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Clips

(July 23, 2017)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels swat Red Sox 7-3 to keep their wild-card hopes alive

Angels’ Martin Maldonado has been a steady presence behind the plate

Column: Best way for Dodgers to win the World Series is by adding a pitcher

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 9)

Bud Norris earns job as Angels’ closer but isn’t given the title

JC Ramirez overcomes early troubles, Angels rally to defeat Red Sox

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 12)

Bridwell, Porcello square off in rubber match

Simmons, Pujols power Halos pas Price, Sox

Ramirez rebounds, retires 12 straight vs. Sox

Middleton, Bridwell relishing big league ride

FROM ESPN (Page 17)

Simmons slugs Angels to 7-3 win over Red Sox

FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 19)

Porcello seeks support as Red Sox visit Angels

July 23, 2017 Page 3 of 20

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels swat Red Sox 7-3 to keep their wild-card hopes alive

By Pedro Moura

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, JC Ramirez pulled on his baseball pants, laced up his cleats, buttoned his

uniform, buckled his belt, and headed for the bullpen behind left field at Angel Stadium.

This between-starts bullpen session, 75 hours before Ramirez took the mound Saturday against

the Boston Red Sox, was not going to be a normal shorts-and-shirt bullpen session.

“Treat it like a game,” Ramirez said, scrunching his face and pointing two fingers to his eyes. “Stay

focused.”

The Nicaraguan right-hander is new to the realm of starting pitching, so he has used this season as his

study hall. More than a month into his new gig, he learned he was warming up too early before games

and was tired in the first inning. Now he has sensed a need to increase his overall intensity, so he is

going treat the standard sessions as if they matter a great deal.

“At the beginning, I threw bullpens just to feel the ball, to throw strikes,” Ramirez said. “Now, it’s more

like: OK, this is game time.”

Whether his strategy helped Saturday was unclear, as he hurled an imperfect outing. But the six innings

he supplied aided the Angels on their way to a 7-3 victory at Angel Stadium that preserved their playoff

positioning for another day.

The Angels (48-51) are 31/2 games behind wild-card qualification. Seven games remain before the July

31 trade deadline.

Charged with three runs, one earned, in his six innings, Ramirez lowered his ERA in 19 starts to a

respectable 4.34.

Right away, Ramirez issued a one-out walk to Andrew Benintendi. He then missed with all four pitches

to Dustin Pedroia and slapped his right hand on his glove in frustration. Up next, Hanley Ramirez poked

a slider into right field for a run-scoring single.

To begin the Angels’ first, Yunel Escobar tried to check his swing on a biting 2-and-2 cutter from Red

Sox starter David Price. First-base umpire Vic Carapazza ruled that he did not succeed, and Escobar

flung his hand in disbelief.

Price worked out of the inning and the next, though the Angels forced him to toil, which might have

factored into his later unraveling.

July 23, 2017 Page 4 of 20

On a potential double play in the second inning, Ramirez started late on his way to cover first base, and

he missed Simmons’ throw that would have secured the inning’s second out. He said later that evening

shadows obscured his view. One out later, Mookie Betts stroked a double into right field. Ben-intendi

sliced a first-pitch curveball into left, scoring another.

Ramirez’s error was the Angels’ first since June 30, which ended a club record of 14 consecutive error-

less games.

With a man on and one out in the third, Mike Trout forced Price into another extended at-bat before

drawing a nine-pitch walk. Albert Pujols stroked a double into left field, cutting the Angels’ deficit to 3-2.

Andrelton Simmons swatted the next pitch into the third row of the left-field seats. The two-run home

run permanently pushed the Angels ahead 4-3.

Simmons singled in another run in the fifth. And when Martin Maldonado followed with a routine

grounder to shortstop, Xander Bogaerts inexplicably attempted a force at second, though Simmons

had been running on the pitch. Bogaerts’ toss missed Pedroia at second base, and the Angels had a sixth

run. They made it seven in the sixth.

After Benintendi’s second-inning single, Ramirez retired 12 consecutive Red Sox. He struck out the side

in the fifth, the latter two on called strikeouts, which angered Boston manager John Farrell. Pedroia

didn’t complain to home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi about an inning-ending ruling, but Farrell did, and Cuzzi

quickly ejected him.

Bogaerts doubled to snap Ramirez’s streak with two outs in the sixth, prompting action in the Angels’

bullpen. When Mitch Moreland walked, pitching coach Charles Nagy visited the mound, but Ramirez

got to face one more batter, and he induced a low liner from Christian Vazquez that Trout speared to

cap the inning and Ramirez’s night.

“That was huge,” Ramirez said. “I was getting tired that inning.”

Angels’ Martin Maldonado has been a steady presence behind the plate

By Pedro Moura

Over the first six seasons of his major league career, Martin Maldonado never caught more than 74

games in a season. He was forever Jonathan Lucroy’s backup in Milwaukee.

