May 4, 2017 Page 1 of 19

Clips

(May 4, 2017)

May 4, 2017 Page 2 of 19

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Big sixth inning is not enough for Angels as Mariners rally for four in eighth

Angels give Alex Meyer another shot in starting rotation

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 6)

Angels’ Mike Trout wins AL player of the month

After coming back, Angels blow late lead in loss to Mariners

Angels Notes: Alex Meyer gets a shot, facing pitcher the Angels could have had instead

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)

Angels get a taste of their own medicine

Parker's misstep costs Angels

Meyer has chance to stick in Angels' rotation

Trout collects 4th Player of the Month Award

Angels call up Meyer to take on Mariners

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)

Mariners rally with 4 runs late to beat Angels 8-7

Angels rookie Meyer to take ball vs. Mariners

FROM NBC SPORTS (Page 18)

Mike Trout, Ryan Zimmerman win April Player of the Month honors

May 4, 2017 Page 3 of 19

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Big sixth inning is not enough for Angels as Mariners rally for four in eighth

By Pedro Moura

One night before, Albert Pujols had been the hero in an 11-inning victory. Afterward he spoke knowingly

about how, try as he might, he wouldn't always be able to produce winning hits in big situations.

When Pujols had the opportunity to win the Angels another game Wednesday night at Safeco Field, this

time he came up short. With Mike Trout aboard after getting hit by a pitch, Pujols struck out swinging as

the final out in the Angels’ wild 8-7 loss to Seattle.

Once down four runs, the Angels rallied for six in the sixth inning before the Mariners mounted an

eighth-inning rally for four runs off of reliever Blake Parker.

The latter effort featured three ground-ball singles and a bloop double, and was aided by a mental

mistake from Angels second baseman Cliff Pennington, who threw to first on a grounder to him,

eschewing the quickest path to a potential inning-ending double play.

“It was just a dumb play," Pennington said. “I just thought we could get the double play that way, but it

wasn’t even that close.”

With runners on first and second in a two-run game, Pennington fielded a routine grounder, briefly

chased the runner from first, then threw to first for the force out. If he had thrown to second or stood

his ground and tagged runner Danny Valencia, he would at least have a kept a runner out of scoring

position. Immediately, Pennington knew he had erred, but he did not think a throw to second would

have produced a double play. He queried shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who said the same.

Before the game unraveled, the Angels' sixth-inning rally began, as so many big innings do, with a tiring

starting pitcher. Seattle’s splitter-wielding Hisashi Iwakuma had limited them to three singles and a walk

through five innings. But he had been drilled in the knee by a liner in the fifth, and he is subject to the

same disadvantages as all starting pitchers when traversing the third time through a lineup.

Kole Calhoun’s leadoff double initiated the Angels’ rally. Trout’s smash to center field for a two-run

home run set it into motion and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games. And Pujols’ single

forced Iwakuma’s exit. Then, the Angels continued to shoot ball after ball into play against Mariners

rookie right-hander Emilio Pagan, who was making his major league debut.

Simmons made the first out of the inning, and it appeared bound to be a home run until Seattle’s

Guillermo Heredia heroically leaped to catch it over the left-field wall. Martin Maldonado made the

second on a bunt. He appeared to take issue with Valencia’s hard tag and vocalized a complaint, briefly

clearing both teams' benches and bullpens.

Asked what he had been upset about, Maldonado said only that it was a “misunderstanding.”

May 4, 2017 Page 4 of 19

In all, the Angels produced seven hits and six runs in that inning. For the rest of the game they had only

four hits and one run, a Calhoun ninth-inning solo shot.

Earlier, Ben Revere began the third inning by lining a baseball hard to right field, right to the Mariners'

Ben Gamel. When Revere returned to the dugout, he yelled an expletive audible across the empty

stadium.

In his next at-bat, he slapped a single up the middle and quickly stole second, seemingly leaping out of

his season-long slump. He singled, too, amid the Angels’ big rally.

Starter Ricky Nolasco began by permitting a two-out solo shot to Robinson Cano in the first inning. After

a perfect second, the Mariners lashed back-to-back drives to the same spot of the center-field wall in

the third. The first, off Gamel’s bat, was hit too hard for Trout to track down. The second, by Cano, was

not, and it ended the inning.

When Nelson Cruz led off the fourth with a single, right-hander Yusmeiro Petit warmed up in the Angels’

bullpen as Nolasco began to suffer from a right calf cramp. The Angels’ starter worked out of it,

withstood an evaluation, and remained in the game for another inning. After Mike Zunino doubled, Jean

Segura homered and Gamel doubled in the fifth, Petit warmed again.

Nolasco intentionally walked Cano, then fell behind in the count to Cruz, who snuck a single into left

field, scoring Seattle’s third run of the inning. That concluded Nolasco's night.

