Clips (September 10, 2015)mlb.mlb.com/documents/3/3/8/148500338/September_10_2015_Clip… ·...

September 10, 2015 of 28

Clips

(September 10, 2015)


Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Angels Dodgers winning streak ends when Angels rally late to avoid sweep

There's a cost if Angels have philosophy gap

Angels rally to snap Dodgers' five-game winning streak, 3-2

Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson feeling immediate relief after elbow surgery

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 8)

Angels edge Dodgers to avoid sweep, gain ground in AL wild-card race

Miller: Did Angels' desperately needed win over Dodgers just delay the inevitable?

David Murphy holding down left field for Angels

Angels Notes: C.J. Wilson sees improvement after surgery

Smith: Albert Pujols pitching against Clayton Kershaw? The two MVPs change roles for their charities

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 14)

Angels' fire may have returned just in time

Pujols gives Angels a much-needed win

Richards' gem marred by bookend mistakes

Angels braced for showdown with first-place Astros

Kershaw, Pujols play Wiffle ball with fans for charity

Wilson encouraged by recovery progress

FROM LA DAILY NEWS (Page 21)

Kole Calhoun can’t stop, won’t stop for the Angels

Angels salvage final game of Freeway Series, beat Dodgers 3-2

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 24)

Dodgers' 5-game winning streak ends with 3-2 loss to Angels

Pujols gets big RBI; Angels avoid sweep, beat Dodgers 3-2


FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Dodgers winning streak ends when Angels rally late to avoid sweep BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA There was a time when opponents wouldn't even think about pitching to Albert Pujols with one, let alone two, bases open and the game on the line, but the Dodgers didn't flinch Wednesday night when the Angels slugger stepped to the plate in the eighth inning with a runner on third, one out and the score tied. And how could you blame them? Pujols is clearly not the terror he was in St. Louis from 2001 to '11, when he won three most-valuable-player awards and led the Cardinals to two World Series titles. He has 35 homers and 85 runs batted in this season but is hitting .248 overall and .228 with runners in scoring position. So after Kole Calhoun led off the eighth with a double to right field and took third on Andre Ethier's bobble, and Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez struck out Mike Trout with a 98-mph fastball, Manager Don Mattingly instructed Baez to pitch to Pujols. "We didn't like the guy behind him," Mattingly said, referring to Angels cleanup man David Murphy. "He was going to put it in play somewhere." Pujols, no stranger to pressure situations, did what he has done so often before, if not so much this season, stroking a ground-ball single to center for the go-ahead run in an eventual 3-2 victory that pulled the Angels to within 31/2 games of Texas for the second American League-wild card spot. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it was the 45th career go-ahead hit in the eighth inning or later for Pujols, the most in the major leagues since he debuted in 2001. "I think I have enough experience to calm myself and just try to get a good pitch to hit," Pujols said. "Let the pitcher provide the power, especially a guy throwing 100 mph with a 98-mph slider." Closer Huston Street retired the side in order in the ninth for his 33rd save, as the Angels snapped the Dodgers' five-game win streak and ended an eight-game losing streak to the Dodgers dating to last season. More important for the Angels, they gained ground in the playoff race with only 23 games left. "There is no tomorrow," Pujols said. "That's how we have to look at this whole month." The Angels seemed to play with more of an edge Wednesday night, but that probably had something to do with their best pitcher, Garrett Richards, being on the mound. Richards gave up two runs and four hits and matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts, most with a nasty slider that either broke in the dirt — like the one that bounced two feet in front of the plate to whiff Joc Pederson in the second — or from the top of the strike zone to the knees of batters.


