April 30, 2017 Page 1 of 14

Clips

(April 30, 2017)

April 30, 2017 Page 2 of 14

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

● Angels fall to Rangers 6-3 as Carlos Gomez hits for the cycle

● Angels put Skaggs, Cron on 10-day disabled list

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 5)

● Angels’ winning streak comes to an end with loss to Rangers

● Angels Notes: Tyler Skaggs and C.J. Cron head to DL

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 8)

● Ramirez seeks first win as starter vs. Rangers

● Pujols, Trout drive in runs, but Angels fall short

● Untimely pitches derail promising Chavez outing

● 1B Cron, lefty Skaggs land on 10-day DL

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 12)

● Angels put 1B C.J. Cron, LHP Tyler Skaggs on 10-day disabled list

● Angels' Ramirez faces Rangers' Perez in series finale

April 30, 2017 Page 3 of 14

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels fall to Rangers 6-3 as Carlos Gomez hits for the cycle

By Pedro Moura

Carlos Gomez whipped his hands through the strike zone, propelled a baseball through the night, flipped

his bat and held up two fingers to his teammates, in the less aggressive of two dramatic gestures made

toward the Texas Rangers’ dugout Saturday night at Globe Life Park.

The Texas center fielder hit for the cycle for the second time in his career in his team’s 6-3 victory over

the Angels.

First came a double, in a windy first inning, off Angels starter Jesse Chavez. Next was a single, in the

third, again off Chavez.

In the fifth, Gomez tripled off Mike Trout’s glove in right-center to drive in the tying run, making it 2-2.

Chavez needed only to retire the .187-hitting Rougned Odor to end the fifth with that score intact.

Instead, Odor hammered a 1-and-2 slider down the right-field line. The pitch had caught too much of

the plate. Fans gasped, the ball sliced through the humid air, and Chavez found himself hoping the

earlier wind would suddenly return. But the baseball banged off the foul pole for a two-run homer, and

Chavez placed his hands on his head in disbelief.

“When I get hurt, it’s good location, wrong time,” Chavez said. “That’s what happened in that situation."

And then, in the seventh, Gomez faced Angels right-hander Jose Valdez, just up from triple-A Salt Lake.

In the majors a year ago, the pitcher had a penchant for issuing walks and serving up homers.

He walked the first man he faced, then fired a fastball Gomez sent out to deep center.

Kole Calhoun’s fourth-inning single marked the Angels’ first hit against Rangers starter Yu Darvish. Trout

soon doubled to score a run and advanced to third on an error.

Darvish next went way inside with a fastball to Albert Pujols, nearly drilling the Angels’ designated hitter

in the helmet. Pujols took offense and shouted toward the Rangers’ dugout. On the next pitch, he

walloped a drive that went just foul, to the left of the left-field pole.

He then settled for a sacrifice fly. From the Angels’ dugout, Pujols continued to point and shout at the

Rangers’ side. He later said he was not upset at Darvish, who he could tell missed his spot, but at injured

Rangers pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez, whom he heard “popping off” from the dugout.

“I didn’t appreciate that,” Pujols said. “That’s why I was yelling at him.”

Both Chavez and Darvish dealt with a diminutive strike zone. Home-plate umpire Adam Hamari seemed

intent on redefining anything at the knees as a ball.

April 30, 2017 Page 4 of 14

So, to finish six innings, Darvish required 125 pitches, the most anyone has thrown in Major League

Baseball this season. He walked the bases loaded in the sixth, but Rangers manager Jeff Banister stuck

with him, and he induced a pop out from Andrelton Simmons and a weak ground out from Ben Revere.

“We made him work,” Pujols said. "We just didn’t come up with the big hits, myself included.”

The Angels went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Facing Texas closer Matt Bush in the ninth,

Revere singled, took second on an error and third on a Danny Espinosa ground out. Pinch-hitter Cliff

Pennington drove a fly ball to left field, where Delino DeShields tried to time his run-up to throw home.

Instead, he missed the catch altogether, and Revere scored easily. Yunel Escobar then grounded out.

In a 1-and-2 count, Bush hurled a 99-mph fastball toward the bottom of the zone, and Calhoun let it

pass, thinking Hamari would make the same call he’d been making all night.

He did not, ruling this one a strike, and Calhoun became enraged as the game ended.

“The No. 1 thing you want as a player is a consistent strike zone,” he said later. “Maybe that ball’s in the

zone. But I hadn’t had one called like that on me tonight.”

The Angels’ five-game winning streak was no more.