“I should be all right,” he said of the calf. “We’ll find out tomorrow.”

In relief, Petit finished the inning and recorded four more outs without issue. He struck out four of the

six batters he faced.

Scioscia used left-hander Jose Alvarez to retire Gamel and Cano, both left-handed hitters, and then

asked Parker to handle the eighth. He fumbled it.

The Angels (15-14) improbably lead the sport in comeback wins, and nearly registered another. But on a

quiet night at the ballpark, they fell victim to their own methods.

Even on the warmest Seattle day in months, fewer than 14,000 fans were announced at Safeco Field. It

was the lightest-attended game here in more than a year.

Angels give Alex Meyer another shot in starting rotation

By Pedro Moura

The Angels are giving Alex Meyer another chance to establish himself as the major league starter he was

long expected to become.

May 4, 2017 Page 5 of 19

Nine years ago, Boston drafted Meyer out of a rural Indiana high school and offered him more than $2

million to sign. He went to the University of Kentucky instead, and three years later signed with

Washington for a similar bonus. Accordingly, he officially became a top prospect in the spring of 2012.

Since then, injuries have regularly struck his lanky 6-9 frame, and he’s been traded twice. At 27, he has

pitched in 10 major league games and registered a 6.54 earned-run average.

Still, when Tyler Skaggs’ oblique strain vacated a starting spot for at least the next two months, Meyer

was the Angels’ first choice to fill it. He is scheduled to start Thursday against Seattle, and manager Mike

Scioscia said he does not expect the opportunity to be “one and done.”

“I’m excited about it,” Meyer said. “It’s extremely unfortunate what’s been going on with the injury bug

up here, with Tyler, Garrett [Richards] and the bullpen on top of that. Obviously, they need some help. I

want to be the guy to help them with that.

“This is a big deal for me.”

Meyer battled errant command throughout spring training. Since the season began, he said, his

command has been “fairly good" with triple-A Salt Lake. He said he has focused on landing his curveball

in the strike zone, a feat he did not consistently manage during his only appearance for the Angels this

season, 3 2/3-innings against Toronto on April 21.

He made only one start since, a four-inning outing for triple-A Salt Lake in which he allowed five runs. He

said he succeeded with the curveball in the latter three innings after a “lethargic” first inning.

“Now it’s a matter of doing that through a full outing at this level,” he said.

Across the industry, the consensus is that Meyer is best suited to pitching in relief. The Angels do not

share that belief.

“With where his upside is,” Scioscia said, “we definitely think it’s worth giving him an opportunity, to see

if the improvements he’s been working on are where they need to be.”

Short hops

Second baseman Danny Espinosa was not in the starting lineup Wednesday after an extended pregame

session with coaches Dave Hansen and Paul Sorrento to make changes to his left-handed swing. The

switch-hitter started the day with a .160 batting average and a .511 OPS in 103 plate appearances this

season, with 37 strikeouts. He is expected to start Thursday. “There’s been some glimmers of hope,”

Scioscia said. … Right-hander Andrew Bailey began to throw off a mound Wednesday for the first time

since shoulder inflammation prompted him to be shut down April 12. His recovery remains ahead of

that of Cam Bedrosian, who has not yet throw from a long distance.

May 4, 2017 Page 6 of 19

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels’ Mike Trout wins AL player of the month

By Jeff Fletcher

SEATTLE — Mike Trout was named American League player of the month following the best April of his

young career.

Trout hit .364 with a .443 on-base percentage and a .707 slugging percentage in April. Trout hit seven

homers and drove in 18 runs. He finished the month with a 14-game hitting streak, which he extended to a

career-best equaling 15 in the first game of May on Tuesday.

He beat out New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who hit .303/.411/.750 with 10 homers. Judge won

the rookie of the month.

Trout, who had an 1.151 OPS, surpassed his previous best April. He had a 1.039 OPS in April 2015. This was

the fifth full April in the majors for Trout, who became an everyday player on April 28, 2012.

Trout has won the won the league’s player of the month award four times, also in July 2012, June 2014

and July 2015. He tied Chuck Finley for the most monthly awards in Angels history.

After coming back, Angels blow late lead in loss to Mariners

By Jeff Fletcher

SEATTLE — The Angels and Seattle Mariners both blew Wednesday’s game.

Unfortunately for the Angels, they blew it last.

After overcoming a four-run deficit to take a two-run lead, the Angels gave up four runs in the eighth in an

8-7 loss to the Mariners.

They also had another starting pitcher develop a physical issue, although this one seems much less serious

because Ricky Nolasco continued to pitch through what he called cramping in his right calf.

“It should be alright,” said Nolasco, who will be re-evaluated on Thursday.

The Angels had overcome Nolasco’s rough outing, erasing a 4-0 deficit and taking a 6-4 lead, which two

relievers had protected into the eighth. Blake Parker then got the ball, bringing a 2.19 ERA and 21

strikeouts in 12-1/3 innings to the mound.