Now, in his first season as an Angel, the 30-year-old Maldonado leads the big leagues in games caught.

Saturday marked his 82nd appearance and 79th start of the season, out of the Angels’ 99 games. He is

on pace to appear in 134 games.

July 23, 2017 Page 5 of 20

Among major leaguers, only St. Louis’ Yadier Molina has started more games — 81 — and he has

never entered as a substitute.

Yet the Angels say Maldonado is not exhibiting any signs of fatigue because of the increased workload.

“The first thing is the mental strain on the catcher,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “That gets to

you before the physical strain. Some catchers will start to take some shortcuts or get a little lazy in how

they present the target. We’ve seen none of that with Martin. He’s been on point every pitch. He never

takes a pitch off.

“From that aspect, he’s holding up very well.”

No team played more games than the Angels in the first half, which contributed to Maldonado’s lead.

But because of their two off days in the last week, other teams have caught up to their pace.

It is just difficult for Scioscia to sit Maldonado. His throwing arm presents a threat to opposing base-

stealers, his game calling is widely praised by his teammates, and his offense is far better than the

Angels’ alternatives.

Maldonado entered Saturday’s game hitting .247 with a .728 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, a

marker that essentially matches the career high he set as a rookie. He believes he is hitting better

because of his playing time.

“When you play every day, the timing is there,” he said. “You see pitchers more often. I’ve never played

a lot in my career. I’ve maybe played two, two and a half months, on an everyday basis. So, I think the

longer you play the game helps. I haven’t done anything else different.”

Former Angels catcher Jose Molina, a fellow Puerto Rican and current catching coordinator in the

club’s minor leagues, spent a few days with the team last week. He and Maldonado discussed their field.

Over his 15-year career, Molina never caught more than 102 games in a season.

Short hops

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs threw four innings for triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday, in the second game of his

minor league rehab assignment from an oblique strain. He is slated to start again with triple A in

Memphis later this week. He could be activated thereafter. … After two Arizona League starts, left-

hander Andrew Heaney will next pitch Wednesday, still in Arizona. He is returning from July 2016 elbow

ligament replacement surgery. … Right-handers Matt Shoemaker (posterior interosseous nerve

syndrome) and Garrett Richards (biceps nerve irritation) continued to play catch, Shoemaker from 75

feet, Richards from 90.

July 23, 2017 Page 6 of 20

Column: Best way for Dodgers to win the World Series is by adding a pitcher

By Bill Shaikin

Yhere is no great mystery about the most effective way to win a World Series. The Dodgers demonstrated

how in 1963, when they swept the New York Yankees.

The Dodgers got 108 outs in that World Series. Their starting pitchers got 106 of them.

Sandy Koufax pitched two complete games. Don Drysdale pitched one. Johnny Podres, that slacker,

came within two outs of a complete game.

Baseball has changed radically over the last half a century, and so have the means to that championship

end.

Koufax threw two complete games within five days. No National League team has more than two

complete games this season.

The factors are many and familiar: pitch counts that restrict starting pitchers; the emphasis on batters

taking pitches and drawing a walk; the rise of the closer, and then the setup man, and then the left-

handed specialist; the data that discourage a team from letting a starter face a lineup three times and

encourage the use of better relievers earlier in the game.

There are various means to that championship end these days. This is the backdrop for the debate

within the Dodgers front office — eight days before the trade deadline, and 29 years since the last

parade.

The debate over whether Alex Wood is a No. 2 starter in a World Series rotation misses the point. So

does the debate over whether the Dodgers need a better No. 4 starter than Brandon McCarthy.

The debate really is about how the Dodgers can most effectively get the 27 outs they need to win each

October game. Are they better off with a starter who can pitch six or seven innings maybe once in a

series, or a reliever who can pitch six or seven innings over three or four games?

Whatever answer the front office determines will influence its strategy at the deadline. The Dodgers are

interested in Yu Darvishand in Zach Britton.

The asking price for each will factor heavily into this answer, of course, but would the Dodgers be better

off sacrificing their precious prospects for a starter like Darvish to pitch behind Clayton Kershaw or a

reliever like Britton to pitch ahead of Kenley Jansen?

Remember, the Dodgers had a trade in place for Aroldis Chapmanto pitch in front of Jansen last season,

then backed away after learning of the domestic-violence incident for which Chapman ultimately was

suspended 30 games.

This is the crucial point: Wood and Rich Hill look good now, but the Dodgers have handled each with

July 23, 2017 Page 7 of 20

extreme caution. Wood has not thrown more than 100 pitches in a game this season. Hill has done it

once. If the Dodgers won’t let them pitch deep into games now, they certainly can’t expect them to

deliver seven innings in October, right?

