september 4, 2015 page 1 of 13 -...

September 4, 2015 of 13

Clips

(September 4, 2015)


Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Mike Scioscia says Angels' focus is on the process

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 4)

Smith: Angels pushing to draw 3 million fans again

Mired in a six-week skid, Angels are running out of time to turn things around

On deck: Rangers at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)

Angels to step up GM search

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 12)

Rangers-Angels Preview

FROM ESPN (Page 13)

Possible playoff race X factors


FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Mike Scioscia says Angels' focus is on the process BY KEVIN BAXTER Mike Scioscia says he doesn't look at the standings much during the regular season. Apparently he doesn't look at the schedule much either. When the Angels manager was asked about the upcoming stretch in which his team will play 16 of 19 games against postseason contenders, Scioscia said there was only one game he was thinking about. "We've got a game Friday," he said. "We're going to put everything we can into winning that game Friday." That alone won't get the Angels back into the playoff picture. But it would be a nice start, since Friday's opener of a nine-game homestand is against the Texas Rangers, who lead the Angels by 3 1/2 games for the American League's final wild-card berth. The Angels will then play two division leaders — the Dodgers and Houston Astros — before going on the road for three games at Seattle before playing at Minnesota, another team they have to pass in the wild-card race, and at Houston. "We're still not going to look at anything but how we're playing the game," Scioscia said. "Every game you have a chance to gain ground. The only way to reach that goal is the process. "That's what we've been talking about. As we come out Friday, it's about how we're playing the game. That's where our focus needs to be." The Angels have played pretty well in September, although the month has so far consisted of just two wins over the Oakland Athletics, the league's worst team. Still, that's an improvement after an August in which they lost 19 games, most in a single month in Scioscia's 16 seasons as manager. Many players credited the turnaround to the infusion of energy and talent the team received when five players, including starting third baseman David Freese, were reactivated from the disabled list when rosters expanded Sept. 1. When Freese went out with a broken finger in July, the Angels were 14 games over .500 and in first place. But they won just 11 of the 37 games he missed. "I take pride in being on the field when teams win," said Freese, who had three hits and drove in two runs in his first two games back. "This game's all about energy. If you look at the teams that are winning their divisions, they've had it for six months. "The more times you bring positive energy and that fight … you've got a better chance of doing something good."


The two wins in Oakland marked the first time since the All-Star break that the Angels have won consecutive games on the road, where their record is 28-39 this season. The Angels are 39-27 at home, but face three teams with winning records on this homestand. "It's pretty clear where some of the bumps in the road have been," Scioscia said. "It's very clear we can get this thing going in the right direction and play well." Up next Right-hander Garrett Richards (12-10, 3.80 earned-run average) will open the Angels' three-game series with the Rangers on Friday at 7 p.m. at Angel Stadium. He'll be opposed by left-hander Martin Perez (2-3, 5.15). TV: FS West. Radio: 830, 1330.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Smith: Angels pushing to draw 3 million fans again BY MARCIA SMITH

ANAHEIM – The Angels stumble home needing to make up some ground, not just in the wild-card standings but in the Angel Stadium stands. They’ve drawn 3 million fans for 12 consecutive seasons since 2003 when Arte Moreno bought the club. The distinction puts the Angels in the company of baseball’s attendance elite – the Dodgers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants. But the Angels’ attendance streak remains in slight jeopardy, though not in as much danger as their postseason possibilities. The Angels have drawn 2,435,922 fans through 66 home games, averaging crowds of 36,907, fifth-best in the majors. At this pace, they’re projected to fall just 10,533 fans shy of 3 million with 2,989,467. “We’re getting close, so I think with the final push in September, we’ll get to that number,” said Angels senior marketing manager John Rozak. The Angels have 15 remaining games over two homestands to make the mark, beginning Friday against the Texas Rangers, who hold the second AL wild-card spot and lead the Angels by 31/2 games. (The Minnesota Twins, just 11/2 games behind the Rangers, are also in front of the Angels.) Perhaps this down-but-not-yet-mathematically-out drama will draw enough eternally hopeful Angels fans through the turnstiles. The Angels (67-66), after all, return home riding a two-game winning streak, which seems relatively large and encouraging given the backdrop of August’s backslide. They had a miserable 10-19 record last