By the time he was done, the Mariners — the team that employed him for most of last season — had

scored four runs. Much of the damage, however, came on well-placed ground balls or bloopers. And one

defensive miscue didn’t help either.

May 4, 2017 Page 7 of 19

“It’s real frustrating, especially because the team has been doing so well, you want to keep it going,”

Parker said. “You never want to hang a crooked number up there. You want to minimize the damage.

Sometimes balls find holes. That’s how it goes.”

Parker struck out Nelson Cruz to start the inning. Then Kyle Seager rolled a single into center, and Danny

Valencia singled into right.

Guillermo Heredia hit a slow chopper to second baseman Cliff Pennington, who fielded it and ran at

Valencia, but Valencia stopped short of Pennington and took a step backward. Pennington stopped chasing

him and threw to first.

“A really dumb play,” Pennington said. “I should have just went and tagged him.”

Pennington said he thought that after he had chased Valencia back a little, he had time to throw to first

and then still get Valencia with a relay back to second. He said as soon as he threw the ball, he realized

that was a mistake. He also said he asked shortstop Andrelton Simmons if they could have gotten the

double play if he’d flipped the ball to him immediately.

“Simba didn’t think that,” Pennington said. “You just gotta tag him. That’s the tying run.”

Pennington’s mistake meant Parker had to face pinch-hitter Taylor Motter with runners at second and

third instead of first and third. With the tying run in scoring position, Parker obviously had to pitch Motter

more carefully, and he walked him.

Jarrod Dyson then blooped a double into right, driving in two to tie the score. Jean Segura then hit a

ground ball through the hole on the left side to drive in two, putting Seattle up, 8-6.

Kole Calhoun homered for the second straight night against Seattle closer Edwin Diaz, but the game ended

on an Albert Pujols strikeout with Mike Trout at first.

The loss spoiled a night in which the Angels seemed on the verge of doing what they do best: coming back

for a victory.

They came into the game with a major-league leading 11 come-from-behind victories, so they were

certainly still confident after Ricky Nolasco put them in a 4-0 hole in the fifth.

They scored six runs in the sixth, with the inning starting against Hisashi Iwakuma, who has been a nemesis

to the Angels for years.

The Angels had just two hits and no runs against Iwakuma in the first four innings. In the fifth, Simmons hit

a line drive off his leg. The ball ricocheted over to first and Simmons was out, but Iwakuma was not the

same after that.

The next two hitters reached base, and although he got out of that inning, he would not get another out.

The Angels greeted Iwakuma with three straight hits to start the sixth, including a two-run homer by Trout.

It extended Trout’s hitting streak to 16 games, a new career high.

May 4, 2017 Page 8 of 19

Reliever Emilio Pagan then entered for his major league debut, which didn’t go well. He faced four hitters,

and the only one he retired was Simmons, whose bid for a three-run homer was denied by a spectacular

leaping catch by left fielder Heredia.

The Angels tied the game on Pennington’s RBI single and they took the lead on Yunel Escobar’s two-run

double off the center field fence.

By the time it was over, the Angels had six runs on seven hits. Of the three outs, one was the robbed

homer and one was a sacrifice.

The outburst erased Nolasco’s poor outing. He had allowed just one run in the first four innings, but he had

started to feel cramping in his calf earlier in the game, so Scioscia had Yusmeiro Petit warming in the

fourth.

Obviously it wasn’t serious enough for the Angels to pull him because of the injury. He stuck around until

he’d allowed hits to three straight batters — with an intentional walk in between — in the fifth.

“We were going hitter by hitter with him to see how he felt,” Scioscia said. “It didn’t affect him much, but

considering where we are, we didn’t want to take a chance with that.”

Angels Notes: Alex Meyer gets a shot, facing pitcher the Angels could have had instead

By Jeff Miller

SEATTLE — The pitching matchup in Thursday’s Angels game will provide a look at what could have been

and what is.

The Angels will promote Alex Meyer from Triple-A to start, taking the spot vacated by injured Tyler Skaggs.

He will pitch against Seattle Mariners’ lefty Angel Miranda.

To see how those two pitchers represent alternate versions of Angels recent history, cut back to last

summer.

The Baltimore Orioles were shopping for left-handed starting pitching, looking at both the Angels’ Hector

Santiago and the Mariners’ Wade Miley.

The Orioles offered Miranda for Santiago, but the Angels turned them down, according to a source with

knowledge of the talks. Instead, the Orioles shipped Miranda to Seattle for Miley.

The Angels waited until the morning of the trading deadline to deal Santiago to the Minnesota Twins for

Meyer and veteran Ricky Nolasco. The Angels also sent along minor league pitcher Alan Busenitz.

