June 12, 2016 Page 1 of 25

Clips

(June 12, 2016)

June 12, 2016 Page 2 of 25

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels try to stay loose despite struggles

Yunel Escobar ends Angels’ losing streak with walk-off victory over the Indians, 4-3

Angles draft Notre Dame receiver, center fielder Torii Hunter Jr.

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 7)

Yunel Escobar’s RBI in ninth bails out Huston Street in Angels’ win

Angels lineups: Todd Cunningham called up from Triple-A

Angels draft familiar name: Torii Hunter Jr.

On deck: Indians at Angels, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 14)

Yunel’d it! Angels walk off to stun Tribe

Angels’ system gets more athletic through Draft

Shoemaker’s streak ends at 49 K’s between walks

Proud papa Torii unveils Angels’ pick of son

Huff faces Salazar as Angels seek series victory

Ortega heads to Triple-A to continue development

FROM THE ASSSOCIATED PRESS (Page 22)

Escobar saves Street with winning RBI, Angels top Indians

FROM YAHOO SPORTS (Page 24)

Indians-Angels Preview

June 12, 2016 Page 3 of 25

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels try to stay loose despite struggles

Mike DiGiovanna

A half-hour before batting practice on Saturday, center fielder Mike Trout, sporting a U.S. national soccer team jersey, and reserve infielder Brendan Ryan grabbed a couple of golf clubs and started chipping balls all over the Angels clubhouse, much to the delight and encouragement of their teammates.

The Angels have plenty of issues. Their rotation has been ravaged by injuries, their bullpen work has been spotty, their lineup drops off after the first four spots, and they entered Saturday night’s game against Cleveland, with a five-game losing streak.

They do not, however, seem uptight.

“We’re staying loose,” Trout said. “Obviously, we want to play better on the field, but it starts in here. If we’re uptight in the clubhouse, then we’re going to play uptight on the field. So we have to stay loose and try to take some positive energy into the game.”

There were very few positives last week. The Angels won two of three in Pittsburgh last weekend to remain four games under .500, where they hovered for much of May. But they were swept by the Yankees in a four-game series in New York and lost the opener of a three-game series to the Indians Friday night.

That dropped the Angels to 26-35 and 11 games behind Texas in the American League West, a deficit that has definitely raised the level of concern in the team’s clubhouse and front office.

“No doubt, we’ve had a tough go of it recently,” General Manager Billy Eppler said. “We’re not getting the results that everybody in this organization wants. You go through periods like this throughout the season.

“You try to figure out what’s real and what’s an anomaly, and we’re in the mode of evaluating that. We’d also like to see how things look when we get the full cast of regulars back, to give it a real fair assessment before drawing any conclusions.”

The Angels have 10 players, including their two best starting pitchers, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney, who both suffered potential season-ending elbow injuries, on the disabled list. They have already used 39 players—20 position players and 19 pitchers—several of whom weren’t with the team this spring.

“We’re not trying to set any records for roster moves,” Eppler said, “but we’re also not afraid to rearrange things to give the club the best opportunity to win.”

June 12, 2016 Page 4 of 25

The Angels have received positive contributions from several fill-ins, including shortstop Gregorio Petit, who hit .267 in 27 games through Friday, corner infielder Jefry Marte (.333, three homers in 12 games) and pitchers Nick Tropeano (3-2, 3.25 earned-run average) and Jhoulys Chacin (1-2, 4.42).

“But when you lose the top end of your rotation, it’s hard to absorb that,” Eppler said. “We’ve fixed some holes with Band-Aids instead of permanent cement.”

Shortstop Andrelton Simmons (left-thumb surgery) is expected back this week, and left fielder Daniel Nava (left groin strain), catcher Geovany Soto (right-knee injury), setup man Joe Smith and Tropeano (right shoulder tightness) should be back soon.

Former two-time Cy Young Award Tim Lincecum, signed on May 20, is expected join the rotation this week.

“We keep telling ourselves there’s a lot of baseball left,” Trout said. “It feels like we go through a stretch where we’re struggling, we turn things around, and then go through another tough stretch. We have to put some quality games together and stay positive. It’s too early to hang our heads.”

Yunel Escobar ends Angels’ losing streak with walk-off victory over the Indians, 4-3

Mike DiGiovanna

Tim Lincecum, nicknamed “The Freak” for his ability to generate powerful pitches from his slight physique, is expected to debut with the Angels later this week after making his third triple-A start on Sunday.

The former San Francisco Giants star and two-time Cy Young Award winner will join an Angels rotation that includes “The Control Freak,” right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who took another walk on the not-so-wild side Saturday night.

Shoemaker’s four-pitch free pass to Carlos Santana in the seventh inning ended a streak of 49 strikeouts since his last walk on May 16, the third-longest streak in baseball since 1974 behind Curt Schilling (56) and Greg Maddux (53). The string spanned five games and 155 batters faced.

That did nothing to detract from a superb eight-inning effort in which Shoemaker blanked the Cleveland Indians on three hits and struck out 11 in Angel Stadium, but closer Huston Street robbed Shoemaker of a win by giving up three runs on four hits in the ninth for his first blown save of the season.

June 12, 2016 Page 5 of 25

The night ended well for the Angels when Brendan Ryan singled to lead off the bottom of the ninth, took second on Jett Bandy’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Yunel Escobar’s bloop single to center for a 4-3 walk-off win that ended the Angels’ losing streak at five.

