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Clips

(April 21, 2015)

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Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Shoemaker struggles as Angels lose to Athletics, 6-3

Angels have a comeback plan for Josh Hamilton FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)

Matt Shoemaker battles control issues as Angels lose to A's, 6-3

Like his manager, Mike Scioscia, Angels reliever Mike Morin not really into role playing

On deck: A's at Angels, 7 p.m., Tuesday

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 8)

Angels stumble out of gate against A's

Shoemaker's wild night costs Angels

A's Pomeranz, Angels' Santiago set for lefty battle

Skaggs might follow Havey's rehab schedule FROM FOX SPORTS WEST (Page 12)

Richards 'fine' day after first big league start in eight months

Shoemaker uncharacteristically 'out of sync' in Angels loss to A's FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS (Page 13)

Angels can’t overcome Matt Shoemaker’s rare off night FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)

RECAP: Vogt's 3-run homer helps A's beat Angels 6-3

Athletics-Angels Preview

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FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Shoemaker struggles as Angels lose to Athletics, 6-3

By Mike DiGiovanna

Oakland 6, Angels 3 KEY MOMENT: Angels starter Matt Shoemaker walked the first batter of the game, Sam Fuld, on four pitches. Shoemaker also walked the third batter, Stephen Vogt. In his previous two starts this season, Shoemaker had faced 50 batters and walked one. Vogt also put the A's ahead for good with a three-run home run off Shoemaker in the third inning. AT THE PLATE: Albert Pujols doubled and singled, two of the Angels' five hits. Mike Trout singled, his lone hit in his last 12 at-bats. The Angels are batting .214 as a team, and they have scored six runs in their last three games, all losses. ON THE MOUND: Shoemaker was hard-pressed to find the strike zone and was pounded when he did. He threw 68 pitches — 35 strikes, 33 balls. He faced 18 batters and retired eight. He gave up seven hits — including two home runs and two doubles — and lasted three-plus innings. Jose Alvarez pitched three shutout innings in relief. EXTRA BASES: The Angels' starting rotation has a 5.25 earned-run average. Shoemaker is at 6.46 and Jered Weaver at 6.61. … Angels Manager Mike Scioscia shrugged off the unimpressive records of every American League West team. “I think it's the toughest division in baseball,” Scioscia said. … Monday marked the 35th anniversary of Scioscia's major league debut. In his first at-bat, he doubled off Joe Niekro. UP NEXT: The Angels' Hector Santiago (1-1, 2.92) faces Oakland's Drew Pomeranz (1-1, 3.00) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Angel Stadium. TV: FS West. Radio: 830, 1220.

Angels have a comeback plan for Josh Hamilton

By Bill Shaikin

The Angels have mapped out a comeback regimen for Josh Hamilton, under which the troubled outfielder could rejoin the team in early June. Under the tentative plan, Hamilton would report to the Angels' Arizona training complex for two to three weeks of work with the team's extended spring program. He would then proceed to a minor league rehabilitation assignment and could rejoin the Angels thereafter. Hamilton is expected to report to Arizona "sooner rather than later," according to a person famil iar with the plan but unwilling to discuss it publicly until the Angels announce it. The person spoke before the Angels' 6-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium on Monday. The plan does not guarantee that Hamilton plays again for the Angels, but at the least it buys time for owner Arte Moreno. If Hamilton appears sound enough that his presence on the roster could give the Angels their best chance to win, the players might be discouraged if Moreno lets Hamilton go.