“That’s fair,” manager Dave Roberts said.

Let’s say the Dodgers get seven innings from Kershaw in his starts, five from Wood, five from Hill. That

would leave 30 outs to cover over a three-game span. And, even if Jansen could get six outs in each of

those games, that would leave 18 outs.

That is not necessarily a recipe for doom. To the contrary: it is the direction in which the sport appears

to be trending.

In the 36 World Series starts over the last three years, the starting pitcher lasted more than six innings

only four times — Madison Bumgarnerand Johnny Cueto went nine innings, Matt Harvey eight, Yordano

Ventura seven. In those 36 starts, the starting pitcher went fewer than five innings 14 times.

In 2002, the last time a Southern California team got to the World Series, the Angels won in seven

games. The number of games in which the Angels starter lasted six innings: zero. But Francisco

Rodriguez got 26 outs over four games and Brendan Donnelly got 23 outs over five games, in support of

closer Troy Percival.

“I don’t think there’s any magic formula to get you to a World Series,” said Mike Scioscia, the Angels

manager then and now.

“If you have the Randy Johnson and the [Curt] Schilling, the [Max] Scherzer and the [Stephen] Strasburg,

the guys who pitch deep into games, great. If you don’t, you’ve got to find a way to get the game on

your terms. It could be the 5 1/3-inning start, with the guys that hold the lead or keep the game where

you want it to be. I think it’s just how you piece it together.

“If you’ve got guy that’s going to pitch 21, 22, 23 outs, he’s his own middle man, his own setup guy, and

then you have your bullpen after that. If you don’t, you better find a way to do it.”

The guy that built the team with Scherzer and Strasburg, the team the Dodgers might need to beat to

get to the World Series, is counting on his aces.

“I’m from the old school,” Washington Nationalsgeneral manager Mike Rizzosaid. “When you have starting

pitching, anything is possible. And, when you don’t have starting pitching, nothing is possible. We built

our organization on starting pitching. We rely heavily on it. Each one of our starters gives us a chance to

win every day. That’s what we’ve tried to build. That’s what we have this year.

“I think that’s the way a contender has to be built.”

Scherzer and Kershaw are tied for the league lead in innings pitched, with Gio Gonzalez of the Nationals

ranking fifth, and Strasburg 11th. No Dodgers pitcher besides Kershaw ranks in the top 40.

July 23, 2017 Page 8 of 20

The Nationals shored up their faulty bullpen last week, acquiring Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. But

even then, Rizzo said, he sees no reason why his big three starters cannot pitch into the seventh inning,

deep into October.

“We’re hoping for that, and we’re expecting that,” Rizzo said. “It’s been their track record. We’re going

to rely on them to take us to the promised land, if that’s at all possible.”

Andrew Miller of the Cleveland Indians got 23 outs over four games in the last World Series, fewer outs

than Rodriguez in four games 15 years ago, yet still somehow was heralded as a revolution. As Roberts

pointed out, the Indians probably would not have worked Miller quite so hard had they not lost two of

their top three starters (Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar) to injury in September.

“When you don’t have those guys, and you’ve got off days, and you can deploy relievers for matchups, I

think that is kind of the best alternative,” Roberts said.

“If you look at Clayton and those top-tier guys, and they are few and far between, I think it’s more

driven by your particular roster.”

Roberts said the Dodgers are fortunate enough not to have a glaring weakness. If there is one priority he

would like to see the front office address, it would be the left-handed reliever to face, say, Bryce

Harper and Daniel Murphy of the Nationals, in the innings between the starter and Jansen.

“That wipeout lefty is something that does make sense,” Roberts said, “especially looking at potentially

who you’re going to face in the postseason.”

And if the front office tells you it can acquire a seven-inning starter or a multi-inning reliever, but not

both?

“I don’t have a preference,” Roberts said. “I really don’t.”

Kershaw has pitched in 18 postseason games, none of them in the World Series. He said the Dodgers’

depth affords the front office the chance to build the pitching staff from the front or the back, without

worrying that the other end would be too weak to win.

“I think we’re in a good spot as a team,” Kershaw said.

The Dodgers’ chances to win the World Series might be best served by adding another starter, or they

might be best served by adding another reliever, but the only way to find out for sure is to get to the

World Series.

“I hope we find out,” Kershaw said.

July 23, 2017 Page 9 of 20

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Bud Norris earns job as Angels’ closer but isn’t given the title

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

ANAHEIM — Right-handed reliever Bud Norris made five appearances going into Saturday since returning

from the disabled list July 1, including four in a row in the ninth inning. He recorded his 12th, 13th and 14th

saves of 2017 in that stretch, the most by an Angel since Huston Street had 40 in 2015.

Overall, Norris pitched in the ninth inning 24 times in his 39 appearances before Saturday.

So, that would make him the Angels’ closer, taking over for the injured Street, right?