General Manager Billy Eppler explained at the time that the Angels wanted to take a chance on a pitcher

with a higher ceiling, Meyer. Plus, they also got Nolasco, a relatively safe bet to replace Santiago’s innings.

Miranda was considered a No. 6 starter even by the Mariners. He wouldn’t be in their rotation at all if not

for injuries to Felix Hernandez and Drew Smyly.

May 4, 2017 Page 9 of 19

Meyer, at 27 a year younger than Miranda, still has the promise that goes along with his 97 mph fastball.

So far, it’s still just potential. Meyer has allowed 13 earned runs in 25-1/3 innings in six starts with the

Angels, including one last month. He also has a 6.16 ERA in four starts this season at Triple-A.

“I think he’s been throwing the ball better than some of his numbers indicate down below,” Manager Mike

Scioscia said Wednesday. “You definitely can’t go by ERA in the (hitter-friendly) PCL, but there are some

positive things that you want to see if they are going to carry up to the big leagues. With where his upside

is, we definitely think it’s worth giving him an opportunity to see if the improvements he’s been working

on are where they need to be.”

With Skaggs out for at least 10 weeks, Meyer figures to get an extended opportunity to show what he’s

got. He said he’s been happy with the mechanical changes he made in the winter — intended to keep him

healthy — and he knows what he needs to do to take the next step in the majors. He said he couldn’t

parlay two good innings into a good start when he pitched in the majors last month. The strike zone got

away from him and he couldn’t get it back. He was pulled in the fourth inning.

“It’s a matter of staying consistent,” he said. “When you get a little cut, you’ve got to stop the bleeding. I

didn’t do that the other night when I was up here.”

DAY OFF FOR ESPINOSA

Danny Espinosa, who ended Tuesday night’s game in an 0-for-19 slump, was not in the lineup on

Wednesday. Scioscia said he would be back on Thursday.

Espinosa, who was hitting .160, said the problem is his timing, not his mechanics. He said it’s the same

problem he had for most of last season, when he hit .209.

“The hits haven’t been falling, but I need to put the ball in play more,” said Espinosa, who had 37

strikeouts in 94 at-bats. “The more contact I make and the more hard contact I make, the more

opportunity I’ll have for the hits to fall. … I’ll just keep working and grinding. We have five months to play.”

TROUT HONORED

Mike Trout was named American League player of the month following the best April of his young career.

Trout hit .364 with a .443 on-base percentage and a .707 slugging percentage in the month. Trout hit

seven homers and drove in 18 runs. He finished the month with a 14-game hitting streak, which he

extended to a career-best equaling 15 in the first game of May on Tuesday.

Trout has won the league’s player of the month award four times, also in July 2012, June 2014 and July

2015. He equaled Chuck Finley for the most monthly honors in club history.

ALSO

Andrew Bailey, who is rehabbing from a shoulder problem, threw off a mound on Wednesday, Scioscia

said. Bailey needs to continue ramping up his bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment. …

May 4, 2017 Page 10 of 19

C.J. Cron, who is out with a bruised left foot, has begun hitting off a tee, Scioscia said. Cron is expected to

be back around the time he’s eligible, next Tuesday. …

Left-hander Greg Mahle, who was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and was outrighted to

Triple-A.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels get a taste of their own medicine

By Maria Guardado and Greg Jones / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- Jean Segura has proven to be a huge addition at the top of the Mariners' lineup, and the hot-

hitting shortstop was at it again Wednesday with four RBIs -- including a tiebreaking two-run single in

the eighth -- as Seattle battled back for an 8-7 win over the Angels at Safeco Field.

Segura, who also had a two-run homer in the fifth, capped the Mariners' game-winning rally off Angels

reliever Blake Parker after Jarrod Dyson tied the game with a two-out, two-run bases-loaded double.

"We fought back," said Segura, who is hitting .314 since being acquired from the D-backs this offseason

to fill Seattle's leadoff role. "It's tough to come back and win these games. But we put some good at-

bats together. Dyson had a huge two-strike knock for us, and I was just trying to put a ball in play and

make something happen. We're going to get better. We have to get better if we're going to win at this

level."

The Angels have had 11 come-from-behind wins of their own this season, and they'd stormed back from

a four-run deficit with a six-run sixth, bolstered by Mike Trout's eighth homer and Yunel Escobar's two-

run double.

The Halos threatened to do it again in the ninth, as they cut the final margin to one with a homer

by Kole Calhoun off Edwin Diaz and had the tying run on first before the 23-year-old closer struck

out Albert Pujols for his fifth save.

"All losses are tough, but we battled back and put ourselves in a position to get the game on our terms,

and we just couldn't get that one pitch to get out of that eighth inning," Angels manager Mike Scioscia

said. "Give those guys credit. They came back and got it."

Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma sailed through five scoreless innings, but he gave up three straight hits

-- including Trout's two-run blast -- leading off the sixth before the Angels took the lead against

relievers Emilio Pagan and Nick Vincent.

