Gibbons said. "But he could
throw his slider when he was behind in the count, and he held them in check and gave us a shot."
NOTES: The Angels acquired RHP David Hernandez from the Atlanta Braves in a trade for a player to be
named or cash considerations. In seven games with Triple-A Gwinnett this season, Hernandez had a 1.12
ERA with four saves in eight innings pitched, with two walks and nine strikeouts. To make room on the
roster for Hernandez, the Angels optioned RHP Daniel Wright to Triple-A Salt Lake. ... The Angels and
Blue Jays have played each other 410 times since Toronto first entered the league in 1977. Each team
has won 205 games.