month, stung collectively by the worst batting average (.221) in the majors and the third-worst ERA (5.15) in the American League. So, good seats are still available to see whether the Angels will mount a near miraculous recovery or wilt like leaves of romaine. They’ll need to average 37,605 fans in the final stretch to get to 3 million. Hosting the NL West-leading Dodgers, always a 40,000-plus draw, for the three-game Freeway Series from Monday through Wednesday will be a booster seat in the stands. But that leaves 12 other games – three each against the AL West-rival Rangers (Friday through Sunday), Houston Astros (Sept. 11-13) and the out-of-contention Seattle Mariners (Sept. 25-27) and Oakland Athletics (Sept. 28-30) – to fill in the gap during a September when attendance typically dips because school is back in session. In recent weeks, the Angels’ promotions staff has added two lottery-style scratchers giveaways – an Angels Team Store scratcher Friday and an Oakley scratcher Tuesday – to entice those who might be scratching their heads on whether to come watch the Angels. The Angels are also calling in reinforcements, first the Germans on Friday and then the Filipinos on Saturday night, casting a net on cultural ties with German Heritage Night and Filipino Heritage Night. Orange County is neither a Beachside Berlin nor a Mini Manila. But Rozak said both groups are well-represented in the demographic reports on the Angels’ fan base. “We like to focus on some of the different heritages we have as Angels fans,” said Rozak, who, before the All-Star break, added these two theme-nights along with the popular Irish Heritage Night on July 17 and Italian Heritage Night on Aug. 8. The Angels had “Hispanic Heritage Night” last season and an Angels Sombrero giveaway on May 5 as part of Angel Stadium’s yearly Guinness World Record attempt. There won’t be Caucasian Heritage Night, especially not after the Angels’ rookie-affiliate Orem (Utah) Owlz took grief and then canceled that Aug. 10 theme night on which burgers were to be slathered in mayonnaise and served on Wonder Bread. Next season, the Angels plan on honoring their Asian audience (19.2 percent), Rozak said. The heritage nights include specially priced online-only ticket packages that include custom-designed Angels ballcaps. Bands also perform pre-game in the Music Garden near Gate 1. “We think these nights might attract people who might not regularly come to a game,” Rozak said. “We can turn them into Angels fans if they feel an affiliation with the team.” If Angels home runs and victories don’t launch the pyrotechnics from the rockpile and win over casual fans, three remaining games offer post-game “Saturday Night Spectacular” fireworks, a guaranteed attraction.


There’s also “Military Appreciation Night” on Sept. 11 against the AL West-leading Astros, featuring a pre-game military tribute and Mike Trout Freedom T-shirt giveaway. Promotions featuring Trout, the reigning AL Most Valuable Player, have always bumped up attendance. The four-time All-Star, though, hit just .218 in August and is battling his way out of an uncharacteristic slump. Win and the world surrounds you. Struggle and maybe you’ll drink alone – but not at Angel Stadium, regardless of how the season turns. In the final homestand, the Oktoberfest celebration returns Sept. 25 against the Mariners, with beer-tasting and entertainment in the Music Garden and the Oktoberfest Angels Boot Mug freebie. Bottoms up? While the Angels try to find themselves on the field, they’ll be covering their bases to find 3 million fans in the stands for a 13th consecutive year. The final push is on.

Mired in a six-week skid, Angels are running out of time to turn things around BY JEFF FLETCHER

ANAHEIM – So much has changed since the last time the Angels and Texas Rangers met. When the Rangers began their last series in Anaheim on July 24, the Angels were in first place, 13 games over .500, and the Rangers were 81/2 games back. Between that visit and this one, a weekend series starting Friday at Angel Stadium, the Rangers have been one of the best teams in the league and the Angels have been the worst. It has accounted for a 12-game swing that has left the Angels chasing Texas for the second wild-card spot. The dramatic change of fortunes has turned the Angels’ season on its head. Once looking like a strong bet to get to the playoffs, the Angels are now a longshot. How did that happen in six weeks? The short answer is the Angels stopped scoring runs. The Angels were hitting .251 with a .717 OPS and averaging 4.3 runs per game on July 22, the game that capped their 17-3 run and amounted to their season high point. Since then they have hit .230 with a .647 OPS and averaged 3.5 runs. And those numbers are inflated by the fact that they actually had their best offensive series since July when they took two of three from the Oakland A’s this week.