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Moreno has pointedly declined to say Hamilton would rejoin the team but has not decided whether to try to enforce contract provisions that the owner has said could void the deal. The players' union has vigorously disputed that claim, and any challenge by Moreno likely would end up in arbitration. Hamilton reported a substance-abuse relapse in February, and an arbitrator subsequently ruled Hamilton had not violated his drug treatment program and could not be suspended by Major League Baseball. The Angels owe Hamilton $83 million through 2017. There are no active settlement discussions between Hamilton and the team, according to the person familiar with the matter. The rehabilitation assignment could show any team that might be interested in trading for Hamilton, who is coming back from shoulder surgery, that he is sound. But, if the Angels' offense does not improve soon, they might be longing for Hamilton. The Angels are batting .214, and the three players getting more at-bats because of Hamilton's absence each is batting under .200. Matt Joyce, who replaced Hamilton as the primary left fielder, is batting .167. C.J. Cron, who has picked up most of the at-bats at designated hitter, is batting .129. Collin Cowgill, the backup left fielder, is batting .192. Hamilton, the American League most valuable player in 2010, made the All-Star team in each of his five seasons with the Texas Rangers. He struggled in his first two years in Anaheim, often hampered by injury, batting .250 with 21 home runs in 2013 and .263 with 10 home runs last season. But Hamilton was an above-average offensive player in each of those seasons, according to the OPS+ statistic, in which 100 represents the average. Hamilton has a 110 OPS+ in his Angels tenure. "Obviously, he's a threat with his bat," outfielder Mike Trout said. "He's helped us over the last couple of years, and we saw what he did in Texas. "He's part of the team. I'm sure, when he's fully healthy, we'll see him back." Trout was not among the players who met with Hamilton when the Angels played in Houston last week — Hamilton is working out there for now — but outfielder Kole Calhoun was. "He's a teammate, man," Calhoun said. "He's a good guy. He's a good person. I know all he wants to do right now is play baseball." Manager Mike Scioscia emphasized that his primary concern about Hamilton is supporting him in getting whatever help he might need to handle his relapse. Beyond that, Scioscia said, he is interested to see how Hamilton looks when he gets out of the training room and back onto the field. "A healthy Josh Hamilton is definitely something that can make any offense better," Scioscia said. The Angels traded Howie Kendrick, who replaced Hamilton as the cleanup batter last summer, to the Dodgers in the off-season.

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"A lot of the projections we had to make when Howie was traded was that Josh was here," Scioscia said. "We fully anticipated that. We still anticipate that, at some point."

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Matt Shoemaker battles control issues as Angels lose to A's, 6-3 BY PEDRO MOURA

ANAHEIM – Monday night was the second-worst night of Matt Shoemaker’s career. The 28-year-old Angels right-hander could not direct most of his pitches into the strike zone, and when he could, it seemed he could only direct them right into the middle of the strike zone. He was done for the day one batter into the fourth inning, permitting five runs in the Angels’ 6 -3 loss to the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium. Shoemaker walked three, struck out just two, and retired nine men while permitting seven hits, including two homers. The only worse game he’s pitched in his major-league career came in a four-inning, eight-run effort against Kansas City last June. Facing rookie Oakland right-hander Kendall Graveman, the Angels’ sputtering offense did little behind him. David Freese hit a two-run single to a cap a three-hit first inning, but the team produced only two hits thereafter. One came from Albert Pujols in the third inning, which scored Mike Trout, who had previously reached on an error and stolen second base. The other was a double from Erick Aybar in the sixth inning, but he would be stranded. And, in the ninth, the Angels drew two walks to present Kole Calhoun as the potential tying run, but he flew out harmlessly to end it. For an all-too-brief moment, Shoemaker’s fate appeared to turn on luck. He loaded the bases in the first inning and escaped with only one run to his name, then let the leadoff hitter, Brett Lawrie, on in the second inning. Next up, Eric Sogard laced a liner down the right-field line, and another run seemed imminent. Somehow, the ball ended up in Pujols’ glove, and Pujols stepped over to first base to easily double up Lawrie. A weak groundout later, the inning was over, but the battering began all over again in the third inning. The Angels dropped to 5-8, tied with Texas for the worst record in the American League West.

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Like his manager, Mike Scioscia, Angels reliever Mike Morin not really into role playing BY PEDRO MOURA