“We were right in that game to the very last pitch,” Calhoun said. “You might call it a frustrating game.

But, we get guys on base like that, we’re right where we want to be.”

Angels put Skaggs, Cron on 10-day disabled list

By Pedro Moura

The Angels are winning, but they continue to lose players to injury, rendering extended success ever

more difficult to obtain.

On Saturday, the Angels placed left-hander Tyler Skaggs and first baseman C.J. Cron on the 10-day

disabled list. Both players were hurt in the club’s victory over Texas on Friday night at Globe Life Park.

Skaggs felt a pinch in his right side while recording a fifth-inning strikeout, stayed in for one more batter,

then told the team he felt something that was later diagnosed as an oblique strain.

On Saturday, he said the feeling within the muscle was improving.

“Not like a lot better than yesterday, but I definitely feel better, which is encouraging,” Skaggs said.

Cron fouled a fastball off the top of his left foot and sustained a bruise. He said he did not expect to

need 10 days away from playing.

“I woke up and I could at least move a little bit,” he said Saturday. “With a limp, but it’s still a lot better

today. It’s unfortunate, but it’s nothing too serious.”

April 30, 2017 Page 5 of 14

The 10-day DL is new to MLB this season under the sport’s renegotiated collective bargaining

agreement. In previous seasons, players had to spend at least 15 days on the DL, unless they had

suffered a concussion. The reduction in necessary time away has led teams to disable players more

freely.

The Angels have already placed 11 men on the disabled list this season, 10 of whom are currently

sidelined.

To replace the latest injured players, the Angels called up right-handers Daniel Wright and Jose Valdez

from triple-A Salt Lake. Wright had just been demoted on Monday; Valdez spent much of last season as

an Angel but had been relegated off the 40-man roster for 2017.

He needed to be added to it Saturday, so the Angels designated left-hander Greg Mahle for assignment.

Skaggs and Cron will return to Southern California on Sunday and visit with club physicians Monday,

according to Angels general manager Billy Eppler. The rest of the team will spend that day in Seattle, off

before beginning a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.

First baseman Luis Valbuena is expected to be activated Tuesday. He has missed all of April because of a

hamstring strain suffered late in spring training. A decision between keeping Cron or fellow first

baseman Jefry Marte loomed upon Valbuena’s activation. Now, they will wait, hope to heal, and eagerly

await Monday’s off day for their first break in three weeks.

“It’s just a lot of baseball we’ve played,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “More games than anybody in

baseball. That off day will be welcome.”

Nobody had played more games than the Angels entering Saturday, but both San Diego and Arizona had

played the same number.

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels’ winning streak comes to an end with loss to Rangers

By Jeff Fletcher

ARLINGTON, Texas — With two strikes on Roughned Odor and two outs in the fifth inning on Saturday

night, Jesse Chavez wanted to do one of two things.

Throw a strike that looked like a ball. Or a ball that looked like a strike.

“That looked like a strike, and it was a strike,” Chavez lamented. “And a big league hitter will crush that.”

Chavez’s curveball caught too much of the plate and Odor whacked it off the right-field pole for a two-run

homer, giving the Rangers the lead on their way to a 6-3 victory over the Angels.

April 30, 2017 Page 6 of 14

Much of the rest of the damage inflicted by the Rangers came off the bat off Carlos Gomez, who hit for the

cycle. He was the sixth player to hit for the cycle against the Angels, the first since Felix Pie in 2009.

Gomez’s eighth-inning two-run homer, which completed the cycle, padded the lead to 6-2.

Still, the Angels had a shot to extend their five-game winning streak, but they came up tantalizingly short

for most of the night.

Chavez barely missed with his location, and Odor barely kept the ball fair. Earlier in the inning, Mike Trout

had barely missed making a spectacular catch that would have ended the inning.

And throughout the Angels’ night against Yu Darvish, they pushed him and pushed him, but could not

topple him.

It ended with one final borderline moment, Kole Calhoun taking a called third strike at the bottom of the

zone. Had he reached base, Trout would have come up representing the tying run.

“It is what it is,” said Calhoun, who had an animated argument with plate ump Adam Hamari after the call.

“The pitch is close. Could go either way. It’s just unfortunate in that situation. I feel like I took a close pitch.

I didn’t want the game to end like that.”

The game began as a pitchers’ duel between Chavez and Darvish, going about their business in entirely

different ways. Darvish buzzed through the Angels for three innings before they got to him for a couple

runs in the fourth.