Shoemaker, featuring a fastball that touched 95 mph and a dirt-diving split-fingered fastball, pitched around Santana’s one-out double in the second and struck out five in a row in the fourth and fifth innings.

Shoemaker was disappointing in his first six starts, sporting a 1-5 record and 9.12 earned-run average on May 11. In six starts since, he is 3-2 with a 2.28 ERA, 53 strikeouts and three walks in 431/3 innings.

He departed with a 3-0 lead and a pitch count of 108, but Street failed to hold it in the ninth, giving up consecutive one-out singles to Jose Ramirez, Mike Napoli and Santana for a run, Lonnie Chisenhall’s sacrifice fly and Tyler Naquin’s two-out RBI single to right that made it 3-3.

The Angels broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Mike Trout singled off starter Trevor Bauer, took second when Chisenhall bobbled the hit in right and scored on Jefry Marte’s double into the left-field corner.

Marte started over C.J. Cron for the third time in four games. He has two homers, a double and four RBIs in those games.

“The ball really comes off his bat hot,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He can break games open by hitting the ball out of the park, and he’s shown some plate discipline, getting some good pitches to hit and not missing them.”

The Indians threatened in the seventh when Napoli singled and Santana walked, Shoemaker’s first since he walked Dodgers outfielder Trayce Thompson in the second inning on May 16.

Chisenhall flied to deep left field, a ball Todd Cunningham, called up from triple-A Saturday, caught the ball near the warning track. Napoli tagged, but Cunningham fired a strong one-hop throw to third to nail him. Juan Uribe flied to center to end the inning.

The Angels tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, a rally Johnny Giavotella sparked with a one-out single to center. Bandy’s hit-and-run single through a vacated shortstop hole advanced Giavotella to third.

Gregorio Petit grounded out to the mound, the runners holding, and Escobar walked to load the bases with two outs.

June 12, 2016 Page 6 of 25

Kole Calhoun, who popped to shortstop in his previous two at-bats, followed with another popup to shallow left, but this one fell to the grass. Two runs scored to give the Angels a 3-0 lead.

Angles draft Notre Dame receiver, center fielder Torii Hunter Jr.

Mike DiGiovanna

There was a very familiar name and a somewhat notorious one among the Angels’ picks Saturday, the third and final day of the draft.

The Angels selected Notre Dame center fielder Torii Hunter Jr., the son of the former Angels outfielder and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner, in the 23rd round, and controversial Florida high school pitcher Anthony Molina in the 13th round.

Hunter, a speedy 6-foot-2, 180-pound junior, caught 28 passes for 363 yards as a Notre Dame receiver last fall. He was a part-time player on the baseball team in 2015 and 2016, but his stock rose after a May workout with the Angels in Dallas.

Scouting director Ric Wilson said he is “very confident” the Angels will sign Hunter and is “comfortable” with Hunter playing his final football season at Notre Dame this fall.

“We discussed the possibilities of him playing baseball, and he told us that’s what he wanted to do, so we’re willing to take a chance,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to turn those kinds of tools away. He can run, he has some power, and he’s very athletic. We’ll roll the dice and see what we’ve got.”

Hunter Sr., who played five seasons (2008-12) in Anaheim, was invited by General Manager Billy Eppler to make the official selection via conference call. The pick could give Angels center fielder Mike Trout the chance to play with Torii Sr. and Torii Jr. in the big leagues.

“That would be cool,” Trout said. “I know both of them really well. It’s just special to get drafted.”

Molina was one of the pitchers featured in Jeff Passan’s book, “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports.”

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound right-hander’s fastball was clocked at 96 mph as a 16-year-old. But he attended three high schools, was expelled from one because of a marijuana possession charge, and was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery after a fight at West Broward High in 2015.

The charge was reportedly dropped, but so did the velocity of Molina’s fastball, which was recently clocked between 89 and 94 mph, and his draft stock.

June 12, 2016 Page 7 of 25

“I know there were some questions, but we vet these guys pretty well,” Wilson said. “Sometimes you’re a 17- and 18-year-old kid who doesn’t always do the right thing. Once we got to know him a little bit and dug into the background of why things happened, we felt pretty comfortable with it.”

Of the team’s 40 picks, 31 were college players and nine were high school players. The team took 25 position players and 15 pitchers.

“We’re trying to get athletes in the system, guys with good plate discipline, guys who can miss bats,” Wilson said. “We got a lot of speed, a lot of athleticism. That’s the direction we’re heading.”

Short hops

The Angels recalled left fielder Todd Cunningham from triple A and sent outfielder Rafael Ortega, who hit .158 in his last 13 games, back to Salt Lake. … The Pittsburgh Pirates, who lost catcher Francisco Cervelli because of a broken bone in his left hand, acquired triple-A catcher Erik Kratz from the Angels for cash.

FROM THE OC REGISTER

Yunel Escobar’s RBI in ninth bails out Huston Street in Angels’ win

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Angels manager Mike Scioscia felt it was a straightforward enough decision.

Matt Shoemaker had thrown 108 pitches, his second-highest pitch count in a game this season, through eight innings, and was set to go through the order for a fourth time. So that was it.

“It was to a point where he was going to be at risk,” Scioscia said after the Angels beat the Cleveland Indians, 4-3, Saturday night.

To protect the Angels’ three-run lead in the top of the ninth inning, Scioscia turned to his closer, Huston Street.