ANAHEIM – Angels reliever Mike Morin is 23, about to turn 24. When he was coming into his baseball fandom in the early 2000s, he thought each team had one closer and just a bunch of nameless other relievers without roles. As he aged, as some ballclubs had delineated men for each of a game’s final four innings, Morin learned that viewpoint was incorrect. And now he’s learning it might have been wrongly accurate, in a way. “Maybe that should be the way it is,” Morin says now. “I don’t put much stock into roles, honestly. Maybe that’s just me. I think it’s important to have a closer, but other than that, I think each game dictates what to do. Different situations are gonna dictate important parts of the game.” That is kind of how Angels manager Mike Scioscia does it, and kind of not. He relies on roles in the eighth and ninth innings with Huston Street and Joe Smith, and he pieces together the rest nightly. Morin entered this season as the favorite to be the Angels’ “seventh-inning guy,” if there are such things as favorites for the third-most-important person in a baseball’s team bullpen. But he has not been that person through 13 games. He pitched the seventh inning Monday against Oakland, but that was with the Angels trailing by two runs. Fernando Salas followed with the score the same in eighth, putting him just a tad bit higher in the bullpen hierarchy, at least theoretically. But these things often change quickly, as Morin pointed out. He wasn’t in the major leagues at this point a year ago, and he went on to pitch in 11 different innings from April 30 on – including the first inning, at one point. “The situation itself doesn’t change your mentality,” he said. “It shouldn’t. Up by one, down by 12, you still have a plan and you’re trying to execute that plan. But I understand guys who are routine -oriented that like to know when they’re pitching. “Everyone’s gonna be more comfortable when they know the situation they’re pitching in.” Scioscia said his views on bullpen management have not evolved in his years on the job. Every season, he works with what he’s got, nothing more. “If the only two options you’re giving me are, ‘Do we have roles or don’t we?’ I think we have roles,” Scoscia said. “If you can set some roles, I think it’s much easier, but that’s not always the case. If you don’t have the guys that can do it, you have to just match up and go with it.” “I think you have to let the horses run the races they’re capable of running, if you understand what I’m saying.” Morin said he could see the benefit in a team’s best reliever pitching in the highest-leverage situations and not necessarily the ninth inning, as sabermetrics recommends.

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“Logically, I guess that would make sense,” he said. “But that’s just not the baseball norm.” OFFENSIVE ISSUES Scioscia has been steadfastly confident in his offense’s ability to rebound. They entered play Monday with the worst on-base percentage in the AL – .277. The Kansas City Royals’ mark is nearly 100 points better. In explaining why, he hearkened back to 2014, and two parts of that team that are not in Anaheim – at least for the time being, in one case. “As you project our lineup, there are some significant pieces that aren’t here – one being Howie Kendrick, and obviously Josh (Hamilton) not being in our lineup,” Scioscia said. “But I still think if you take that out of the equation, we’re a much better team, and I think you’ll see it. “We’re much better than we’ve shown in the first dozen games.” AROUND THE BASES Scioscia said the Angels were “really impressed” with how right-hander Garrett Richards reported feeling Monday, one day after making his 2015 debut. Richards hadn’t pitched in a big-league game in eight months. Scioscia said the Angels have weekly checkpoints for him to cross in his return from knee surgery. …The AL West is “the toughest division in baseball,” Scioscia said. The Houston Astros led it with a 6-6 record entering play Monday.

On deck: A's at Angels, 7 p.m., Tuesday BY PEDRO MOURA

A’S AT ANGELS Where: Angel Stadium TV: 7 p.m., FSW Did you know: The Angels’ upcoming game against the A’s on Wednesday will air on KCOP/13, not Fox Sports West, because of conflicts with the Clippers and Ducks’ playoff schedule. THE PITCHERS LHP HECTOR SANTIAGO (1-1, 2.92) Santiago’s second start of the season represented a sizable improvement on his f irst one. He threw seven strong innings in Texas, the only blemish being one solo home run, while striking out five and walking two. He has been oddly fantastic against Oakland in his career, a fact not lost on Santiago. He threw six scoreless innings against the A’s upon returning from a three-week Triple-A stint last year. Vs. A’s: 2-2, 1.99

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At Angel Stadium: 2-6, 4.33 Loves to face: Eric Sogard, 0 for 2, 2 SO Hates to face: Josh Reddick, 4 for 9 (.444), 2 BB LHP DREW POMERANZ (1-1, 3.00) The A’s acquired Pomeranz from the Rockies in the Brett Anderson deal. He has had more success in Oakland than young pitchers typically do in Colorado. He had a 2.35 ERA in 69 innings last year, and there’s reason to believe he will continue to be an effective starter at this level. He’s recorded 190 strikeouts in 217 career big-league innings. Vs. Angels: 1-1, 3.24 At Angel Stadium: 0-1, 0.79 Loves to face: C.J. Cron, 0 for 5 Hates to face: Chris Iannetta, 1 for 2, 1 HR, 2 BB