Chavez took the mound in the fifth with a 2-0 lead, having worked around a couple jams in the first four

innings.

With two outs and a runner at second in the fifth, Nomar Mazara lined a single just past the dive of

shortstop Andrelton Simmons, driving in one. Gomez then hit a drive to right center. Trout chased it down

and got a glove on it with a stretch, but he couldn’t hang on. Gomez ended up with a game-tying triple.

“The wind was crazy tonight,” Trout said. “I couldn’t even tell you what direction it was blowing. I know he

hit it good. The ball just took off.”

Next up was Odor, who fell behind 1-2. Rangers manager Jeff Banister then came out and had a lengthy

discussion with Hamari, insisting that Chavez should have been called for a balk for switching between the

windup and stretch during an at-bat. Hamari disagreed.

Chavez threw some warm up pitches during the delay, and then he missed with his curve ball that Odor

knocked off the pole.

“I’m not going to blame (the delay),” Chavez said. “I’ve still got to execute.”

That homer provided the difference in the game, as the Angels could only manage two runs against

Darvish, despite driving his pitch-count up to 125 in six innings.

April 30, 2017 Page 7 of 14

One of those pitches, an up-and-in that nearly hit Albert Pujols in the head, caused a bit of a spectacle.

Pujols said Rangers injured pitched Chi Chi Gonzalez was “popping off like he wanted to come out of the

dugout and I didn’t appreciate it.”

Angels Notes: Tyler Skaggs and C.J. Cron head to DL

By Jeff Fletcher

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Angels are getting plenty of use out of the new 10-day disabled list.

On Saturday they placed Tyler Skaggs (strained right oblique) and C.J. Cron (foot contusion) on the disabled

list, after both were hurt in Friday’s game.

Manager Mike Scioscia said in both cases, the injuries were minor enough that last year, with a 15-day

disabled list, they wouldn’t have been so quick to take them off the roster.

“With C.J. and even with Tyler, we would have been playing short for two or three days to see which

direction it was going to set up,” Scioscia said. “You never want a guy who is going to be all right in seven

days to have to wait 15. But if it’s seven or 10, that’s not that big of a difference.”

The Angels have six players on the 10-day DL, and four on the 60-day DL.

Scioscia said he “would imagine” that Skaggs would undergo an MRI, although General Manager Billy

Eppler said that is still to be determined. Both Skaggs and Cron will travel to Southern California on

Monday to be examined by club doctors.

Both players said they felt better on Saturday, and they didn’t seem to have much concern that these

would be long-term injuries.

“I definitely feel better,” Skaggs said. “It’s encouraging.”

What the Angels will do with Skaggs’ rotation spot remains to be seen. They recalled Daniel Wright, who

made a spot start last weekend. For now, Wright is available in the bullpen, because the Angels have an off

day Monday and won’t need a fifth starter until next Saturday.

As for Cron, he was on crutches and in a walking boot after Friday’s game, but on Saturday he just had his

foot wrapped. He said he could walk, albeit with a limp.

“It shouldn’t take the whole 10 days,” he said, “but the uncertainty made that decision for us. Hopefully I’ll

get better as soon as possible.”

The Angels are now short one position player, having recalled reliever Jose Valdez. First baseman Luis

Valbuena is due to come off the disabled list Tuesday, after an off-day Monday. Scioscia said they didn’t

want to bring Valbuena back early. He was scheduled Saturday night to play the fifth game of his rehab

assignment. He has been out since late March with a hamstring injury.

When Valbuena returns, the Angels most likely will send down a pitcher.

April 30, 2017 Page 8 of 14

ALSO

Cameron Maybin said he felt like a “proud big brother” when his cousin, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, was drafted

by the Detroit Lions. Reeves-Maybin was a linebacker at Tennessee. …

The Angels designated left-hander Greg Mahle for assignment to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for

Valdez. Mahle, a product of Westminster High, has allowed eight earned runs in 12 innings this season in

the minors, splitting his time between Triple-A and Double-A.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Ramirez seeks first win as starter vs. Rangers

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Angels right-hander JC Ramirez will be looking for his first win as a starter, and Rangers

left-hander Martin Perez will be trying to stay under control when they face off Sunday afternoon at

Globe Life Park.

Ramirez, who has 111 career Major League relief appearances, is making his fourth start in place of

Garrett Richards, who is on the disabled list with inflammation in his right biceps. Ramirez is 0-2 with a

4.15 ERA in three starts, including seven scoreless against the Athletics on Tuesday. He received a no-

decision in a game the Angels eventually won.