The reasons for the slide go beyond simply not scoring. How did they stop scoring, and what else went wrong? FREESE OUT You wouldn’t pick David Freese as one of the Angels’ most valuable players, but it turns out he might be. Freese broke his finger on July 22, and the losing started the next game. Freese came back Tuesday, and the Angels scored 15 runs and won the next two games. Certainly, that’s mostly coincidental, but not entirely. Freese might not be a star, but he bats in the middle of the lineup and the Angels didn’t really have a replacement for him. They tried Conor Gillaspie – who actually did a decent job, with nine RBI in 17 games – and Taylor Featherston and Kaleb Cowart. In the time that Freese was out, Angels third basemen hit a combined .195 with a .578 OPS. TROUT’S SLUMP Obviously, when a team’s best, most valuable, player has a bad month, it’s going to hurt. Mike Trout hurt his left wrist trying to make a diving catch July 26. He missed a couple games, then came back and proceeded to hit .210 with one homer over his next 29 games, by far the worst extended stretch of his career. Despite the assumption that Trout’s wrist has been hurt during the entire slump, he said it bothered him only for the first week or so. It’s possible the injury caused him to alter his swing or damaged his timing, and that is the lingering impact. In any case, it looks like Trout is beginning to come out of it. Starting with his four-hit day Sunday, he has seven hits and three walks in his past 19 plate appearances. MISSING JOHNNY G Johnny Giavotella last played Aug. 20, since being out of action with an undisclosed illness. Just as with Freese’s absence, Giavotella’s left a hole the Angels couldn’t really fill. Since Giavotella has been out, Angels second baseman have hit a combined .114 with one RBI, a Grant Green homer when they were getting blown out. Between the second and third base replacements, that left two holes in the lineup. Add in a catching position that has been unproductive all year, and the Angels for most of the past two weeks have had one-third of their lineup produce almost nothing.


SLUMPING ARMS The Angels’ offense was actually in a slump, to a lesser degree, for the first three months of the season, but what kept the team afloat was outstanding pitching, from top to bottom. In their slide, though, even the pitching let the Angels down, to the tune of a 5.11 ERA since that July 22 high point. The Angels’ best relievers – Huston Street, Joe Smith and Trevor Gott – each blew games with sloppy performances somewhere along the line. Mike Scioscia has suggested that the team began paying the price for a season worth of stress on the bullpen provided by the mediocre offense. Three of the starters – Hector Santiago, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney – have also been approaching career highs in innings, which could be contributing to a handful of bad starts they have had. As for Santiago, his first-half numbers were perhaps unsustainable. Santiago has always been a pitcher with inconsistent mechanics. He kept himself in a zone for three months, but has not been able to find that consistency since. C.J. Wilson also pitched his last game July 28 – just at the start of the team’s slump. He was replaced first by Nick Tropeano and then by Jered Weaver. Tropeano had a rough game and Weaver struggled in two of his five outings. Weaver has been inconsistent all year because of problems with his velocity and the timing of his delivery. Finally, Matt Shoemaker has been struggling off and on all season, and he hit a particularly rough stretch in August, resulting in a brief demotion to Triple-A. NOW WHAT? With 29 games left, there is certainly enough time for the Angels to get into the playoffs, but it won’t be easy. Baseball Prospectus has their chances of winning a wild-card berth at 9 percent, with a 3.2 percent chance at catching the Houston Astros – up by 51/2games – to win the division. The good news is the Angels have seven head-to-head games remaining against Texas, the team they are chasing. They also have four games against the Minnesota Twins, who sit between the Rangers and Angels. Perhaps more important, they have shown signs lately of playing better baseball. They hit .303 and scored 20 runs in the three games against the Oakland A’s, thanks to the return of Freese and big series from Trout and Kole Calhoun. Shoemaker and Heaney have each had back-to-back outstanding starts. Relievers Smith, Street and Gott have gotten a break, thanks to two blowout losses, two comfortable wins and an off day in the past five days.


On the other hand, the Angels have played three straight series against teams with losing records, and they still lost five of those nine games. Now, the Angels are starting a homestand against three contenders, the Rangers, Dodgers and Astros. They can turn things around, but it will be difficult, and it needs to happen now.