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels stumble out of gate against A's

By Jane Lee and Earl Bloom ANAHEIM -- The A's got home runs from Stephen Vogt and Marcus Semien and relied on a dominant six-inning performance from their bullpen to hold off the Angels, 6-3, on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series at Angel Stadium. A's right-hander Dan Otero put together four scoreless innings in relief of starter Kendall Graveman, who lasted just three-plus innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and two walks with two strikeouts. David Freese singled in two runs off him in the first, and Albert Pujols added an RBI single in the third. Angels starter Matt Shoemaker was also around for only three-plus innings. The right-hander struggled with his command out of the gates, walking two of his first three batters he faced and three overall. He was on the hook for five runs and seven hits, including Vogt's three-run homer in the third and Semien's leadoff shot in the fourth. "We saw enough of him last year for sure," A's manager Bob Melvin said of Shoemaker. "To make him throw some pitches, string together some good at-bats, that's what we need to do to a starter, try to get into the bullpen." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

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What a relief: The A's bullpen, which entered the game with four losses in the club's first 13 games, bailed out Graveman with six scoreless innings. Otero led the way with a career-high four frames, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts. Evan Scribner tossed a scoreless eighth, and Tyler Clippard pitched the ninth, notching his first save with the Athletics. More > Big blast: Vogt provided the difference-maker in this one, belting a three-run home run to right field in the third inning, his team-leading fourth long ball of the season. The A's catcher did it from the three-hole, rewarding Melvin's decision to plug him into the middle of the lineup in place of the injured Ben Zobrist. "The nice part for me is, I've hit in every spot in the order except for leadoff since I've been here with the A's, so I've kind of experienced going everywhere," said Vogt. "What I'm really learning is, it doesn't matter where you take your at-bat in the order, take it the same way you would take it in any other slot." Wild from the start: Shoemaker entered the game 9-0 with a 2.60 career ERA vs. the American League West. He walked Sam Fuld on four pitches to open the game. It only led to one run, but it didn't get any better for an uncharacteristically wild Shoemaker. He walked career-high-tying three. In his previous 23 starts, Shoemaker walked zero nine times and one seven times. "Everything was kind of off -- it was one of those nights," Shoemaker said. "Unfortunately, those nights happen. You're almost fighting yourself, trying to execute pitches." Web masters: The A's came through with several defensive gems in the winning effort. Fuld made a spectacular diving grab in center field to rob Freese of a two-out RBI hit in the third. First baseman Ike Davis, meanwhile, provided two memorable plays, including a reaching grab of a Mike Trout foul ball over the railing of the A's dugout in the fifth inning. "I got excited," said Otero. "I don't know if you saw it, but I got really excited. Anytime you don't have to throw another pitch to that guy, it's a really good thing." QUOTABLE "He hits in the three spot every day, so we're losing a significant guy here for a couple days," -- Melvin, on being without Zobrist while he nurses a sore left knee, potentially for the series "You have to have the horses run the race they're capable of running. We have some real, strong guys at the back end. Before that, we'll match up." -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia, talking about his reliever's roles, which have yet to be defined beyond setup man Joe Smith and closer Huston Street WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Left-hander Hector Santiago (1-1, 2.92 ERA) starts against the A's at 7:05 p.m. PT on Tuesday at Angel Stadium. Santiago is 2-2 with a 1.99 ERA in his career against Oakland. A's: The A's will counter with fellow lefty Drew Pomeranz (1-1, 3.00). The 26-year-old is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Angels.