Since he was acquired midseason in 2014, Street had to that point converted 63 of 70 save opportunities with the Angels.

June 12, 2016 Page 8 of 25

But facing the top of the Cleveland Indians’ lineup, the veteran Street surrendered three runs on four hits, and the game was tied, costing Shoemaker the win after he tossed eight scoreless innings.

“That’s a shame for Matt,” Scioscia said. “You can’t pitch a better ballgame than he pitched.”

The Angels, ultimately, prevailed when Yunel Escobar hit a walk-off, RBI single in the bottom half of the inning, the ball dropping into shallow left-center field. The victory snapped a five-game losing skid.

“When your team wins, it makes it easy to turn the page,” Street said.

Fernando Salas, who threw one pitch after replacing Street in the ninth, getting to Yan Gomes to pop out, was credited with the win.

“The main thing I feel bad for is Matt Shoemaker,” Street said. “He's the one who deserved to win. Absolutely. 100 percent.”

Shoemaker continued his recent string of success.

He struck out 11 batters, while extending his franchise record to 49 strikeouts without a walk.

The streak was snapped after he threw four straight balls to Carlos Santana in the seventh inning. It was still the third longest streak for any pitcher since 1974.

“It’d be nice to go a whole season without walking anybody, but it’s going to happen,” Shoemaker said. “I wasn't thinking about that.”

His last walk came on May 16, in the second inning of a 7-6 win over the Dodgers where he saw Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson reach first base in consecutive at-bats.

Shoemaker was effective early on against the Indians, striking out two in the first inning. His fastball hit 95 mph, with his changeup and curveball keeping hitters off balance.

Over the first six innings, he faced only one three-ball count.

“If you’re ahead,” Shoemaker said, “you get better results.”

His walk of Santana was his only one of the game, allowing only four batters to reach base.

The outing again provided a bright spot for a pitching rotation that has otherwise been marred with injuries and inconsistency this season. Four starters remain on the disabled list, and Hector Santiago, a 2015 All-Star, has struggled recently, posting a 12.18 ERA in his past five starts.

June 12, 2016 Page 9 of 25

It was also a bit of an improbable turnaround after he gave up 21 earned runs in his first 202/3 innings this season, causing him to be sent to Triple-A.

Since he was recalled, he has a 2.85 ERA in seven starts, including Saturday night, flashing the potential he showed as a rookie.

The Angels boosted Shoemaker’s effort in the seventh inning after a two-run single from Kole Calhoun dropped into shallow left field.

Their first run came in the bottom of the fourth inning after Jefry Marte’s double brought in Mike Trout.

Marte got ahead of a 95 mph fastball from Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer, a former Golden Spikes Award winner at UCLA, and lined it down the third-base line.

Bauer gave up three runs on nine hits in eight innings.

It was the fourth RBI for Marte this week, as he has been in the starting lineup for three of the past four games. It was also his third extra-base hit in that span.

Angels lineups: Todd Cunningham called up from Triple-A

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM — The Angels on Saturday afternoon called up Todd Cunningham from Triple-A Salt Lake.

Cunningham, 27, will start in left field for the first time this season and hit sixth. Rafael Ortega, who was in a 4-for-20 slump, was optioned.

Last October, the Angels picked up Cunningham off waivers from Atlanta.

“He’s been very consistent,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s done a lot of things you want to see from a major-league outfielder. He’s a tough out from both sides of the plate. He’s a really good defender, too.”

In 86 at-bats over 36 games with the Braves last season, the switch-hitting Cunningham hit .221 with a .280 on-base percentage and .267 slugging percentage.

Also, for the third time in four days, Jefry Marte was in the lineup instead of C.J. Cron.

"With Jefry, the ball really comes off his bat hot," Scioscia said. "He has the opportunity to break games open by hitting the ball out of the ballpark. And he’s show discipline, where he’s

June 12, 2016 Page 10 of 25

getting good pitches to hit and not missing ‘em. We’ll see how it goes. … I think Jefry is swinging it well, and we’re going to give him the opportunity to see what he can contribute."

Marte has homered three times in the last week.

Tonight's lineups:

ANGELS (26-35) 3B Yunel Escobar RF Kole Calhoun CF Mike Trout 1B Albert Pujols DH Jefry Marte LF Todd Cunningham 2B Johnny Giavotella C Jett Brandy SS Gregorio Petit SP Matt Shoemaker (3-7, 5.40 ERA) INDIANS (34-26) LF Raja Davis 2B Jason Kipnis SS Jose Ramirez 1B Mike Napoli DH Carlos Santana RF Lonnie Chisenhall 3B Juan Uribe CF Tyler Naquin C Chris Gimenez SP Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.88 ERA)

Angels draft familiar name: Torii Hunter Jr.

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – In 2012, his first full season in the major leagues, Mike Trout shared the same outfield with Torii Hunter.

It remains at least possible that Trout could one day roam the same grounds with Hunter’s son.

June 12, 2016 Page 11 of 25

The Angels on Saturday, the final day of the MLB draft, took Torii Hunter Jr. with their 23rd-round selection.

The younger Hunter is a 6-foot, 195-pound junior outfielder from Notre Dame, but far more regarded for his production on the gridiron than the diamond.

Last fall, he caught 24 passes with two touchdowns as a wide receiver for the Fighting Irish football team. Playing baseball in the spring, Hunter Jr. had just 11 at-bats and collected two hits.

Ric Wilson, the Angels scouting director, said they grew intrigued by his athleticism and pedigree as raw as he might be.