"He keeps progressing," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "What we're seeing from JC is hopefully an

evolution of a guy getting comfortable in that role, getting comfortable with the 90-100 pitch count. He

really was impressive last game."

Perez enters the game averaging 5.19 walks per nine innings, the second-highest ratio in the American

League. His 1.77 WHIP is the third-highest among qualifying pitchers.

"I feel good," Perez said. "I need to go more than five innings or six and later in the game I just need to

let the hitters hit the ball. I know I can be good and I'm good. I have to stay on the attack the entire

time."

What to watch for

• Mike Trout is 4-for-19 (.211) in his career against Perez. Albert Pujols is 5-for-16, which is a .313

batting average, but all the hits have been singles.

• Andrelton Simmons is 8-for-16 in day games this year, a .500 average that is the highest in the

American League. In his career, he has a .281 batting average during the day and a .249 average at night.

• Backup catcher Robinson Chirinos is expected to start for the Rangers. He has four home runs and nine

RBIs in his past six starts.

April 30, 2017 Page 9 of 14

Pujols, Trout drive in runs, but Angels fall short

By T.R. Sullivan and Dave Sessions / MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Carlos Gomez hit for the cycle for the second time in his career and led the Rangers to a

6-3 victory over the Angels on Saturday night. It's the third time a player has hit for the cycle in the

Major Leagues this season, as Gomez joins Wil Myers of the Padres and Trea Turner of the Nationals.

"It's hard to do," Gomez said. "It's exciting to do that. And you can enjoy it when you win. This month

we've been bouncing up and down a lot. Two nights ago we had a great game and tonight we did this, so

I think we're going in the right direction and hopefully everything will start from here."

Gomez, who had one hit in his previous nine at-bats coming into the game, started the night with a

double and a single in his first two at-bats. He added a two-run triple against starter Jesse Chavez in the

fifth to erase the Angels' 2-0 lead and scored on Rougned Odor's two-run home run.

Odor's two-run home run

Gomez finished off the cycle with a two-run homer off right-handed reliever Jose Valdez in the seventh,

his first home run since April 13. Gomez also hit for the cycle on May 7, 2008, while with the Twins. It's

the 10th time a Rangers player has hit for the cycle, including twice by Adrian Beltre. He was the last

Rangers player to do so on Aug. 3, 2015.

"Obviously the cycle is what it is," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "It's a special moment. There

aren't that many. I think more than anything, when he's seeing the ball and putting good swings on the

ball, he's fortunate to be putting the barrel on the ball all night long. There is a lot of feel-good with it."

Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish earned the win by holding the Angels to two runs in six innings while

throwing a 2017 Major League-high 125 pitches. Chavez looked promising early but took the loss after

allowing four runs in the fifth.

Darvish escapes bases-loaded jam

"He threw the ball well like always," Angels DH Albert Pujols said of Darvish. "We executed our plans,

and that's probably the most pitches that he's thrown against us. We made him work. We just didn't --

myself included -- come up with the big hit."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Trout rocket follows near miss: Mike Trout drove home the Angels' first run with a double in the fourth

inning that scored Kole Calhoun from first base. The double came on a full-count fastball and had an exit

velocity of 111.2 miles per hour, according to Statcast™. That's the second-hardest hit ball off Darvish in

the past three years. The Rangers thought Darvish had Trout struck out on a 2-2 fastball down in the

strike zone.

Trout's RBI double

April 30, 2017 Page 10 of 14

Odor home run follows delay: Odor was batting with two out and a runner at third in the fifth. He fouled

off a 1-1 pitch, and manager Jeff Banister went out to talk with home-plate umpire Adam Hamari about

Chavez possibly committing a balk. The delay took a couple of minutes. On Chavez's next pitch, Odor hit

one off the foul pole down the right-field line that gave the Rangers a 4-2 lead. Odor had gone 78 at-bats

without a home run after hitting three in his first 13 at-bats.

"I was just looking for a rules clarification," Banister said.

Asked if the delay hurt his concentration, Chavez said, "I don't want to say no, but it could have thrown

me a little bit off rhythm. Who's to know if he didn't have that conversation what the next pitch would

have been. I'm not sure. I'm not going to blame it on that -- I've still got to execute."

QUOTABLE

"It's something that makes you feel really good when you have the crowd pushing for you. It's

something that makes you feel like you need to come here every single day and give everything you

have."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Darvish's 125 pitches are the most by a Major League pitcher this year. They also are the most by a

Rangers pitcher since Darvish threw 126 against the Red Sox on May 9, 2014.