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Shoemaker's wild night costs Angels

By Earl Bloom ANAHEIM -- Matt Shoemaker had one of those nights that he almost never has. The Angels right-hander struggled to throw strikes from the start Monday, and when he did, the Athletics launched some of them over the fence en route to a 6-3 Oakland victory at Angel Stadium in the opener of a four-game series. "Matty never settled in to what he does best," manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's strike one, pound the zone and change speeds. We'll turn the page on Matty for this one." Shoemaker (2-1) entered the game 9-0 with a 2.60 career ERA against American League West teams. The first sign of trouble was a four-pitch walk to Sam Fuld to open the game. Shoemaker got out of the first inning allowing only one run, but Stephen Vogt touched him for a three-run home run in the third and Marcus Semien led off the fourth with another homer, giving the A's a 5-3 lead and ending Shoemaker's night at 68 pitches -- just 35 for strikes. "He was out of sync from the beginning," Scioscia said. "When he got 0-2 to Vogt, he left a split right over the plate. These guys aren't robots. They're going to be out of sync once in a while. Matt usually makes adjustments -- he just wasn't able to do that tonight." Shoemaker walked a career-high-tying three in three-plus innings. In 23 previous Major League starts, he had 16 games with one or fewer walks, including nine with zero walks. "Everything was kind of off -- it was one of those nights," Shoemaker said. "Unfortunately, those nights happen. You're almost fighting yourself, trying to execute pitches. "The second was my best inning, but even there it was a struggle getting pitches where I wanted them," he said. "In the third inning, it caught up to us." Shoemaker, who had won nine consecutive decisions prior to Monday, pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the A's on Aug. 31, the only other time he started against them. The Angels had won Shoemaker's previous 10 starts. The Angels did get a good lift from their bullpen to stay close. Jose Alvarez pitched three scoreless innings. Mike Morin added one and Fernando Salas another, before he gave up a run in the ninth. "Great job," Scioscia said. "Jose Alvarez kept us in the game. All of them. That's encouraging."

A's Pomeranz, Angels' Santiago set for lefty battle

By Earl Bloom Two left-handers who've started the season strong, the Angels' Hector Santiago and the Athletics' Drew Pomeranz, will take the mound Tuesday night at Angel Stadium in the second game of a four-game series between the division rivals.

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Santiago is 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA in two starts after getting a victory at Texas on Wednesday, when he went seven innings and allowed one run on four hits. In seven career starts against the A's, he's 2-2 with a 1.99 ERA in 31 2/3 innings. Last season, he went 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA in four starts against Oakland -- although the current A's lineup hardly resembles last year's, thanks to a complete infield makeover, among other moves. Pomeranz is 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA after two starts. Like Santiago, he split last season between the rotation and the bullpen, and pitched well in both roles (1.62 ERA in 10 relief appearances, 2.58 in 10 starts), and also had one Minor League stint. He's 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four career appearances (two starts) against the Angels. Three things to know: • Pomeranz tied for the Cactus League lead with 28 strikeouts, and had a spring ERA of 2.38 in six starts. • The A's hitter who gives Santiago the most trouble is right fielder Josh Reddick (.444, 4-for-9). • The Angels won seven of their last eight 2014 games against the A's to take the season series, 10 -9, for the first time since 2010.

Skaggs might follow Harvey's rehab schedule

By Jane Lee and Earl Bloom ANAHEIM -- Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs, coming back from Aug. 13 Tommy John surgery, is rethinking his original goal of pitching in Minor League games late this summer or in the fall. Skaggs said Monday his target return date might move, in part because of Mets right-hander Matt Harvey's impressive comeback. Harvey was hurt in August 2013, had Tommy John surgery in October that year and then rehabbed until this spring. The prolonged recovery has led to strong results for the Mets in the opening weeks of this season. "I'm going to talk to the doc and the medical staff about it," Skaggs, 23, said. "When I come back, I want to be as strong as I possibly can." Waiting 17 or 18 months instead of the more typical year after surgery might help accomplish that. Skaggs said he's already getting antsy because he's not able to pitch, so a few more months won't change that, as long as it's for the best in the long run. He said he'd inquire about delaying his return to the mound until the spring sometime in the next month. "I'm working hard to come back as soon as possible," Skaggs said. "I up to [throwing from] 130 feet now, and everything's going well."