“We’re willing to take a chance,” Wilson said. “It’s hard to turn those kind of tools away. He can run. He’s got some power. He’s got some strength to him. He’s very, very athletic. We’ll roll the dice and see what we got. It’s hard to go wrong when you take athletes.

Wilson and General Manager Billy Eppler believe they can sign him, too.

If he does sign with the Angels, he could still play minor league baseball this summer and return to Notre Dame to play football as a senior.

They said he told them he wants to pursue professional baseball.

“As good at football as he is, I know he loves baseball,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully he’ll get that chance.”

When the club announced the selection, it was the elder Hunter who broke the news on the draft’s web broadcast.

Wilson shied away from drawing much in the way of comparisons between the former Angels outfielder and his son.

“That’s a pretty hard comparison to make, but he’s certainly tooled up like that,” he said. “I don’t know if he’s got the skill level. Obviously he doesn't at this point, but there’s a chance. … You never know.”

The Angels scouted Hunter Jr. at the Alamo Irish Classic in San Antonio last February. Notre Dame played four games and the outfielder saw only one at-bat, but Wilson said they liked his bat speed and strength.

The Angels’ Day 3 draft picks included Anthony Molina, a high school pitcher from Pembroke Pines, Fla., who was taken in the 13th round.

June 12, 2016 Page 12 of 25

Molina emerged as a top prospect when he hit 96 mph as a 16-year-old.

But he dealt with some legal issues, as documented in Jeff Passan’s book, “The Arm: Inside the Billion.”

On deck: Indians at Angels, Sunday, 12:30 p.m.

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

Where: Angel Stadium TV: FSW, 12:30 p.m. Did you know? The Angels have already used 39 players this season. The club record is 54 in 2014. THE PITCHERS ANGELS LHP DAVID HUFF (0-1, 12.27) Vs. Indians: 0-0, 8.10 At Angel Stadium: 0-2, 7.30 Hates to face: Mike Napoli, 4 for 8 (.500), 2 HRs, 4 RBI Loves to face: Rajai Davis, 0 for 2 (.000) INDIANS RHP DANNY SALAZAR (6-3, 2.24) Vs. Angels: 0-1, 4.50 At Angel Stadium: 0-0, 1.59 Hates to face: Kole Calhoun, 3 for 6 (.500), 2 HR Loves to face: Gregorio Petit, 0 for 5 (.000) UPCOMING MATCHUP Monday: Angels RHP Jered Weaver (5-5, 5.56) vs. Twins RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-4, 5.17), 7 p.m., FSW

Angels lineups: C.J. Cron out for series opener against Cleveland

By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM — As the Angels open their three-game weekend series against Cleveland on Friday night, C.J. Cron will not be in the lineup.

Cron, who is hitting .255 with a .264 on-base percentage and .451 slugging percentage in his last 15 games, was out for the second time in the last three days.

June 12, 2016 Page 13 of 25

The first baseman/designated hitter is not injured, Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“C.J.’s OK. Jefry Marte is just swinging the ball well,” Scioscia said. “We want to give him some more at-bats. C.J.’s still in the mix.”

Marte is 3 for 9 in the last five games with two home runs and three RBIs.

The Angels, who sit a season-low 11 games out of first-place in the American League West, will need some pop against the Indians, as they send their ace, Corey Kluber, to the mound.

Tonight’s lineups:

ANGELS (26-34) 3B Yunel Escobar RF Kole Calhoun CF Mike Trout DH Albert Pujols 1B Jefry Marte 2B Johnny Giavotella LF Rafael Ortega C Carlos Perez SS Gregorio Petit SP Hector Santiago (3-3, 5.07) INDIANS (33-26) CF Raja Davis 2B Jason Kipnis SS Francisco Lindor 1B Mike Napoli DH Carlos Santana LF Jose Ramirez 3B Juan Uribe C Yan Gomes RF Michael Martinez SP Corey Kluber (5-6, 3.84)

June 12, 2016 Page 14 of 25

FROM ANGELS.COM

Yunel’d it! Angels walk off to stun Tribe

By Fabian Ardaya and Earl Bloom / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Matt Shoemaker's record-setting hot streak continued on Saturday night, but it took a walk-off single by Yunel Escobar for the Angels to secure a 4-3 win over the Indians and snap their five-game losing streak.

After Shoemaker turned in eight scoreless innings, the Indians rallied for three runs in the ninth to tie the game against Angels closer Huston Street, who blew his first save of the season. But Escobar picked up Street a half-inning later, driving in Brendan Ryan on a broken-bat bloop single to center for his seventh career walk-off hit. Escobar battled Indians reliever Bryan Shaw, fouling off several pitches before finally coming through on a fastball.

"I had the opportunity to see all his pitches, and I felt like that was the last pitch he would throw," Escobar said in Spanish. "To face a guy who throws 93, 94 [mph] and hit him, that's a big thing for me."

Shoemaker was electric once again, adding 11 strikeouts to his Angels record of K's without a walk. The streak reached 49, tied for the third-longest mark in Major League history, before he walked Carlos Santana with nobody out in the seventh.

Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer was almost as effective until late, holding the Angels to three runs (two earned) in eight innings. He only struck out three, but held the damage to just one run until Kole Calhoun's bases-loaded flare single fell to bring in two runs in a tough-luck seventh.