The game did not start well for Richards, though. Most of the late-arriving crowd on a steamy, 93-degree evening didn't even have their shirts stuck to the back of their seats by time the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead. Scott Schebler crushed Richards' first pitch, a 96-mph fastball, over the center-field wall, the 16th homer Richards has allowed after giving up five last season. "What are you gonna do, right?" Richards said. "I'm trying to get ahead early. Just move on, I guess. You've got 99 other pitches to throw. It was a quick reset button." The homer seemed to irritate rather than rattle Richards, who took out his frustrations on the Dodgers by limiting them to one hit over the next six innings. The Angels tied the score, 1-1, on doubles by Erick Aybar and David Freese off starter Joe Wieland in the second and took a 2-1 lead in the third when Taylor Featherston hit a leadoff triple to left and scored on Calhoun's sacrifice fly. But Pederson doubled to left to open the top of the eighth and took third on Austin Barnes' bunt. Schebler swung through a 96-mph fastball for strike two and an 81-mph curve for strike three. One strike away from escaping the jam, Richards gave up an RBI double to Chase Utley on a 1-and-2 breaking ball for a 2-2 tie. Up next The Angels and Dodgers are off on Thursday. Angels right-hander Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.78 earned-run average) will oppose Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (17-6, 2.29) at Angel Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. TV: FS West; Radio: 830, 1330. Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood (10-9, 3.51) will oppose Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray (3-11, 3.72) at Chase Field on Friday at 6:30 p.m. TV: SportsNet LA; Radio: 570, 1020.

There's a cost if Angels have philosophy gap BY BILL SHAIKIN As the Angels' magic number creeps uncomfortably toward 2016, there is a new kind of urgency in Anaheim. The scoreboard on Mike Trout's career soon could read four and zero — four seasons in the major leagues, all at an MVP level, all without the Angels winning a postseason game. The man most responsible for changing that is — well, that position remains vacant. The Angels are in the process of interviewing candidates to become their general manager, and club President John Carpino would like to make one thing perfectly clear. "Mike Scioscia will not be involved in the GM selection process," Carpino said. There are any number of ways to define "involved" or "process." The bottom line is this: If the Angels do not involve Scioscia in the process in some way, they are setting themselves up for failure, and for another few years of the kind of dysfunction that could persuade Trout to start counting down toward free agency in 2020.


The perception is that this is Scioscia's kingdom, that he has outlasted three general managers, that the incoming fourth ought to enter warily. The reality is that, when Scioscia told reporters in Oakland last week that he would not be involved in the selection process, he said the organization must "be philosophically on the same page." Carpino said he agreed with Scioscia's comments, and on the surface that makes sense. But, when we asked Scioscia on Wednesday what went into an organizational philosophy, he went far beyond making out a lineup card. "Philosophy is a broad term," Scioscia said. "It encompasses, certainly, how you are going to recruit talent, the free-agent draft, free agents, international scouting, and the development process." Scioscia said he does not need to join Carpino — and owner Arte Moreno and interim General Manager Bill Stoneman — in interviewing GM candidates to rest assured the Angel Way will remain the Angel Way. "They understand the philosophy that is in place here," Scioscia said. "To a man, everybody trusts that philosophy. "I know those guys know the Angel perspective — how we go about playing the game, how we go about teaching the game, what's important to put into players — and I know they will search long and hard for somebody that is philosophically along the same lines." In theory, the general manager would be the Angels' chief baseball executive. So would the general manager be responsible for setting the Angels' baseball philosophy? "It is a collective effort," Carpino said. This is more than a manager suggesting — and a club president essentially confirming — that the new general manager would lack unilateral autonomy to revamp the baseball operations department from top to bottom. Rare is the general manager who works without input from the owner or manager. This also is about the specifics of how that would work here, or not work. Under Scioscia, for instance, the Angels have been relentlessly aggressive on the bases. This year's Angels, with a roster not blessed with speed, rank in the top three in the major leagues in taking extra bases, and in making outs on the bases, according to Baseball Reference statistics through play Tuesday. They rank in the top six in going from first base to third, in the bottom six going from second to home, next-to-last in stolen bases, last in stolen-base success rate. What if the Angels want to hire a general manager who believes that kind of philosophy leans toward the reckless rather than the aggressive, a general manager who wants his team to make its outs at bat rather than on the bases? "What's your question?" Scioscia said. "Would I stay if something like that came into place?"