WHAT'S NEXT

Angels: In the series finale against the Rangers at 2:05 p.m. CT, JC Ramirez will try to build off a strong

start his last time out (Tuesday), when he tossed seven scoreless innings, struck out seven and allowed

two hits and two walks in a no-decision against the A's.

Rangers: Left-hander Martin Perez pitches against the Angels in the final of a three-game series. He is 2-

3 with a 3.23 ERA in eight career starts and one relief appearance against the Angels.

Untimely pitches derail promising Chavez outing

By Dave Sessions / Special to MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- Angels starter Jesse Chavez's outing Saturday night swung from promising to

disappointing by the slimmest of margins in the fifth inning of the Halos' 6-3 loss to the Rangers.

Twice, he had two outs and two strikes on batters, but Nomar Mazara and Rougned Odordrove in runs

instead, with a single and two-run homer, respectively. Between those two hitters, Carlos Gomez tripled

on a gapper to right-center that skimmed off the glove of Mike Trout, who missed a sensational catch by

inches. And then Odor's two-run shot hit the foul pole, perhaps a foot or two from being a harmless

souvenir.

"The first four innings were really good, and I hit a little snag in the fifth, which us starters know is the

hardest inning to get through," Chavez said. "I wasn't able to get through that one tonight, and it kind of

hurt us."

April 30, 2017 Page 11 of 14

Holding onto a 2-0 lead, Chavez had scattered four hits and a walk through the first four frames. He got

a quick flyout to start the fifth before Jonathan Lucroy doubled, but Chavez got the next batter, Delino

DeShields, to pop out.

"I thought he did a real good job early of controlling counts and hitting his spots, and the fifth inning,

after the double, he got DeShields to pop up. They got some clutch hits and he couldn't close it out,"

manager Mike Scioscia said. "As far as the ball coming out of his hand, he made some good pitches, he

did a good job."

But, Scioscia continued, "You've got to finish at-bats."

With a full count to Mazara, Chavez left a changeup up in the zone for a single that scored Lucroy.

Gomez followed with a ball that Trout managed to track down but couldn't corral.

"It looked like it ticked his glove," Scioscia said, adding that he wasn't sure if Trout had much of a chance

to make the play. "If he did, it would have been an incredible catch."

Gomez scored after a brief delay when Rangers manager Jeff Banister came out to have a conversation

with home-plate umpire Adam Hamari for what Banister called "a rules clarification," and Odor cranked

the next pitch, a 1-2 slider, off the right-field foul pole about halfway up. Chavez lifted his hands and

covered his face in frustration for a moment.Odor's two-run home run

"I was just hoping it'd hook a little bit more and it's a foul ball and get back after it," Chavez said.

Strong gusts of wind knocked some high fly balls down early in the game, but it was relatively still by the

time the Rangers scored four runs off Chavez, who sarcastically wondered if a little more wind could

have saved him from his fate.

"It was swirling for a bit, and then it just kind of calmed down toward the end," Chavez said. "I needed it

to swirl a little more in that fifth."

1B Cron, lefty Skaggs land on 10-day DL

Both players injured in Friday's win over Rangers

By Dave Sessions / Special to MLB.com

ARLINGTON -- The Angels placed first baseman C.J. Cron and left-hander Tyler Skaggs on the 10-day

disabled list Saturday, after both players were injured in Friday's 6-3 win over the Rangers.

To fill the spots vacated by Cron and Skaggs, the Angels recalled right-hander Daniel Wrightfrom Triple-A

Salt Lake and placed right-hander Jose Valdez on the Major League roster. To make room for Valdez,

they designated lefty Greg Mahle for assignment.

Skaggs left the game with discomfort in his right side after allowing one earned run and striking out six

in five innings. He was diagnosed with a right oblique muscle strain.

April 30, 2017 Page 12 of 14

"We're not going to take any chances with him," manager Mike Scioscia said of Skaggs, who is 1-1 with a

3.99 ERA in five starts this season. Scioscia said he expected Skaggs to undergo an MRI to further

evaluate his condition.

Cron fouled a ball off his left foot in the eighth inning and was on crutches after the game. X-rays

showed no broken bones, but he is out with a contusion on the top of his foot.

Scioscia said the change to a 10-day disabled list this season from the traditional 15-day DL made the

decisions easier.

"With C.J. and even with Tyler, we would have been last year really playing short for these two or three

days to see which direction it would have set up," Scioscia said. "You never want a guy who's going to be

all right in seven days to have to wait 15. But if it's seven or 10, obviously it's not that big a difference

and we give him the extra couple of days to make sure he's ready to go.