"I thought he pitched his heart out," manager Terry Francona said. "He really pitched well."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED You can't walk here: Shoemaker cruised through his eight scoreless innings, striking out six in a row during a stretch between the fourth and sixth innings. His streak of 49 strikeouts between walks tied him with Pedro Martinez. He fell just short of Greg Maddux (53) and Curt Schilling (56). Shoemaker faced 155 batters over 26 days between walks.

"I was throwing every pitch, no matter what the count was," Shoemaker said. "I kept the hitters off balance, not knowing if it was a fastball or offspeed pitch, whatever the count. I just took that approach."

Rally time: The Indians trailed, 3-0, entering the ninth. They scored on a booming RBI single off the right-field wall by Santana, then on a sacrifice fly by Lonnie Chisenhall. With two outs, Tyler Naquin delivered the game-tying RBI single to right field.

June 12, 2016 Page 15 of 25

"We have won some of those games, and we will win more of those, but it's hard to do," Francona said of his team, which has 14 comeback wins this season."Those are very hard games to win."

With some flare: Calhoun entered Saturday hitting .429 with two outs and runners in scoring position this season, but this hit was unlike the rest. With the bases loaded in the seventh, he lofted a first-pitch fastball from Bauer that hugged the left-field line and landed in shallow left field, just past shortstop Jose Ramirez, bringing home two runs to extend the Angels' lead to 3-0.

Rare miscue: Chisenhall, a converted third baseman, made just his second error in 90 games as an outfielder in the fourth inning. He bobbled Mike Trout's base hit to right field, allowing Trout to reach second. Trout scored on Jefry Marte's two-out double, with the official scorer ruling he would not have scored from first. Chisenhall's first error this season was only the 32nd by the Indians in 61 games.

QUOTABLE "There was some anger involved there." -- Indians catcher Chris Gimenez, referring to Bauer's 103rd pitch of the night, a strike to Marte, being clocked at 95 mph

AFTER FURTHER REVIEW Indians left fielder Rajai Davis reached with two outs in the third inning after an Escobar throwing error. Two pitches later, Shoemaker attempted to pick him off. Davis was ruled safe, and the call was allowed to stand after an Angels challenge. The review lasted three minutes, 23 seconds.

WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Danny Salazar (6-3, 2.24 ERA) starts for the Indians on Sunday in the series finale at Angel Stadium. He'll be pitching on seven days' rest, as he was skipped the last time through the rotation as a precaution due to right shoulder fatigue.

Angels: The Angels go into Sunday's rubber match against the Indians with some uncertainty in the rotation. Left-hander David Huff (0-1, 12.27 ERA) takes the ball for the second time, looking to bounce back from allowing five runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Yankees.

Angels’ system gets more athletic through Draft

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels' 2016 Draft began with four high school players in their first six picks and ended with collegiate seniors in each of their last nine. They took 25 position players and

June 12, 2016 Page 16 of 25

15 pitchers. And as a whole, the Angels believe their farm system -- the consensus worst in the industry -- got a little bit more athletic.

"What we were trying to do is get athletes in the system, get guys that have good plate discipline, guys that could miss bats," Angels scouting director Ric Wilson said after wrapping up the three-day event on Saturday. "That's what our goal was. We got an abundance of guys who can run. We got a lot of speed, got a lot of athleticism. That's kind of the direction we're heading. We'd like to fill the system up with a whole bunch of them."

The Angels began the Draft by using their first-round pick on a dynamic offensive player in Matt Thaiss, the University of Virginia catcher who will probably play elsewhere, then selected athletic high school outfielder Brandon Marsh in Round 2.

Day 2 included another high school athlete (Nolan Williams), two prep right-handers (Chris Rodriguez and Cole Duensing), two defensive-minded collegiate players (shortstop Connor Justus and catcher Michael Barash), a speedy center fielder (Troy Montgomery), an offensive-minded second baseman (Jordan Zimmerman) and a strike-throwing reliever (Andrew Vinson).

Day 3 was highlighted by the selection of Torii Hunter Jr., son of beloved former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter, in Round 23. Ten rounds earlier, the Angels took another high-upside chance with high school pitcher Anthony Molina, an 18-year-old with a live arm and something of a checkered past.

Molina, profiled in Jeff Passan's book "The Arm," was throwing 95-96 mph as a 16-year-old. But he has since been kicked out of school for possession of marijuana and then, in a separate incident, charged with aggravated battery, though charges for the latter were eventually dropped.

He graduated from West Broward High School in South Florida and now throws 89-94 mph, but Wilson said Molina has "a lot of indicators that he's going to throw harder, and that's kind of what we're banking on."

As for his makeup?

"We did a lot of background," Wilson said. "I know there were some questions on some things, but we vet these guys pretty good. Sometimes, when you're a 17- or 18-year-old kid, you don't always do the right thing. But we felt comfortable once we got to know him a little bit."

The Angels began Day 3 by drafting center fielder Brennon Lund, a three-year starter at Brigham Young University who hits well and runs hard. They followed with Georgia pitcher Bo Tucker, a 6-foot-3 left-hander who had a 3.71 ERA as a sophomore, in Round 12.

Along the way, they also picked up an 18-year-old outfielder from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (Francisco Del Valle), an offensive-minded Junior College shortstop (Keith Grieshaber),

June 12, 2016 Page 17 of 25

two University of Arizona seniors (outfielder Zach Gibbons and shortstop Cody Ramer) and a Hawaiian-born right fielder (LJ Kalawaia). In the 30th round, they found high school right-hander Robbie Peto, who stands at 6-foot-4 and may eventually grow into some velocity.