Definitely.

Maybe.

Manager Mike Scioscia wouldn’t come out and designate Norris his closer of the moment because, well,

Norris’ role is somewhat more nuanced than as a reliever who is called upon to retire the final three

batters in a game the Angels lead by three runs or fewer.

Scioscia said the same after spring training, when Cam Bedrosian appeared to have won the job with

Street sidelined by a different injury to start the season. Scioscia didn’t want to attach a definitive label to

Bedrosian’s role and he was equally hesitant when asked why he hadn’t called Norris his closer.

“Is Bud going to be a back-end guy? Absolutely, he’s a back-end guy for us,” Scioscia said. “Is he going to be

the only guy closing games? I don’t know if we can say that. … He’s one of our guys. He’s one of our guys. Is

he only going to be used in save situations? I don’t think we can say that.

“It might be the way it’s worked out since he came back, but not before that he wasn’t. Before that he was

pitching in the seventh inning. He was pitching in the eighth. He was pitching in the ninth. He was moving

around. Cam’s been moved around. I don’t think we’re redefining this bullpen.”

Scioscia has spoken of using his bullpen based on matchups rather than in defined roles, as in the past.

Mainly, that’s because he doesn’t have a healthy Street. Or a Francisco Rodriguez or Troy Percival to turn

to with a game on the line in the ninth inning.

“Is he in that closer’s bubble, where he’s only going to pitch in save situations? No,” Scioscia said. “I think

we have to keep that option open with all of our guys. If we have enough depth, I think you’re going to see

Bud pitch at the back end of games, hopefully, saving games.”

July 23, 2017 Page 10 of 20

Street has been on the disabled list since July 5 because of a groin injury. He missed 75 games to start the

season because of a right lat strain. There is no timetable for his return to the bullpen from his latest

injury.

ROBINSON UPDATE

Scioscia said outfielder Shane Robinson was day to day after he was removed from Friday’s game after

four innings because of upper back spasms. Ben Revere started in his place in left field Saturday against the

Boston Red Sox.

SHOEMAKER THROWS

Right-hander Matt Shoemaker played catch for the second consecutive day after he was sidelined for two

weeks because of a strained forearm. Shoemaker increased the distance, to 75 feet from 60. Scioscia

described Shoemaker’s recovery as “taking baby steps.”

NEGATIVE NUMBERS

The Angels were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position in Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Red Sox, continuing a

negative trend over the past 18 games. The Angels hit 12 for 102 with runners in scoring position (.118)

and they were averaging 2.7 runs per game over their past 18 games.

ESPINOSA RELEASED

Second baseman Danny Espinosa cleared waivers and was officially released by the Angels. He batted .162

in 254 plate appearances with six home runs and 29 RBI in 77 games. Cliff Pennington started at second

base Saturday.

JC Ramirez overcomes early troubles, Angels rally to defeat Red Sox

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

ANAHEIM — For a while, it looked like another summer rerun. Angels starter JC Ramirez was in serious

jeopardy in the first inning and again in the second. He couldn’t keep the Boston Red Sox off base or off

the scoreboard and faced an early three-run deficit with no sign of a letup.

Then a funny thing happened en route to a repeat as Ramirez avoided a similar fate as Ricky Nolasco.

Ramirez settled down and, soon enough, found a rhythm and retired 12 consecutive batters, giving the

Angels’ hitters a chance to chance to get him back into the game.

The Angels chipped the icicles off their bats and rallied for a 7-3 victory Saturday over the Red Sox at Angel

Stadium, only their fifth win in their past 13 games. Albert Pujols went 3 for 3 against Boston starter David

Price, including a two-run double in a four-run third inning.

July 23, 2017 Page 11 of 20

Andrelton Simmons put the Angels ahead to stay, 4-3, with a two-run homer over the low-fence near the

left-field foul pole in the third inning. The Angels added two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth, building a

7-3 lead and easing Ramirez’s burden.

Mike Trout’s running catch of Christian Vazquez’s sinking line drive to right-center ended the final threat

the Red Sox managed against Ramirez, stranding runners at first and second in the sixth. It was the last of

Ramirez’s 102 pitches.

“Mike came out of nowhere,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of Trout’s highlight reel-caliber catch that

maintained the Angels’ 6-3 lead. “That’s the kind of closing speed Mike has. That’s a big out at the time. He

saved a couple of runs.”

Scioscia replaced Ramirez with reliever Blake Parker to start the seventh. Ramirez (9-8) gave up three runs

(one earned) and five hits with six strikeouts and three walks in six standout innings. Well, four standout

innings, anyway.

After giving up a run-scoring single to Hanley Ramirez in the first inning, JC Ramirez created his own

problems by failing to catch a throw that would have completed a double play in the second. Ramirez

retired the next batter on a groundout, but then gave up an RBI double to Mookie Betts.