"No doubt, [for] our roster management, it's a plus" to have 10 days instead of 15, Scioscia said.

Cron and Skaggs said they felt a little better Saturday.

"I woke up and I could at least move a little bit, still with a limp but I can move around a little bit," said

Cron, who is hitting .233/.277/.267 with no home runs and three RBIs this season after hitting 16

homers in each of the past two seasons. "It's unfortunate, but it's nothing too serious, so that's a good

thing."

"We have an off-day so I [wasn't] going to throw today anyway," Skaggs said. "I'm not like, a lot better,

but I definitely feel better, which is encouraging."

Wright allowed 10 earned runs in 8 1/3 innings over two starts for Salt Lake this season. In nine

appearances, Valdez posted a 4.91 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 11 innings.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS .

Angels put 1B C.J. Cron, LHP Tyler Skaggs on 10-day disabled list

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Los Angeles Angels have put first baseman C.J. Cron and left-handed

starter Tyler Skaggs on the 10-day disabled list.

The Angels made the move Saturday before playing at Texas.

Cron has a bruised left foot and Skaggs has a strained right oblique. They both left Friday night's game

against the Rangers.

The Angels recalled right-hander Daniel Wright from Triple-A Salt Lake and selected right-hander Jose

Valdez to the major league roster. To make room for Valdez on the 40-man roster, left-hander Greg

Mahle was designated for assignment.

April 30, 2017 Page 13 of 14

Cron fouled a ball off the top of the foot in the eighth inning.

"I think it's just a bruise," said Cron, seated in the Angels' clubhouse Saturday with his foot taped and

elevated on a chair. "It's unfortunate, but it's nothing too serious."

Cron is hitting .233 with no home runs and three RBI in 17 games.

Skaggs, who is 1-1 in five starts, left after five innings with a pain between his ribs and hip.

Angels' Ramirez faces Rangers' Perez in series finale

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Los Angeles Angels right-hander JC Ramirez (2-2, 4.43 ERA) appears to have found

his groove after three turns in the rotation for the Angels.

Texas left-hander Martin Perez (1-3, 3.81 ERA) is still looking to find his.

The two square off Sunday when the Angels and Rangers play the rubber game of their three-game

series at Globe Life Park.

Ramirez started the season in the bullpen before getting his first start April 14. He allowed five earned

runs in that start, but followed it up by allowing three in his next start. In his last outing against Oakland,

Ramirez allowed just two hits in seven innings in a 2-1 win over Oakland. Ramirez struck out seven in

that start and will have a hard time topping that start Sunday.

That doesn't mean Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia doesn't think it can't happen.

"He keeps progressing," Scioscia said. "The start before he got on board and finished strong. So I think

what we're seeing from JC is hopefully the evolution of a guy that is getting comfortable with that role,

getting comfortable in getting into the 90- to 100-pitch count. He really was impressive in that last

game."

If his history against Texas is any indication, Ramirez could be in for another good start Sunday. In seven

relief appearances against the Rangers Ramirez is 1-1 with a 1.13 ERA.

Perez has decent career numbers against the Angels, going 2-3 with a 3.23 ERA in nine appearances. But

Perez hasn't been able to put together a really strong start yet this year for Texas. He allowed just three

runs in six innings in his last start, but after four great innings to start the game he allowed three in the

fifth as the Rangers lost to Minnesota 3-2.

Perez believes he is trying to do too much with every pitch. It's not a recipe for success for him.

"Sometimes as a pitcher you can throw every pitch 100 percent," Perez said. "Sometimes you have to

back up and throw like a BP fastball. Let's see how good I am and I know that I'm good so that's what I

need. Sometimes you go 110 pitches 100 percent and you can throw seven innings or eight. If you try

less and you throw that pitch 100 percent when you need it it's going to be a difference."

April 30, 2017 Page 14 of 14

Putting maximum effort into each pitch is one of the reasons Perez thinks he has only totaled 26 innings

pitched in his five starts. If he dials things back a little, he thinks he'll be able to pitch deeper into games.

Texas manager Jeff Banister likes that line of thinking.

"Every time he pitches we talk about that," Banister said. "It's managing your effort in the pitch. It's not

gas pedal. Gas pedal down is effort on every single pitch. Throw everything with maximum effort. That's

what he's talking about. Maximum effort makes everything flatten out. There's not enough separation

and you don't have as much control."