The goal was to consistently find players who have at least one tool that can translate to the big leagues.

"This was a good start this year," Wilson said. "We'll keep building on it."

Shoemaker’s streak ends at 49 K’s between walks In Major League history, only Schilling and Maddux went longer

By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- On Saturday night, Matt Shoemaker found his name in the midst of a group few could have predicted just a month ago.

The Angels right-hander extended his franchise record to 49 strikeouts since his last walk before issuing a free pass to Indians designated hitter Carlos Santana in the seventh inning. The only players in Major League history with longer such streaks are Curt Schilling (56) and Greg Maddux (53). Shoemaker's streak tied that of Pedro Martinez.

Shoemaker was dominant yet again, shutting out the Indians for eight innings as the Angels won, 4-3, to snap a five-game losing streak.

"You can't pitch a better ballgame than Matt pitched," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He just made pitches all night."

Shoemaker's streak lasted 155 batters, as he went 26 days between walks.

"I don't even remember the last time I walked a guy," he said. "I knew I had something like that going on because everyone kept talking about it."

He gave up three hits all night, punching out 11 before exiting with a 3-0 lead. It was the eighth time in his career he recorded double-digit strikeouts, and the third time he has done so against Cleveland.

Shoemaker's ERA -- which sat at 9.12 when he was demoted to Triple-A at the end of April -- now sits at 4.76. Over his last five starts, that ERA has been 1.88, with a 48-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio to boot.

June 12, 2016 Page 18 of 25

He's attacked the zone, been balanced with all of his pitches and turned two pitches that got him rocked early in the season -- his fastball and his splitter -- into bona-fide strikeout pitches.

"He's used fastballs in two-strike counts. He's used splitters in two-strike counts. He's used sliders in two-strike counts," Scioscia said. "I think all his stuff is playing off each other much better now, and I think the balance is there."

Shoemaker also took advantage of a hyper-aggressive Indians lineup, jumping out ahead in counts and working just one three-ball count through the first six innings. During that at-bat, he worked a 3-1 count to Santana and got him to strike out swinging on back-to-back two-seam fastballs.

"He pitched a great game," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "I think we maybe made him look better. I think we had some bad at-bats."

Shoemaker's performance came at a much-needed time. Entering Saturday's game, the Angels' 5.80 ERA in June ranked 28th in the Majors, and they had to use eight pitchers the night before after Hector Santiago lasted on 1 1/3 innings. The pitching staff's woes struck again in the ninth on Saturday, as Cleveland rallied for three runs to hand closer Huston Street his first blown save of the season.

"The main thing I feel bad for is Matt Shoemaker, because he's the one that deserved the win," Street said.

The win went to Fernando Salas (3-2), who threw one pitch in the ninth, getting Yan Gomes on an infield popout to set the stage for Yunel Escobar, who slapped an RBI single to center to secure a 4-3 walk-off win in the bottom of the inning.

While Shoemaker may not have earned the statistical win, he has suddenly found himself in a new role as the Angels' losing-streak killer.

Proud papa Torii unveils Angels’ pick of son Torii Jr., an outfielder at Notre Dame, selected in 23rd round of Draft

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Beloved former Angels outfielder Torii Hunter jumped on the conference call to announce a very personal selection in Day 3 of the Draft on Saturday: With their 23rd-round pick, the Angels had selected his son, Torii Hunter Jr., a center fielder from the University of Notre Dame.

June 12, 2016 Page 19 of 25

The younger Hunter, six months away from graduating, is better known as a wide receiver for the Fighting Irish, but he has picked up baseball again after a two-year hiatus.

The Angels believe he is committed enough to ultimately sign with them.

"I'm excited," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Hunter Jr., whom he got to know in the five years his father spent with the Angels. "This kid's a great kid; he's a great athlete. As good a football player as he is, I know he loves baseball. Hopefully he'll get that chance."

Hunter Jr. last played a full season of baseball in his junior year for Prosper High School in Texas, batting .393 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases in 2012. A broken femur -- suffered during a workout at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio in January 2013, just as his high school football career was wrapping up -- kept him away from baseball for two full years.

Hunter Jr. sat out both sports as a Notre Dame freshman, then played football as a sophomore and joined the baseball team the following spring. He spent his sophomore and junior year as a part-time outfielder, playing in a combined 23 games and drawing only one start.

Hunter Jr.'s baseball coach, Mik Aoki, raved about his athleticism, speed and defense, but noted that his swing needs work.

"The thing that he needs more than anything is an opportunity, for someone -- in this case the Angels -- to just give him two or three seasons and see if he can figure out the bat," Aoki said. "If he can figure out the bat, he can be a big leaguer."

The elder Hunter, now 40, retired at the end of the 2015 season after carving out a distinguished 19-year career, which included nine Gold Glove Awards, five All-Star Game appearances, 353 home runs, 2,452 hits and a .277/.331/.461 slash line.

Hunter Jr. is in line to graduate in December and is said to want to play out his senior year of football. The 21-year-old is able to sign a professional contract in the summer, play football in the fall, then play in the Minor Leagues the ensuing spring.

The Angels would be just fine with that, said longtime scouting director Ric Wilson, who is "very" confident that they will be able to sign Hunter Jr.

The Angels worked Hunter Jr. out leading up to the Draft and were told that he wants to follow in his father's footsteps and play baseball professionally.