The Mariners also got a home run from Robinson Cano and a three-hit game from Nelson Cruz as they

improved to 12-16 with their first win in five games against the Angels, who fell to 15-14 after losing for

only the third time in 11 games.

May 4, 2017 Page 11 of 19

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Getting out in a hurry: The Mariners knocked out Ricky Nolasco with a three-run rally in the fifth, with

Segura delivering the key blow with his homer. Segura has provided considerable pop from his leadoff

spot, and his third round-tripper of the year was a rocket that left the bat at 106 mph and was projected

by Statcast™ to travel 379 feet. Mike Zunino and Ben Gamel had doubles in the inning, and Cruz drove in

a run with a broken-bat single to make it 4-0.

"I put myself in some bad counts and they started putting some hits together," Nolasco said. "Not much

I can do when I put myself in a bad situation behind in the count like that. … They did a good job waiting

me out and laying off some pitches and doing damage."

Nolasco also experienced some cramping and tightness in his right calf during the outing, though he said

it should be all right.

It all starts with Trout: The Angels were trailing by that 4-0 margin until their two-time American League

MVP unloaded a 412-foot blast to center field off Iwakuma to kick-start the six-run sixth. Trout's homer

extended his MLB-leading hitting streak to 16 games, the longest of his career, and broke a long stretch

of frustration against Iwakuma. Trout was 9-for-52 (.173) with 14 strikeouts against the veteran right-

hander before launching a 2-0 cutter over the fence.

QUOTABLE

"I'm proud of our guys for hanging in there tonight. Things have not been going our way. We haven't

played very well. But I thought we played a clean game tonight, which we didn't do last night, so that's a

step in the right direction. It was a nice comeback and hopefully some momentum going into

tomorrow." -- Mariners manager Scott Servais

CATCH OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE

Pagan had a rough MLB debut, as he gave up three hits and three runs while getting just one out in relief

of Iwakuma in the sixth. And the one out came on an incredible catch by left fielder Guillermo Heredia,

who stuck his glove up as he slammed into the wall to rob Andrelton Simmons of a three-run homer.

Instead, Simmons wound up with a sacrifice fly that cut the lead to 4-3 and Heredia wound up with a

highlight catch that could hold up as one of the best of the season.

"Awesome," said Servais. "What a play. To go back on that ball and jump and time it like he did over the

wall, that was a huge play in the game. … The at-bats, the energy, the defense, how he goes about it, I'm

really happy for him and happy we got him. He's a big plus for us."

WHAT'S THE BEEF?

Both benches cleared and the bullpens emptied briefly in the top of the sixth after Mariners first

baseman Danny Valencia fielded a bunt and tagged Angels catcher Martin Maldonado in the chest. The

play appeared to be clean, but Valencia and Maldonado exchanged some words as he headed back to

the dugout. That brought the troops out from both sides, but things dispersed quickly without further

dispute.

May 4, 2017 Page 12 of 19

"It's a misunderstanding," Maldonado said. "That's all."

WHAT'S NEXT

Angels: The Angels will call up right-hander Alex Meyer to start against the Mariners in Thursday night's

series finale at 7:10 PT at Safeco Field. Meyer lasted only 3 2/3 innings in his season debut against the

Blue Jays on April 21, allowing two runs while walking four and striking out three.

Mariners: Left-hander Ariel Miranda closes out the series with the Angels Thursday, as he looks to

follow up a win in Cleveland in which he allowed just two hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings. The 28-year-

old faced the Halos three times in the final two months last season, going 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA.

Parker's misstep costs Angels

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

SEATTLE -- Blake Parker has been one of the bright spots in an Angels bullpen that has been tested by

overwork and injuries this season, but the 31-year-old journeyman faltered on Wednesday night,

surrendering four runs in the eighth inning and allowing the Mariners to rally for an 8-7 win at Safeco

Field.

"It's real frustrating, especially because the team has been doing so well and you want to keep it going,"

said Parker, who suffered his first blown save of the season. "It hurts. You never want to hang a crooked

number. You always want to minimize the damage, but sometimes the balls just find a hole, and that's

the way baseball goes."

Parker entered the game in the eighth and was charged with protecting the Angels' 6-4 lead, but he fell

into a jam after yielding back-to-back singles to Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia with one out. Parker

coaxed a groundout from Guillermo Heredia to record the second out but then walked pinch-

hitter Taylor Motter to load the bases.

Jarrod Dyson followed by blooping a two-run double to right field, tying the game at 6. Jean Segura then

put Seattle ahead, 8-6, with a single to left.

"He started off great and then got two ground balls that found holes," Angels manager Mike Scioscia

said. "Motter had a good at-bat, couldn't finish him. Give Dyson credit, he put the bat on the ball and

blooped one in."