Andrew Benintendi followed with an RBI single and Boston led 3-0, a second healthy advantage in the early

innings for the Red Sox in as many nights. Friday, they scored five times against Nolasco in the first inning

en route to a 6-2 victory.

“I got wild in the first few innings,” Ramirez said. “I couldn’t get the ball down. I was behind. If you don’t

get ahead in the counts against big-league hitters, then they take advantage of that. My breaking ball

today wasn’t very good, but once I got my fastball down, it was a whole different game.”

Pujols and Simmons rallied the Angels on Saturday. Pujols doubled home two runs off Price (5-3) in the

third and then became the 26th player in major league history to score 1,700 runs when he scored on

Simmons’ 10th homer of the season. Pujols also singled and scored in the fifth.

“I thought it was going to be a double, but it kept going,” Simmons said of his homer. “I just wanted to

keep the momentum going. I was looking for something up (in the strikezone), but it was a little better

pitch than that.”

Ramirez was in command by then, striking out the side in the fifth, prompting the ejection of Boston

manager John Farrell after Dustin Pedroia was caught looking by plate umpire Phil Cuzzi. Gary DiSarcina, a

former Angels shortstop and coach, took over for Farrell, a former Angels pitcher.

July 23, 2017 Page 12 of 20

FROM ANGELS.COM

Bridwell, Porcello square off in rubber match

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

Rick Porcello, whose last win came against the Angels on June 23, will seek the same result Sunday when

he faces off with young right-hander Parker Bridwell to conclude a three-game set at Angel Stadium.

Porcello (4-12, 4.60 ERA), the 2016 American League Cy Young Award winner, hasn't earned a win in his

last four outings despite three straight quality starts, including his latest outing against the Yankees

when he tossed six innings of three-run ball with no walks and six strikeouts.

Porcello has been on an impressive run of 17 straight games in which he's pitched at least six innings,

the longest active streak in the Major Leagues.

Manager John Farrell praised the veteran's preparation, adding that the record doesn't accurately

reflect how well he's pitched.

"He takes a lot of pride in working deep as most starters do, but he's been able to execute it," Farrell

said. "It's been what, 17 or 18 consecutive starts with six innings or more? So while the run support for

him might have a direct impact on the win-loss record, all the other numbers he put up a year ago are

pretty darn close with what he's producing right now."

The Angels are 6-1 in games started by the 25-year-old Bridwell (3-1, 3.18 ERA) this season. He held the

Rays to two runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings with a career-high eight strikeouts in his last start.

Things to know about this game

• When he last faced the Angels, Porcello allowed four runs (three earned) over 6 1/3 innings, while

striking out eight and walking one batter.

• Bridwell earned a win the last time he faced Boston, permitting two runs over a career-high 6 2/3

innings on June 25.

• Porcello has pitched at least six innings in 22 straight road starts. The stretch is the longest active

streak in the Major Leagues and is the longest since Cliff Lee's 23-game streak across the 2012-13

seasons.

Simmons, Pujols power Halos past Price, Sox

By Ian Browne and Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Andrelton Simmons crushed a go-ahead home run and drove in three runs and Albert

July 23, 2017 Page 13 of 20

Pujols added a pair of RBIs to fuel the Angels' 7-3 comeback win over the Red Sox on Saturday night,

evening their three-game series at Angel Stadium.

The Red Sox tagged Angels right-hander JC Ramirez for three runs in the first two innings, but the Halos

rallied to score seven unanswered runs, clinching their 27th come-from-behind win of the season.

"When we got a pitch to hit, we hit it hard," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Extra-base hits tonight

showed up. We set the table, got the lead, and from then on, JC held it and our three guys in the 'pen

held it, so it was a good job."

Left-hander David Price could not protect Boston's early lead, surrendering six runs (five earned) on seven

hits while walking three and striking out five over five innings. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts committed two

errors, including a poor feed to Dustin Pedroia in the fifth that allowed Simmons to score and gave the

Angels a 6-3 lead.

"I just rushed it," Bogaerts of the misplay. "I tried to rush it, both plays were a little overaggressive. Both

plays came from rushing and I tried to make something happen and if I would have been patient it

wouldn't happen. But you learn."

Red Sox manager John Farrell was tossed by home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi after arguing balls and strikes

in the fifth inning. It marked Farrell's second ejection of the season, and both have come against the

Angels.

"Any time you make a comment about balls and strikes, that's probably where it's going to get you out

[of the game]," said Farrell. "I thought there were some called strike threes that were certainly not in

our favor and obviously we had a difference of opinion."

Ramirez overcame the shaky beginning to his outing to deliver six solid innings for the Angels, allowing

three runs (one earned) on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Ramirez yielded an RBI single

to Hanley Ramirez in the first and then couldn't catch a throw that would have completed a double play

in the second. The Red Sox capitalized on Ramirez's miscue by scoring a pair of unearned runs, but the

28-year-old right-hander didn't allow any more damage after that.