On deck: Rangers at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m. BY JEFF FLETCHER

Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 7 p.m. Did you know: The Angels have 436 victories over the Rangers, their most against any team. THE PITCHERS RHP GARRETT RICHARDS (12-10, 3.80) Richards is coming off a good start, allowing three runs in seven innings against the Cleveland Indians. He gave up all the runs in the first three innings, but then finished with four scoreless innings, facing just one batter over the minimum. The last time Richards faced the Rangers was July 3 in Texas, when he gave up one run in 72/3 innings. He has more victories against the Rangers than any other team. Vs. Rangers: 8-1, 3.11 At Angel Stadium: 19-10, 3.57 Loves to face: Roughned Odor, 1 for 13 (.077) Hates to face: Prince Fielder, 7 for 16 (.438) LHP MARTIN PEREZ (2-3, 5.15) Perez just returned from Tommy John surgery in July. The Rangers have been limiting him to around 90 pitches in most of his starts. He was blasted for eight runs in one inning on July 28, but since then he has a 3.13 ERA in his last five starts. The Rangers have won four of them. Vs. Angels: 1-0, 1.84 At Angel Stadium: 1-0, 2.84 Loves to face: None


Hates to face: None UPCOMING MATCHUPS Saturday: Rangers LHP Derek Holland (2-1, 2.82) vs. Angels RHP Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.94) 6 p.m., Fox Sports West Sunday: Rangers RHP Colby Lewis (14-7, 4.50) vs. Angels LHP Hector Santiago (7-9, 3.37), 12:30 p.m., Fox Sports West

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels to step up GM search BY ALDEN GONZALEZ / MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- The Angels face a potential season-defining homestand over these next 10 days, with nine games against the Rangers, Dodgers and Astros, three teams that would be in the playoffs if they started today. In the meantime, owner Arte Moreno and president John Carpino are expected to accelerate a franchise-altering search for a new general manager, a reality thrust upon them when Jerry Dipoto resigned on the first of July. The search is still believed to be in its embryonic stages, but the Angels are nonetheless hopeful of a resolution before season's end. Moreno and Carpino conducted an extensive search just four years ago -- a search that led to Dipoto -- and already have a good feel for most of the candidates. This time, they'll face competition from the Brewers, Mariners and Red Sox for the best GM hopefuls, with the Phillies, Reds and a handful of others potentially joining the mix. More importantly, Moreno and Carpino must combat industry-wide perception over the dynamics of the Angels' GM job. Dipoto ultimately grew exasperated with Mike Scioscia, who is considered to have more autonomy than most managers in baseball. That belief, fair or not, could influence some applicants. But the appeal of living in Southern California, working for an owner who wants to win every year and overseeing a roster that has the game's best all-around player, Mike Trout, locked up for five more years certainly has its appeal. The Angels are keeping the details of their search close to the vest, their list of candidates still difficult to pare down. Moreno could not be reached and Carpino declined to comment. Scioscia said he doesn't "plan on being part of any selection committee," but he did stress the importance of "philosophically being on the same page" with the new GM. Here's a look at potential options. In-house applicants


Moreno and Carpino began the selection process from the inside, and it could still end that way. Interim GM Bill Stoneman, 71 and filling in 7 1/2 years after stepping down, is not expected to continue beyond September. But assistant GMs Matt Klentak and Scott Servais, brought in by Dipoto, have been considered. And director of pro scouting Hal Morris, deemed by many within the industry as a future GM, could also get a strong look. Issues between Dipoto and Scioscia aside, the Angels' brass likes the structure that has forged throughout scouting and player development. An organizational shakeup already took place when Dipoto replaced Tony Reagins in October 2011 and Moreno and Carpino would like to avoid another one. Promoting an in-house candidate could solve that. "There is a trust level in place already," a team source said. "It'd be a smooth transition." That "trust level" reportedly doesn't exist between Scioscia and Servais, who have quarreled in the past. But Klentak, 35, gets along just fine with Scioscia and his coaching staff. And indications are that he'd be willing to stay on as an assistant if an outside GM gets hired. Experienced candidates Ideally, Moreno and Carpino would hire an experienced GM with a decorated track record. They're available, but not readily. Ben Cherington stepped down as Red Sox GM when Dave Dombrowski was brought in to run baseball operations on Aug. 18, but Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reported Thursday that Cherington is "unlikely" to pursue a GM job this fall. Then there's Kevin Towers, the longtime Padres and D-backs GM who is now a special assistant with the Reds. Or Larry Beinfest, at one point a well-regarded executive with the Marlins. Or Dan O'Dowd, the longtime Rockies GM who has already been linked to the opening in Seattle. But would an experienced GM take a job that isn't believed to come with full sovereignty? First-year options The more likely scenario appears to be that the Angels give another young, up-and-coming executive a chance at his first GM job. Billy Eppler (Yankees assistant GM), Damon Oppenheimer (Yankees scouting director) and Thad Levine (Rangers assistant GM) were among the finalists during the Angels' search in 2011 and could factor in heavily this time around. J.J. Picollo (Royals assistant GM), Jason McLeod (Cubs senior vice president of player development and amateur scouting), John Coppolella (Braves assistant GM), Doug Harris (Nationals assistant GM) and Jeff Kingston (Mariners interim GM) are also well-regarded throughout the industry. And then there's the popular, albeit seemingly unlikely, out-of-the-box idea: Bud Black, the former Angels pitching coach and Padres manager, who at one point was seen as a potential GM.