Parker earned a spot in the Angels' bullpen as a non-roster invitee after recording his final 17 outs of

Spring Training via strikeout. He entered Wednesday with a 2.19 ERA over 12 1/3 innings and had

emerged as one of the Halos' more reliable relief options, particularly following the injuries to Cam

Bedrosian, Huston Street, Andrew Bailey and Mike Morin.

But he couldn't shut the door on the Mariners on Wednesday, spoiling what was setting up to be

another dramatic come-from-behind victory for the Angels. The Halos fell behind early, 4-0, but then

erupted for six runs in the sixth to take their first lead of the night.

May 4, 2017 Page 13 of 19

Even after Seattle seized an 8-6 lead, the Angels threatened again in the ninth, as Kole Calhoun homered

off closer Edwin Diaz to cut the deficit to one and Mike Trout reached on a hit by pitch to put the tying

run on first with two outs. Still, the Halos' comeback magic ran out, as Diaz subsequently struck

out Albert Pujols to end the game.

"All losses are tough, but we battled back and put ourselves in a position to get the game on our terms,

and we just couldn't get that one pitch to get out of that eighth inning," Scioscia said. "Give those guys

credit. They came back and got it."

Meyer has chance to stick in Angels' rotation

Prospect getting called up to start finale vs. Mariners

By Maria Guardado

SEATTLE -- The Angels plan to call up right-hander Alex Meyer from Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday to

start their series finale against the Mariners, filling the void in their rotation left by the injured Tyler

Skaggs, who landed on the disabled list with an oblique strain last week.

With Skaggs expected to miss 10-12 weeks, manager Mike Scioscia said Meyer will get the opportunity

to stay in the Angels' rotation over the long term if he pitches well.

"I don't think we expect him to be one and done," Scioscia said.

Thursday will mark Meyer's second start of the year for the Halos. Meyer, ranked the club's No. 8

prospect by MLBPipeline.com, made his season debut on April 21, but he lasted only 3 2/3 innings

against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs while walking four and striking out three.

The 27-year-old has made four starts in Triple-A, logging a 6.16 ERA with 24 strikeouts and seven walks

over 19 innings, though the Angels believe his statistics aren't an accurate reflection of his performance

this year.

"I think Alex has been really throwing the ball better than some of his numbers indicate [in the Minors],"

Scioscia said. "You definitely can't go by ERA in the [Pacific Coast League]. But there are some positive

things that you want to see if they're going to carry up to the big leagues. With where his upside is, we

definitely think it's worth giving him an opportunity to see exactly the improvements he's been working

on where they need to be. We had some options, but we feel that Alex is the best way to go right now."

Worth noting

• Second baseman Danny Espinosa, who entered Wednesday mired in an 0-for-19 slump, received the

day off, opening the door for reserve infielder Cliff Pennington to start at second against the Mariners.

The switch-hitting Espinosa is batting just .160 with a .511 OPS, three home runs, 37 strikeouts and five

walks over 94 at-bats this year.

May 4, 2017 Page 14 of 19

"He's trying to incorporate some changes on the left side and I think there's been some glimmers of

hope," Scioscia said. "He's hit some balls hard, but he's still not where he can be. He worked really hard

with [hitting coaches] Dave [Hansen] and Paulie [Sorrento] this afternoon on some things. Hopefully

he'll carry them with him in a game."

Scioscia said he expects Espinosa to return to the lineup on Thursday.

• Right-hander Andrew Bailey threw off the mound on Wednesday for the first time since landing on the

disabled list on April 12 with shoulder inflammation.

• First baseman C.J. Cron, who suffered a left foot contusion on Friday, has resumed baseball activities,

including hitting off a tee.

• Left-hander Greg Mahle, who was designated for assignment last week, cleared waivers and was

outrighted to Salt Lake on Wednesday.

Trout collects 4th Player of the Month Award

By Quinn Roberts / MLB.com

Angels center fielder Mike Trout earned American League Player of the Month honors for April by

having the best first month of his five-year career.

The 25-year-old hit .364 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs, along with a 1.151 OPS, all career bests for

April. Trout also finished out the month with a 14-game hitting streak, including seven multihit games in

the span. Trout posted a total of 11 multihit performances in 27 games.

Trout's best game of the month at the plate came against the Rangers on Friday, when he went 3-for-4

with one home run and two RBIs in a 6-3 win. However, one of his most dramatic hits in the month

came against the A's on April 25, when he belted a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to

send the game into extra innings, before the Angels won, 2-1, in 11 frames.

This marks Trout's fourth AL Player of the Month Award.

Angels call up Meyer to take on Mariners

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

With the Mariners and Angels having split the first two games of the series, Seattle left-hander Ariel

Miranda will duel Halos right-hander Alex Meyer in Thursday night's finale at Safeco Field.