Blake Parker, David Hernandez and Bud Norris combined to pitch three scoreless innings in relief of

Ramirez to seal the Halos' win.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Simmons' go-ahead blast: Simmons' 10th home run of the season highlighted the Angels' four-run third,

which erased a three-run deficit and gave the club its first lead of the night. Pujols, who finished 3-for-4,

put the Halos on the board with a two-run double, and Simmons followed by pulling a first-pitch cutter

from Price over the left-field fence, giving the Angels a 4-3 lead. Simmons' homer had an exit velocity of

104 mph and traveled an projected 374 feet, according to Statcast™.

"We were having a good inning, and we wanted to keep the momentum going," Simmons said. "I was

looking for something up in the zone. It kind of came down, but still got a pretty decent pitch, and put a

July 23, 2017 Page 14 of 20

good swing on it. Thought it was going to be a double, but it kept carrying."

Trout's running catch: After an uneven start, Ramirez settled in and retired 12 consecutive batters

before Bogaerts doubled with two outs in the sixth. Mitch Moreland then walked to put a pair of runners

on for Christian Vazquez. Vazquez hit a flare into the gap in right-center field, but Trout ran the ball down

to end the inning, preserving the Halos' 6-3 lead.

"It was huge for me," JC Ramirez said. "Like you guys could see, I was getting tired that inning, and it was

huge. I say every time, I've got the best guys in the league on defense."

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Mookie Betts has started 95 straight games for the Red Sox, marking the longest streak by a Boston

position player since Mo Vaughn, who started 153 straight between 1997-98.

Pujols scored his 1,700th career run on Simmons' home run in the third, becoming only the 26th player

to reach the mark.

WHAT'S NEXT

Red Sox: Sinkerballer Rick Porcello (4-12, 4.60 ERA) will try to put together his fourth straight quality

start when he gets the ball in the finale of this four-game series. The one thing Porcello has lacked all

season is run support. His 3.45 run-support average is easily the lowest of any of Boston's starting

pitchers this season. First pitch is scheduled for 3:37 p.m. ET.

Angels: Rookie right-hander Parker Bridwell (3-1, 3.18 ERA) will take the mound for the Angels in

Sunday's series finale against the Red Sox at 12:37 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium. Bridwell faced Boston at

Fenway Park on June 25 and earned the win after allowing two runs over 6 2/3 innings.

Mike Trout’s foul line drive nearly demolished this camera, and yes, there is footage

By Jessica Kleinschmidt/ MLB.com

Any time Mike Trout makes contact with the ball, something is bound to happen. It could be a ball that's

blasted out of the park, a home run robbery, or in this case, a possible broken camera.

When the Angels were hosting the Red Sox on Saturday night, the six-time All-Star was facing David

Price. Trout hit a line drive into foul territory directly at a camera, right into the lens -- a sequel of sorts

to Dae-Ho Lee's camera-smashing moment last season.

And yes, in both occurrences, the camera caught the entire thing.

It doesn't appear the camera was broken, but if you can survive a line drive off the bat of Mike Trout,

you can probably survive anything.

July 23, 2017 Page 15 of 20

Ramirez rebounds, retires 12 straight vs. Sox

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Two shaky innings seemed to portend the beginning of a rough night for Angels right-

hander JC Ramirez. He struggled to contain the Red Sox's powerful lineup early on and found himself

in a 3-0 hole by the end of the second inning.

But Ramirez survived early trouble and settled in retire 12 straight batters, giving the Angels the chance

to rally for a 7-3 comeback win over the Red Sox on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. Ramirez earned

his ninth win of the season after yielding three runs (one earned) on five hits over six innings.

"He settled down after the first inning and kept them quiet, gave the offense a chance to work,"

shortstop Andrelton Simmons said. "We put some hits together and scored some runs, and kept them

at bay."

In the first, Ramirez gave up back-to-back walks to Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia, followed

by an RBI single to Hanley Ramirez. An error compounded Ramirez's issues in the following inning, as

he was unable to catch a throw at first base from Simmons that would have completed a double play

and recorded the second out of the inning. Ramirez coaxed a groundout from the next batter,

but Mookie Betts then delivered an RBI double to push the Red Sox's lead to 2-0. Benintendi brought

home another run with a single to left field.

"I was kind of wild in the first inning," Ramirez said. "I couldn't get the ball down. When you're not

getting ahead in the count, it's kind of hard with big league hitters. They take advantage of that."

Not long after that, though, Ramirez found his groove, keeping the Red Sox scoreless through the next

four innings. He didn't allow another hit until Xander Bogaerts doubled with two outs in the sixth.