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FROM FOX SPORTS WEST

Richards 'fine' day after first big league start in eight months

By Rahshaun Haylock All is well on the Garrett Richards front. The Angels starter checked out "fine" on Monday following his first big league start since tearing his left patellar tendon last August in Boston. The Angels starter threw 100 pitches in five innings on Sunday and allowed three earned runs during a 4-3 loss at Houston. Richards also walked four and struck out four. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Richards threw the ball slightly harder than he did during his rehab outings which is normal given that there's a "different adrenaline" that comes with pitching in big league games. With that, the organization was just hoping Richards came out of the start OK. "We're really impressed where Garrett Richards was not only yesterday when he pitched but how he feels today," Scioscia said Monday prior to his team taking on the Oakland A's. "I think in his process of where he needs to be there's going to be checkpoints almost weekly to see how he comes out of a start, how his bullpens go, and how he pitches in a game." Richards having any soreness was a concern, among other things, but the Angels starter had none, which didn't come as much of a surprise to Scioscia. "Really, I think we all felt he was past a lot of that because he's had some very, very rigorous workouts and rehab starts where he's really gotten after it," the Angels manager said. "So, we didn't really expect anything out of the ordinary. There is nothing out of the ordinary so you're just relieved that there's nothing there." Scioscia says Richards is on a "really meticulous program" in between starts but having to go through weekly "checkpoints" isn't any different than any other player on the Angels roster. Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher is constantly checking in on the pitchers, while Scioscia is in constant contact with position players. Richards was 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA during the 2014 season. He was one of five candidates selected for the American League All-Star Final Vote, although the nod went to White Sox starter Chris Sale. Richards was in the Cy Young discussion at the time of his injury. Sunday's start was his first on a big league mound in eight months.

Shoemaker uncharacteristically 'out of sync' in Angels loss to A's

By Rahshaun Haylock ANAHEIM, CALIF. — It's probably best to just to turn the page on Matt Shoemaker's most recent start, Angels manager Mike Scioscia says. It was Stars Wars Night at Angel Stadium on Monday and the force wasn't with Shoemaker or the Angels.

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Shoemaker made an early exit in the club's 6-3 series opening loss to Oakland. It was his first loss since dropping a 2-1 affair to the Dodgers on Aug. 6 of last season. On Monday, Shoemaker lasted just three-plus innings, allowing seven hits, five earned runs, while walking three and striking out two. Since that loss to the Dodgers last season, Shoemaker was 9-0 in his last 10 appearances with a 1.92 ERA. The Angels were 10-0 during that span. Considering the success he's enjoyed since being inserted into the Angels rotation last season, Monday's outcome seemed a bit "uncharacteristic." "These guys aren't robots, they're human and they're going to be out of sync once in a while," Scioscia said. "Matty never settled in to what he does best and that's strike one and pounding the zone and changing speeds ...He looked out of the sync from the beginning." The A's sent six to the plate against Shoemaker in the first inning after the Angels starter walked two of the game's first three batters. Oakland was able to get a run across thanks to an Ike Davis sacrifice fly but Shoemaker would allow no more, leaving two A's on the basepaths. In the second inning he appeared to find his groove, retiring Oakland in order. But he began the third inning by allowing four consecutive Oakland hits three of which were extra-base hits, including a three-run home run from Stephen Vogt. In the fourth, he faced just one batter, Marcus Semien, who led off the inning with a solo home run, ending Shoemaker's night. "Unfortunately these nights happen, you never want them to happen but just chalk it up to one of those," Shoemaker said of his shortest inning as an Angels starter. "You're almost battling yourself trying to execute pitches. It (stinks). It's part of the game, sometimes."

FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS

Angels can’t overcome Matt Shoemaker’s rare off night

By Clay Fowler ANAHEIM >> Matt Shoemaker couldn’t make it a perfect 10. Riding a streak that began during his record-setting rookie season, the Angels right-hander entered Monday night’s series opener against the A’s hoping to post a 10-0 record in his last 11 starts. Oakland put the first blemish on Shoemaker’s record since early August with a 6-3 win to begin a four-game series with its American League West foe. Stephen Vogt hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the third inning and the Angels’ struggling offense couldn’t overcome a two-run, fourth-inning deficit.