Miranda evened his record at 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA after a 3-1 victory at Cleveland in his last outing,

allowing just two hits and one run with seven strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. The 28-year-old Mariners

southpaw faced the Angels three times in the final two months last year, going 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA.

May 4, 2017 Page 15 of 19

Miranda struggled with Kole Calhoun in those three games, as the outfielder went 4-for-7 with a double

and two walks. Mike Trout was 1-for-4 with a home run and four walks, while Albert Pujols went 0-for-8

against Miranda.

Meyer will make his second start of the year for the Angels and slide into the rotation in place of injured

left-hander Tyler Skaggs. The 27-year-old struggled in his season debut against the Blue Jays on April 21,

giving up two runs over 3 2/3 innings.

Meyer, who is ranked the Halos' No. 8 prospect by MLBPipeline.com, faced Seattle last September and

was charged with the loss after surrendering four runs over four innings.

Things to know about this game

• In his 2017 debut, Meyer threw just 26.1 percent of his curveballs in the strike zone, compared to the

MLB average of 42.4 percent, according to Statcast. Hitters chased the ones out of the zone only 17.6

percent of the time, compared with the average of 25.4 percent.

• Veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz likely will get his first start of the series behind the plate in place of Mike

Zunino. The 38-year-old Ruiz has hit just .136 in 10 games.

• Angels second baseman Danny Espinosa is expected to return to the lineup Thursday after sitting out

Wednesday's game. Espinosa is hitless in his last 19 at-bats, a stretch that has dropped his batting

average to .160.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mariners rally with 4 runs late to beat Angels 8-7

SEATTLE -- The praised was passed from Taylor Motter, to Jarrod Dyson and finally Jean Segura for the

way the Seattle Mariners pulled off an unexpected and needed late rally.

Dyson's two-out, two-run double in the eighth inning pulled Seattle even, Segura followed with a two-

run single to take the lead, and the Mariners rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on

Wednesday night.

Seattle watched an early 4-0 advantage evaporate because of shaky relief pitching. But the Mariners

came through in the eighth inning, scoring all four runs with two outs to snap a three-game losing

streak.

"That's just the way we planned it all day," Seattle manager Scott Servais deadpanned. "There was a lot

going on in that ball game."

Seattle's victory featured a big early lead, another night of struggles from the bullpen in the middle

innings and finally a string of quality at-bats in the eighth inning that yielded four runs.

May 4, 2017 Page 16 of 19

The rally started with singles by Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia off reliever Blake Parker (0-2). Motter,

on as a pinch hitter, walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases with two outs.

Dyson fell behind 0-2 but dropped a double off the end of the bat into shallow right field to score two

and pull the Mariners even. Segura then chopped a single through the left side of the infield to score

Motter and Dyson and put Seattle in front.

"It's real frustrating, especially because the team's been doing so well. You want to keep it going,"

Parker said. "It hurts. You never want to hang a crooked number up there. You want to minimize the

damage but sometimes the ball just finds a hole."

Segura had a career-high four RBI, including a two-run homer in the fifth inning. Robinson Cano hit his

fifth home run of the season.

"Motter had a huge at-bat and set the tone for Dyson behind him. Dyson, his huge two-strike knock for

us ... and I was just trying to put it in play," Segura said.

Jean Machi (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth inning and Edwin Diaz worked a shaky ninth for his fifth

save. Kole Calhoun hit a solo home run with two outs, and Diaz followed by hitting Mike Trout on the

arm, but he struck out Albert Pujols to end the game.

Trout ignited the Angels' one big rally with a two-run homer as Los Angeles sent 10 batters to the plate

in the sixth inning and had seven hits. Trout's homer off starter Hisashi Iwakuma was his eighth of the

season, extended his hitting streak to a career-best 16 games and came on the day he was named the AL

player of the month for April. Yunel Escobar capped the big inning with a two-run double.

ROBBERY

Seattle reliever Emilio Pagan gave up three hits and three earned runs in his major league debut in relief

of Iwakuma. His only out recorded was a leaping catch at the wall by Guillermo Heredia that

robbed Andrelton Simmons of a three-run homer.

"Awesome. What a play to go back on that ball, time it like he did over the wall. A huge play in the

game," Servais said.

STREAKING

Trout it hitting .400 with five homers and 15 runs scored during his hitting streak. ... Seattle's Nelson

Cruz extended his hitting streak to 12 games, his longest since a career-best 21-game streak during the

2015 season.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: RHP Andrew Bailey (shoulder) threw off the mound for the first time Wednesday in the rehab

process. Manager Mike Scioscia said Bailey would have to be evaluated before a time table would be set

on a possible rehab start.

May 4, 2017 Page 17 of 19

Mariners: RHP Steve Cishek (hip) is likely to throw another bullpen later this week before the team

decides on whether to send him out for a second rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Alex Meyer (0-0) will make his second start of the season but this time with a chance to stay

in the rotation longer. Meyer will be starting in place of Tyler Skaggs, who is out for 10-12 weeks with an

oblique injury.