"Once I got my fastball down, it was a whole different game," Ramirez said.

The Red Sox mounted one last threat against Ramirez in the final inning of his outing, as Mitch

Moreland followed Bogaert's double with a walk, putting a pair of runners on for Christian Vazquez.

Vazquez then lined an 0-2 fastball into the right-center field gap, but Mike Trout made a nice running

grab to end the inning.

"I was getting tired that inning," Ramirez said. "It was huge."

Ramirez, a converted reliever, has pitched 115 innings in his first season as a Major League starter,

which far exceeds his previous career high of 78 2/3 innings in 2016. Still, Ramirez said he thought his

body was capable of handling the increased workload.

July 23, 2017 Page 16 of 20

"My body has been feeling great," Ramirez said. "Now my body is used to this routine. I've been working

hard every day [with] my lifting, my running, so I just feel strong. I don't feel weak or nothing."

Middleton, Bridwell relishing big league ride

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Parker Bridwell and Keynan Middleton have emerged as young arms with intriguing

futures for the Angels. The right-handers have seen their career arcs cross this season, and they

welcome each another's presence amid their development.

"We kind of just meshed right when we got here," says Bridwell, who's made the most of his

opportunities in Anaheim and posted a 3-1 record and 3.18 ERA in six starts this season.

Before games, the two can often be seen in right field shagging during batting practice. The moment

often provides them a chance to be transparent with each other, and the conversations can range from

potentially being sent down to Triple-A to what pitches to throw when facing Dustin Pedroia.

"It's crazy," says Middleton, who entered Saturday 2-0 with a 29 strikeouts across 30 innings this season.

"Everything that he's thinking about, I'm usually thinking about in my head, too. When one of us says it

out loud, it's like, 'OK, we're not alone.'"

Middleton is a 23-year-old reliever who can touch 100 mph with "closer stuff," according to manager

Mike Scioscia. Bridwell is a 25-year-old starting pitcher the Angels acquired in April from the Orioles in

exchange for cash. Scioscia said the club didn't have any expectations for Bridwell when he arrived, but

he has been "throwing the ball terrific."

A year ago, things were very different -- Bridwell was with the Orioles' Double-A Bowie affiliate and

Middleton was with the Angels' Class A Advanced Inland Empire club. Both agree that seeing where

they've come in such a short span is unbelievable.

"It's unreal," Middleton said. "I would never have dreamed that 10 months later I'd be in the big

leagues, pitching in some big spots and stuff like that. I'm just truly blessed and thank God for the

opportunity."

Bridwell said his newfound chance in Anaheim has done a lot for his confidence.

"It just made me believe that I can pitch there," Bridwell said, "and that's the first step: just believing in

yourself."

Both players attributed their growing comfort to the camaraderie with veteran members of the pitching

staff. They have helped make the environment pleasant, though having a teammate at a similar stage in

their career has been reassuring.

July 23, 2017 Page 17 of 20

"We don't like to get too high on being here and stuff like that," Bridwell said, "but we're definitely

enjoying it. It's fun to have another young guy here with you."

FROM ESPN

Simmons slugs Angels to 7-3 win over Red Sox

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- When runs come in bunches, so do the wins for the Los Angeles Angels.

Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer, Albert Pujols went 3

for 4 with two RBI and the Angels rallied for a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night.

Simmons hit his 10th homer of the season to left and put the Angels ahead 4-3 in the third inning after

falling behind early. Pujols doubled to score Yunel Escobar and Mike Trout to start the four-run

outburst.

"When we got a pitch to hit we hit it hard," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Albert got us going,

that's a big double. One thing that can get you back into the game, extra-base hits tonight showed up."

The Angels improved to 38-10 when scoring four or more runs, compared to a 10-41 mark when held to

three or fewer.

Battering Red Sox ace David Price even after facing a 3-0 deficit after two innings made this particular

offensive eruption all the more impressive.

"We started chipping away," said Simmons, who went 2 for 4. "Guys just kept putting up good at-bats.

We just didn't make it easy for them."

JC Ramirez (9-8) recorded his second win at home in 11 starts, striking out six while allowing one

earned run and five hits in six innings despite struggling early.

The Red Sox got off to another fast start after scoring five runs in the first inning on Friday. Hanley

Ramirez had an RBI single to start the scoring, and the Red Sox got two runs in the second after the

Angels' franchise-record streak of 14 games without an error ended when Ramirez couldn't make the

catch to complete a double play while covering first. Mookie Betts hit his 31st double to knock in a run

and then was driven in by Andrew Benintendi for a 3-0 lead.

However, the Angels were able to respond after dropping the series opener. They added two runs in the

fifth when Simmons singled, again bringing home Pujols, and he scored on a throwing error by

shortstop Xander Bogaerts.