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Shoemaker, who set an Angels record with 16 wins last year, exited the game two pitches into the fourth inning having allowed five runs on seven hits with three walks, his second-worst outing in the majors. “His ball-strike ratio was probably the worst out of any start that we’ve seen him make for us,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He looked out of sync from the beginning and very rarely does he not only walk this many guys, but being in so many negative counts. Those guys made him pay.” The Angels produced the most runs in baseball last season, but entered Monday with a collective .277 on-base percentage that ranked last in the American League. Outside of Mike Trout’s .354 batting average, No. 9 hitter Johnny Giavotella was the only Angels hitter to finish Monday batting better than .230. In a rare off night, Shoemaker (2-1) needed the Angel offense to pick up the slack, but it didn’t score a run in the game’s final six innings. Shoemaker loaded the bases in the first inning, but escaped with just a 1-0 deficit. The A’s collected four consecutive hits to begin the third inning, including Vogt’s three-run home run to left field that gave Oakland a 4-2 lead.

Shoemaker grinded his way out of the third inning, but on the second pitch of the fourth ‑ his final of

the night ‑ he allowed a solo home run down the left-field line to A’s No. 9 hitter, Marcus Semien. Shoemaker exited the game after 68 pitches, only 35 of which were strikes. Only one start last year as a rookie produced worse results for Shoemaker, who was lit up for eight runs on 11 hits June 27 in an 8-6 loss to the Royals. He had trouble recalling a time where he had less control of his pitches than he did Monday night. “Maybe last year once; once or twice,” Shoemaker said. “You’re almost battling yourself trying to execute pitches. But it sucks. It’s part of the game sometimes, but just go out there and execute next time.” Advertisement Angels relievers Jose Alvarez and Mike Morin combined to pitch four scoreless innings before Fernando Salas gave up an insurance run to the A’s in the ninth inning for a three-run Oakland lead. Making his third career start, A’s rookie right-hander Kendall Graveman’s only mistake came in the first inning. David Freese hit a two-out, two-run single, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead before he was thrown out trying to reach second base on the play. The Angels managed an unearned run in the third inning off Graveman, who bounced back from a disastrous first start to pitch five scoreless innings April 14. Albert Pujols one-hopped a single off the left field wall to score Trout, who reached on an error by the shortstop. Much like Shoemaker, Graveman ran up his pitch count early, exiting after giving up consecutive walks

to begin the fourth inning with allowances of three runs ‑ two earned ‑ on four hits with three walks on 73 pitches.

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The A’s bullpen gave up one hit over the final six innings, a harmless sixth-inning double to Erick Aybar. The Angels added a hint of excitement in the ninth inning, drawing a pair of walks to bring the tying run to the plate only for Kole Calhoun to fly out to end the game. “We didn’t pressure them at all,” Scioscia said. “We’re not getting the volume of runners on base that we need. Combine that with the lack of hitting with guys in scoring position, it’s not too hard to put the formula together to why we’re not scoring runs.”

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RECAP: Vogt's 3-run homer helps A's beat Angels 6-3

ANAHEIM, CALIF. — Stephen Vogt hit a go-ahead three-run homer, Marcus Semien also went deep against Matt Shoemaker and the Oakland Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series. Oakland right-hander Kendall Graveman was staked to a 5-3 lead in his third major league start, but lasted just three-plus innings. Manager Bob Melvin pulled him after he walked Erick Aybar and C.J. Cron to open the fourth and ran his pitch count up to 73. Dan Otero (1-1) bailed out Graveman by retiring the next three batters and the four-year veteran reliever allowed one hit over a career-high four innings (42 pitches) for the win. He has not allowed a run in 13 career appearances against the Angels, spanning 19 2-3 innings. Evan Scribner pitched a perfect eighth and Tyler Clippard got three outs for his first American League save and 35th of his career. Shoemaker (2-1) threw 68 pitches in three-plus innings, giving up five runs and seven hits while retiring only eight of the 18 batters he faced. The right-hander had won his previous nine decisions, beginning with a three-inning relief stint against Boston in a 19-inning, 5-4 victory last Aug. 9. Vogt gave the Athletics a 4-2 lead in the third with his fourth homer, driving an 0-2 pitch deep into the right-field seats after a leadoff double by Sam Fuld and an infield hit by Mark Canha. Eight of Fuld's first 14 hits have gone for extra bases, including three triples. The Angels scored an unearned run in the bottom half when Albert Pujols hit the ball to left field over Canha's head, after Mike Trout reached on Semien's fielding error at shortstop and stole second. Semien, the Athletics' No. 9 hitter, got that run back with in the fourth with a towering drive into the lower seats in the left-field corner on Shoemaker's final pitch. The A's didn't get another hit until Eric Sogard led off the ninth with a double against Fernando Salas. Fuld drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Ike Davis drove in Oakland's first run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. The Angels responded in the bottom of the first with a two-out, two-run single by David Freese, who continued to second on the throw to the plate from center fielder Fuld and was thrown out by Vogt.