Mariners: Ariel Miranda (2-2) allowed just one run in 5 1/3 innings in his last start against Cleveland to

get the victory.

Angels rookie Meyer to take ball vs. Mariners

SEATTLE -- The Los Angeles Angels are expected to dip down to the minors for Thursday night's starter in

the rubber match of the three-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

With starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs likely to miss 10-12 weeks with a right oblique muscle strain, joining

fellow starter Garrett Richards on the disabled list, the Angels will call up 6-foot-9 Alex Meyer from

Triple-A Salt Lake to start Thursday, manager Mike Scioscia said.

Meyer was called up for a spot start on April 21 against Toronto and lasted just 3 2/3 innings, giving up

two runs on two hits and four walks. He did not get the decision in the Angels' 8-7 loss.

In four starts this season at Salt Lake, Meyer is 0-0 with a 6.16 ERA, 24 strikeouts and seven walks in 19

innings.

"I think Alex has been really throwing the ball better than some of those numbers indicate down below.

You definitely can't go by ERA in the PCL (Pacific Coast League)," Scioscia said. "But there are some

positive things that you want to see if they're going to carry up to the big leagues."

Meyer was acquired from the Minnesota Twins last August along with right-hander Ricky Nolasco in

exchange for pitchers Hector Santiago and Alan Busenitz. Meyer made five starts last September for the

Angels, going 1-2 with 4.57 ERA.

With the injuries in the rotation, Scioscia said he expects Meyer to make more than just another spot

start.

"I don't think we expect it to be one and done," Scioscia said. "We expect him to get a look. How long

that's going to be, we've got to position ourselves to win games. That's first and foremost what we need

to do. So, hopefully he'll continue to move in a positive direction and will take off with it."

Left-hander Ariel Miranda (2-2, 3.81 ERA) will be making his sixth start of the season for Seattle. The 28-

year-old native of Cuba has been inconsistent. In each of his two losses, Miranda has allowed four runs

on seven hits, including a season-shortest three innings in a 4-3 loss to Oakland on April 22.

May 4, 2017 Page 18 of 19

He bounced back in his last start, allowing one run on two hits over 5 1/3 innings, with a season-high

seven strikeouts, in a 3-1 victory at Cleveland.

In three career starts against the Angels, Miranda is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA. Kole Calhoun has four hits in

seven at-bats against Miranda, while Mike Trout has a home run, four RBIs and four walks in nine plate

appearances.

The first two games of the series have been wild affairs. The Angels won Tuesday's opener 6-4 in 11

innings -- a game in which they went ahead in the eighth but saw the Mariners tie it in the ninth.

On Wednesday, Seattle saw a 4-0 lead disappear when the Angels scored six runs in the sixth, but the

Mariners bounced back with four in the eighth and held on for an 8-7 victory.

"That's a great momentum builder and hopefully it will carry over to tomorrow," said Mariners center

fielder Jarrod Dyson, who had a two-run double Wednesday in the decisive eighth inning. "That's a great

bunch over there. You can't count them out. That's a great team, well-coached. We've just got to keep

playing our game."

FROM NBC SPORTS

Mike Trout, Ryan Zimmerman win April Player of the Month honors

By Craig Calcaterra

The monthly award winners have just been announced for April. It breaks down as follows:

PLAYER OF THE MONTH: AL – Mike Trout, NL – Ryan Zimmerman

PITCHERS OF THE MONTH: AL – Dallas Keuchel, NL – Ivan Nova

ROOKIES OF THE MONTH: AL – Aaron Judge, NL – Antonio Senzatela

RELIEVERS OF THE MONTH: AL — Cody Allen, NL – Greg Holland

Trout batted .364 (36-for-99) with 18 runs scored, nine doubles, a pair of triples, seven home runs, 18

RBI and five stolen bases. Zimmerman hit .420 (37-for-88) with 22 runs scored, eight doubles, 11 home

runs, 29 RBI and a stolen base.

Keuchel compiled a 5-0 record with a 1.21 ERA and 36 strikeouts over 44.2 innings pitched in six starts.

Nova recorded three wins to go along with a 1.50 ERA and an impressive 22:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio

Across 36.0 innings pitched in five starts.

Judge batted .303 (23-for-76) with 23 runs scored, a pair of doubles, a triple, 10 home runs, 20 RBI and

one stolen base. Senzatela compiled a 3-1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 18 strikeouts over 32.0 innings

pitched in five starts.

May 4, 2017 Page 19 of 19

Allen pitched in 10 games in April for the Indians, converting each of his six save opportunities and

striking out 20 opposing batters. Holland was perfect in save opportunities, collecting his Major League-

leading 11 saves in 12 games over 12.0 innings pitched.