"So we were willing to take a chance," Wilson said. "It's hard to turn those kind of tools away. He can run, he's got some power, he's got some strength to him; he's very, very athletic. We'll roll the dice, see what we've got. It's hard to go wrong when you take athletes."

Hunter Jr. certainly qualifies.

June 12, 2016 Page 20 of 25

He was good enough to be a 36th-round Draft pick by the Tigers out of high school in 2013, even though he sat out his senior year. And with 28 receptions for 363 yards and a couple of touchdowns as a junior, he may also be good enough to be selected in the NFL Draft.

Hunter Jr. -- a right-handed hitter, just like his dad -- is listed at 6-foot-2, 180 pounds, and is still raw at baseball.

College players usually gain a lot of necessary seasoning playing in the summer and fall, but Hunter Jr. spent those seasons playing football. His arm is "not great," and his swing is "a little on the longer side," but Aoki believes the latter can be ironed out by focusing on baseball and seeing pitches more consistently.

"I think the thing that stands out to you -- more than anything, to be honest -- is just what a phenomenal kid he is," Aoki said. "Mature, a great teammate, and has just a really kind of humble confidence about him. In this age of Twitter and Instagram, and kids sometimes pumping themselves up through maybe some false means, Torii is incredibly refreshing."

Huff faces Salazar as Angels seek series victory

By Earl Bloom / MLB.com

Left-hander David Huff makes just his second start for the Angels on Sunday, while right-hander Danny Salazar returns to the Indians rotation, as the two teams play the rubber game of their three-game series at Angel Stadium.

Salazar (6-3, 2.24) will be starting on seven days' rest after he was skipped because of right shoulder fatigue. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three career outings against the Angels.

"His shoulder's fine," manager Terry Francona said. "We probably were a little over-protective, but you go one step too far with a guy, you can't take it back."

Huff (0-1, 12.27) is a former Indians first-round pick (2006). In four relief appearances against his original franchise, he's 0-0 with an 8.10 ERA. Huff spent the balance of this season with Triple-A Omaha and Salt Lake City (a combined 1-2, 4.58), before being summoned to replace right-hander Nick Tropeano (right-shoulder tightness) on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

A Huntington Beach native, Huff, 31, pitched for the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers and in the Royals organization before coming home again with the Angels. He is the ninth starting pitcher the Angels have used this season, because of injuries to C.J. Wilson, Tyler Skaggs, Andrew Heaney, Garrett Richards and Tropeano.

Things to know about this game

June 12, 2016 Page 21 of 25

• Huff is the 107th player to have played for both the Dodgers and the Angels. He also pitched in five seasons (2009-13) for the Indians, going 18-26 with a 5.40 ERA over 288 1/3 innings.

• Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun is 3-for-6 (.500) vs. Salazar, with two home runs and three RBIs.

• Indians first baseman Mike Napoli is 4-for-8 (.500) vs. Huff, with two homers and four RBIs.

Ortega heads to Triple-A to continue development Angels add switch-hitting outfielder Cunningham in corresponding move

By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Angels left fielder Rafael Ortega, who had been receiving many of the everyday starts because of injuries to Daniel Nava and Craig Gentry, was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

The Angels selected the contract of outfielder Todd Cunningham from Salt Lake to take Ortega's place on the 25-man roster. Cunningham, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Angels' No. 27 prospect, got the start in left field, batting sixth, in Saturday night's game against the Cleveland Indians at Angel Stadium.

In order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Cunningham, the Angels placed Gentry on the 60-day DL. Gentry had been close to returning from a hamstring injury earlier this month, but was set back by what the organization called a personal medical condition.

Ortega, who was recalled on May 17 for his second stint in the Majors this season, struggled at the plate as of late. He hit .208/.240/.292 in 24 June at-bats.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Ortega showed the ability to hit and field in the Majors, but added that the 25-year-old may need consistent playing time in the Minors to continue his development.

"[Rafael] got a chance to look at the Major Leagues," Scioscia said. "He knows what the challenge is. I think he needs to go down there and apply some things so he can be the player we know he can be. It's a good time for him to do that now."

This is Cunningham's third stint in the Majors, and his first with the Angels after being claimed off waivers from the Braves in October. The 27-year-old switch-hitter had a slash line of .221/.280/.267 with four doubles and four RBIs in 39 games with Atlanta last season, and has hit .299/.401/.382 with two homers and 22 RBIs at Triple-A this season.

June 12, 2016 Page 22 of 25

"Todd's been very consistent," Scioscia said. "I think he does a lot of things that you want to see from a Major League outfielder. He's a tough out from both sides of the plate, and he's a really good defender, too."

Worth noting

• Scioscia elected to start Jefry Marte over C.J. Cron for the third consecutive game on Saturday, hitting Marte fifth in the order as designated hitter. Marte started the previous two games over Cron at first base, where Albert Pujols was on Saturday. Scioscia said Marte's bat has kept him in the lineup over the streaky Cron, who is 5-for-19 (.263) this month.

"We haven't forgotten about [Cron], but Jefry is swinging the bat well and we want to give him the opportunity to see what he can contribute," Scioscia said.

• Angels right-hander Nick Tropeano, who was placed on the 15-day DL on June 4 with right shoulder tightness, is expected to throw a bullpen session on Sunday. Tropeano is one of five Angels starting pitchers dealing with injuries, joining Garrett Richards, Andrew Heaney, C.J. Wilson and Tyler Skaggs.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Escobar saves Street with winning RBI, Angels top Indians

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Everything has been a struggle for the Los Angeles Angels lately, and on Saturday night, even victory came with some complications.