July 23, 2017 Page 18 of 20

Trout picked up an RBI in the sixth, giving him five in seven games this home stand.

Price (5-3) gave up five earned runs and seven hits in five innings, allowing more than three earned runs

for only the second time this year.

"The one thing that they did do well was they forced him to throw a lot of pitches," Red Sox manager

John Farrell said. "Obviously, the third inning, two big swings were the difference."

ANOTHER PUJOLS MILESTONE

Pujols became the 26th player to score 1,700 runs when he touched home plate after Simmons went

deep. Pujols joins Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez and Willie Mays in amassing

at least 600 home runs and 1,700 runs.

Scioscia called Pujols' continued climb into the history books a moment of "living history."

"He's had an incredible career and he's got more in his tank," Scioscia said. "It's fun to see the guys he is

connected with."

FARRELL TOSSED

Farrell got the boot for arguing with umpire Phil Cuzzi in the middle of the fifth, though his original

intent was to keep Dustin Pedroia from the same outcome. But by the time Farrell got to home plate,

Pedroia had ended his conversation with Cuzzi and Farrell picked up where it left off.

"Anytime you make a comment about balls and strikes, that's probably what it's going to get you,"

Farrell said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: INF Josh Rutledge (concussion) is likely to come off the disabled list on Monday. ... Mitch

Moreland was in the starting lineup at DH for the first time this season.

Angels: LHP Tyler Skaggs (strained oblique) pitched four innings in a rehab start for Triple-A Salt Lake,

giving up three earned runs and six hits.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (4-12, 4.60 ERA) has just one win in his last 10 starts, but it came against

the Angels last month. Porcello has allowed two earned runs in 14 innings over his last two starts,

striking out 13 without allowing a walk in that span, and still took the loss in both outings.

July 23, 2017 Page 19 of 20

Angels: RHP Parker Bridwell (3-1, 3.18 ERA) went a career-high 6 2/3 innings to pick up the win against

the Red Sox last month. Bridwell has held opponents to two earned runs or fewer in five of his last six

starts.

FROM FOX SPORTS

Porcello seeks support as Red Sox visit Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Boston Red Sox had great expectations for Rick Porcello in 2017. The Los Angeles

Angels had no expectations for Parker Bridwell, who as of late April was employed by the Baltimore

Orioles.

Such are the vagaries of baseball.

Porcello was coming off a 22-4 season that won him the American League Cy Young Award, complete

with a 3.15 ERA and league-best strikeout-walk ratio of 5.91. Opponents averaged 7.8 hits per nine

innings against the veteran right-hander.

In 2017, Porcello comes into the finale of the series with the Angels on Sunday with a 4-12 record and

4.60 ERA while allowing 11.2 hits per nine innings. He still has 13 quality starts in 20 outings, and there’s

no question his struggles can be connected to Boston’s defense (12 of the runs he has allowed are

unearned) and a lack of offense when he’s on the mound.

In 10 of his last 17 starts, the Red Sox have scored two runs or fewer, including being shut out five times.

“The real challenge is the ability to stay at the major league level,” Porcello told reporters last month.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the saying ‘It is a game of adjustments.’ That’s what makes it so difficult.

Everyone is constantly adjusting to a better way to try and beat you. Your opponents are constantly

trying to exploit your weaknesses, so it’s a daily battle.

“Right now, it’s a mix. I’ll locate well on one batter, and the next batter I’m leaving stuff over the middle

of the plate. I’ve got to be more consistent, for sure.”

Porcello defeated the Angels in his only start against them this season and is 6-6 with a 6.11 ERA in 15

career starts versus Los Angeles.

“He’s in a stretch when he’s making a mistake, or a mislocated pitch,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

“He’s a little snakebit right now, to be honest.”

The Red Sox (55-44) still lead the AL East with the second-best record in the AL. There’s the rest of July

and two more months of baseball left for Porcello to pitch back to 2016, and maybe get some run

support.

Bridwell (3-1, 3.18 ERA) was anonymous to everyone in Anaheim. He was purchased from the Orioles in

April and recalled for an emergency start on May 30, going six innings while allowing six hits and three

runs in a win.

July 23, 2017 Page 20 of 20

He returned in June and has won a spot in the rotation. He has pitched six-plus innings in his last four

starts, allowed only four runs in three of them, and had a career-high eight strikeouts in his last outing.

One of those wins was a 4-2 decision in Boston last month.

“I feel I’m getting more consistent,” said Bridwell, who made two appearances for the Orioles last

season. “I’m more confident each time I pitch. I’d like to think this is the kind of game (eight strikeouts,

six innings, two runs). I’m capable of every time.”

The Angels are 6-1 in his seven starts.

“The big thing for any young pitcher is the ability to repeat his stuff every outing,” Los Angeles manager

Mike Scioscia said. “For a guy we didn’t know much about, he’s really made an impact.”