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TRAINER'S ROOM Athletics: RHP Jesse Hahn will be skipped one turn in the rotation to allow the blister on his middle finger to heal properly. RHP Jesse Chavez, who relieved Hahn after 65 pitches in Saturday's win at Kansas City, is penciled in to make the start instead on Thursday in the finale of this four-game series. ... RHP Jarrod Parker's next rehab outing is scheduled for Thursday with Class-A Stockton at Visalia. He is recovering from Tommy John surgery. ... 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, whose 18-game hitting streak against the Angels is the longest by any active player, sat out with an injured left knee that occurred on Sunday. UP NEXT Athletics: LHP Drew Pomeranz (1-1) gave up four runs over five innings last Tuesday in a 6-1 loss at Houston, after pitching seven innings of two-hit ball in a 12-0 win over against Seattle in his season debut. Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (1-1) allowed two earned runs over 23 1-3 innings in his four starts against Oakland last season. He faces an offense that has gone homerless in 322 at-bats against left-handers, dating back to last Sept. 7.

Athletics-Angels Preview

Oakland continues to flaunt offensive balance, while the Los Angeles Angels have been plagued by a lack of production from multiple spots in the lineup. The Athletics look to send the Angels to a season-high fourth straight loss Tuesday night in Anaheim. Oakland (7-7) won 6-3 Monday to open the four-game series with seven players recording a hit. Stephen Vogt hit a go-ahead three-run homer, his fourth of the year, pushing his team-leading RBI total to 12. Marcus Semien also homered and Billy Butler was 2 for 3, picking up where he left off after snapping a 12-game hitting streak Sunday. The A's are hitting .278 with five players batting .286 or better while appearing in at least 11 games, and six have driven in at least seven runs. "What I'm learning is that it doesn't matter where you're hitting in the order," said Vogt, who hit third for the first time this season. "You take care of your at-bat the same way you would in every other spot in the lineup, because we jumble things so often here." The Angels (5-8) are hitting .214, going 2 for 24 with runners in scoring position during a three-game losing streak. The leadoff and cleanup spots, occupied primarily by Kole Calhoun and Matt Joyce, have been black holes especially, as their Nos. 1 and 4 hitters have gone a combined 20 for 102 with 25 strikeouts. Los Angeles' rotation has struggled too, posting a 5.25 ERA. Matt Shoemaker gave up five runs and seven hits with three walks in three-plus innings Monday. Hector Santiago (1-1, 2.92 ERA) may be able to help turn it around, though, having gone 2-0 with a 0.91 ERA in five career starts against Oakland.

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He limited Texas to one run on a homer over seven innings while winning 10-2 on the road Wednesday. Santiago has never been a very economical pitcher, averaging 18.1 pitches per inning for his career, but was more efficient than in his season debut. He threw 103 pitches after needing 100 to get through 5 1/3 innings versus Kansas City. Fellow southpaw Drew Pomeranz (1-1, 3.00) is looking to get off to a better start after giving up four runs in five-plus innings of a 6-1 loss at Houston on Wednesday. He dug himself an early hole by surrendering a double and home run within the first three at-bats. Los Angeles' Nos. 2, 3 and 5 hitters Mike Trout, Albert Pujols and David Freese are a combined 3 for 22 off Pomeranz, who is 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in four appearances against the Angels. Los Angeles is also 3 for its last 24 against left-handers. Oakland's Ben Zobrist could miss the entire series after leaving Sunday versus Kansas City with a sore left knee, according to MLB's official website, though an MRI showed no ligament damage. Eric Sogard doubled while starting in his place at second base Monday. Zobrist is third on the team with eight RBIs and tied for third with eight runs. "He hits in the three spot every day, so we're losing a significant guy here for a couple days," manager Bob Melvin said. "It just means we've got less bullets to fire, too, over the course of a game. But over the course of a season that happens."