The Angels got a masterful performance from Matt Shoemaker, only to have closer Huston Street allow three runs in the ninth inning for a tie game.

For the first time in a while, though, the Angels had an answer. Yunel Escobar lined a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth, and Los Angeles beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 to snap a five-game losing streak.

"It's not frustrating," Shoemaker said. "That's going to happen sometimes. The important thing is we got a win, especially after a little rough patch."

The Angels had lost 11 of their last 15, but Shoemaker put them in excellent position. He struck out 11 over his eight scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk.

June 12, 2016 Page 23 of 25

Shoemaker's streak of strikeouts without allowing a free pass ended at 49 when he walked Carlos Santana in the seventh on four straight pitches. It was only his second three-ball count of the game.

The Angels scratched three runs off right-hander Trevor Bauer, scoring an unearned run in the fourth inning on Jefry Marte's double and adding two more in the seventh on a bases-loaded bloop single by Kole Calhoun.

But in the ninth, Angels manager Mike Scioscia went to Street, who promptly blew the save. Santana singled in one run, Lonnie Chisenhall scored the second run with a sacrifice fly and Tyler Naquin tied it with a single.

It was only Street's fourth game since coming off the disabled list with an oblique strain that forced him to miss 32 games.

"There's some things that he's kind of struggling with, there are some release-point issues," Scioscia said. "I don't think it's anything major. He's a touch and feel guy and has really good command, and right now he's struggling to find some of that."

Fernando Salas (3-2) replaced Street and got the final out of the ninth.

The Angels rallied against right-hander Bryan Shaw (0-2) in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff single by Brendan Ryan and a sacrifice bunt by Jett Bandy set the stage for Escobar's winning single.

"The team needed a win and this is a good step forward," Escobar said.

Bauer allowed three runs -- two earned -- in eight innings with nine hits, a walk and three strikeouts.

"He's been fantastic his last two starts, Seattle and here," Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "He looks like he has a new gameplan figured out, and it's working for him."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: C Yan Gomes (contused testicles) has not started the past two games but is scheduled to start in Sunday's series finale.

Angels: RHP Tim Lincecum is scheduled to make his third and likely final rehab start for Triple-A Salt Lake on Sunday. ... SS Andrelton Simmons (thumb ligament tear) could also be activated this week.

UP NEXT

June 12, 2016 Page 24 of 25

Indians: After being skipped a turn in the rotation to deal with shoulder fatigue, RHP Danny Salazar (6-3) is scheduled to return to the mound for Cleveland. His last start was June 3 against the Royals (one run in eight innings). He has won four of his last five decisions.

Angels: With four starting pitchers still on the disabled list, Los Angeles will turn again to LHP David Huff (0-1), needing a much improved outing. In his first start for the Angels on Tuesday against the Yankees, he lasted only 3 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits.

FROM YAHOO SPORTS

Indians-Angels Preview

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One of the major leagues' best yet underrated pitchers will start for the Cleveland Indians against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

Right-hander Danny Salazar, 26, enters the game second in the American League with a 2.24 earned-run average. Opponents are batting just .183 against him, the league's second-lowest average against any pitcher. Salazar, who missed his last start Wednesday because of shoulder fatigue, is pitching on nine days' rest.

"His shoulder's fine," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We probably were a little overly protective. But once you go one step too far with somebody, you can't take it back."

Salazar's tantalizing potential motivated Francona to be cautious last week.

"He's got a chance to be pretty special," Francona said. "He's got pitches to attack hitters, and he's starting to figure out the things to fall back on when things aren't perfect."

Opposing Salazar is left-hander David Huff, a 31-year-old journeyman making his second start of the season. Huff allowed five runs on eight hits -- including two home runs -- in 3 2/3 innings during Tuesday night's 6-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Angels are Huff's seventh major league organization. Los Angeles signed Huff on May 19, two days after the Kansas City Royals released him, and purchased his contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.

Huff went to high school in Huntington Beach, less than 20 miles from Angel Stadium, and played collegiately at UCLA and UC Irvine.

Cleveland seeks to maintain its three-game lead in the American League Central over the second-place Detroit Tigers. Los Angeles, meanwhile, hopes to build upon very recent success.

June 12, 2016 Page 25 of 25

The Angels needed a ninth-inning rally Saturday night to earn a 4-3 win and break a five-game losing streak.

"We're not going to give up," second baseman Johnny Giavotella said. "We're going to battle until the last out, whether we have a 10-game losing streak or a 10-game winning streak."

Right-hander Tim Lincecum will make his first major league appearance in nearly a year Sunday, when the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Indians conclude their three-game series.

Lincecum, who won two Cy Young Awards and helped the San Francisco Giants win three World Series, made his last appearance June 27 and lasted only 1 2/3 innings before undergoing hip surgery in September. Released in November, Lincecum staged a showcase in Arizona on May 6 that attracted scouts from more than 20 teams, and signed with the Angels on May 20.

Signing Lincecum is the Angels' latest attempt to craft a patchwork rotation in the aftermath of injuries. Four starters -- right-handers Garrett Richards and Nick Tropeano, and left-handers C.J. Wilsonand Andrew Heaney -- are on the disabled list, with Tropeano the only one expected to be activated soon.