"Arte likes him, he has a great relationship with Mike, and he'd know exactly what he's getting into," a team source said. "It can work."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rangers-Angels Preview The Los Angeles Angels have a terrific opportunity to gain ground on the Texas Rangers this weekend, and Garrett Richards gives them the perfect chance to start this three-game set Friday night on a winning note.

Richards has captured six straight starts against the Rangers for the Angels, who seek to avoid their first five-game home slide in two years.

Time is running out for Los Angeles (67-66) to get into playoff position. The Angels trail the Rangers (70-62) by 3 1/2 games for the AL's second wild card while Texas is hoping to overcome a two-game deficit in the West and catch Houston.

"We're right where we wanna be, we've just got to continue to take care of our business, not worry about anything else," Texas first baseman Mitch Moreland said.

The Angels are 8-4 versus the Rangers, with Richards (12-10, 3.80 ERA) beating them twice to run his record to 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA in six outings against them since the start of 2014. He is 7-1 with a 2.84 ERA in 12 starts against Texas, including 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA in seven at home.

Prince Fielder is 5 for 10 over the last two years against the right-hander, but Rougned Odor is 1 for 13 in that span.

Richards yielded three runs with nine strikeouts in seven innings Saturday and did not get a decision in an 8-3 loss at Cleveland. Los Angeles is 4-0 in his home starts against AL West foes.

Moreland will be back at first base Friday after he was forced to the bench for an interleague series this week in which Prince Fielder played the position. Texas took two of three in San Diego, with Moreland doubling home the go-ahead run in the 10th inning in Wednesday's 4-3 win.

The Rangers have won 15 out of 20.

"It's been a good stretch and we've got a ways to go," manager Jeff Banister said. "We've got to continue to play well and be on top of our game."

Josh Hamilton returned as a pinch-hitter Wednesday after being out since Aug. 15 due to left knee inflammation. He was loudly booed during his return to Anaheim from July 24-26.

The Rangers will start Martin Perez (2-3, 5.15), who has gone 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA in his last five starts. The left-hander is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two against the Angels from 2013.

Shane Victorino is expected to be in the Angels lineup since he is 3 for 3 off Perez and batting .266 off lefties compared to .197 versus righties.


The Angels last dropped five in a row at home from Aug. 4-16, 2013, and are opening a nine-game homestand after capturing a three-game set with Oakland with Wednesday's 9-4 victory.

Albert Pujols went deep to became one of four players with 10 35-homer seasons in their first 15 years.

"I've been blessed my whole career," said Pujols, who has 555 homers and will pass Manny Ramirez for 14th all-time with his next one. "I was born to play this game and to hit."

Pujols has 35 homers -- two more than Mike Trout, who has gone a career-worst 25 games without going deep. Trout is hitting .432 with four homers and 11 RBI in the season series.

FROM ESPN

Possible playoff race X factors BY JIM BOWDEN Los Angeles Angels: Mike Scioscia, manager

With the Angels coming off a 98-win 2014 season, it has been a challenging year for Scioscia, who has

had to mix and match at several positions to try to produce enough runs to remain competitive. The

Angels are 12th in the league in runs scored, 14th in batting average and 12th in on-base percentage,

relying on former MVPs Mike Trout and Albert Pujols to carry their offense. The pitching staff has been

middle of the road, ranking eighth in the league in ERA. Despite these deficiencies, the former world

champion manager continues to find ways to win games and has somehow kept the Angels within 3 1/2

games of the second wild card.

Scioscia will have to be creative to garner a playoff spot, but the two-time manager of the year -- and winner of 90-plus games seven times -- is not one to bet against if it's close the last week of the season.

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