Scioscia can opt out of his contract after this season. He is not expected to do so, although he declined to address that issue Wednesday. "I don't anticipate any philosophical change in the things we are talking about," he said. "I do anticipate better execution of it, and an understanding of what we need to put into players, and what we need to become perennial contenders again." No matter what the limitations might be in Anaheim, there are only 30 positions as a major league general manager, so the Angels should have no shortage of candidates. They have interviewed the in-house assistants, Matt Klentak and Scott Servais. Their external candidates include New York Yankees assistant GM Billy Eppler and Texas Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine. They ought to take a look at Greg Smith, the Pittsburgh Pirates' assistant GM. Whoever the preferred candidate turns out to be, the Angels ought to sit him down with Scioscia and find out whether any philosophical gulf might be too wide to bridge. Better to find out now than to risk another general manager walking out in the middle of a season, and Trout following right behind.

Angels rally to snap Dodgers' five-game winning streak, 3-2 BY STEVE DILBECK And then everything did not go exactly right. Outfielders could not run down drives or bobbled balls for an error. Spot starters faltered. Relievers failed. That's all bound to happen sometime, and it did as the Dodgers’ five-game winning streak came to an end on another freakishly hot September night in a 3-2 loss Wednesday to the Angels. Even then, though, it wasn’t all bad for the Dodgers. The Giants also lost Wednesday, reducing the Dodgers’ magic number for clinching the National League West to 15. After struggling against Angels starter Garrett Richards all night, the Dodgers scraped together a run to tie the score at 2-2 in the eighth, only for the Angels to come back in the bottom of the inning with a winning rally. Left-hander Luis Avilan started the eighth and promptly gave up a double to Kole Calhoun. Andre Ethier bobbled the ball for an error and Calhoun hustled to third base. Manager Don Mattingly then went to Pedro Baez, who, after striking out Mike Trout, gave up a single to Albert Pujols that scored Calhoun with the go-ahead run. Houston Street retired the Dodgers in order in the ninth to earn his 33rd save. The game also snapped the Angels’ eight-game losing streak to the Dodgers. Things got off promisingly for the Dodgers. Scott Schebler lined the first pitch Richards threw on the night out to center for a home run. He followed Justin Ruggiano’s act from the previous night, giving the Dodgers leadoff home runs in consecutive games for the first time since 1951.


And then the Dodgers’ offense went real quiet for a long time. They did not manage another hit until Corey Seager singled to lead off the fifth inning. And then he was picked off first by Richards. He should have been safe, but he was caught doing a two-step, transferring his pivot foot while leaving both feet momentarily off the bag. Hey, kids have to learn. The Angels tied the score with a two-out rally in the second inning off Joe Wieland, a late starter for Mat Latos, who was scratched with a stiff neck. Shortstop Erick Aybar and third baseman David Freese hit back-to-back doubles to tie the score at 1-1. Freese’s double went off the glove of a sprinting Joc Pederson. It would have been an outstanding catch, but it’s a ball Pederson has run down in the past. The Angels took their first lead in the third inning after second baseman Taylor Featherson led off with a triple. Featherston hustled into third, seeming to catch Schebler by surprise, who may have been a bit casual retrieving the ball in left. Featherston scored on Calhoun’s sacrifice fly. It remained a 2-1 Angels’ lead heading into the eighth inning when Pederson led off with a double. Mattingly had Austin Barnes bunt to sacrifice Pederson to third base, but Schebler struck out. Chase Utley then punched 1-2 pitch into left for a run-scoring double to tie the score, 2-2. Richards left after the Utley double. In his 7 2/3 innings, he gave up the two runs on four hits, walked three and matched his career high with 11 strikeouts.

Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson feeling immediate relief after elbow surgery BY MIKE DIGIOVANNA Two weeks after undergoing season-ending surgery to have bone chips and spurs removed from his elbow, starting pitcher C.J. Wilson said his left arm already feels “way better than it did before the surgery.” Wilson, who went 8-8 with a 3.89 earned-run average in 21 starts before succumbing to season-long elbow pain, can fully extend his arm and has regained a significant amount of his range of motion. Wilson, 34, had a similar procedure after the 2012 season and went 17-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 2013. He is confident he will bounce back in 2016, the final year of his five-year, $77.5-million contract. “I’ll be 100%, zero issues,” he said. “My record is to be pretty durable, but at the same time, being durable means putting a lot of mileage on your body. This is small hiccup in that regard, but I look to be back on top of my form next year. … I’ve been through this before. I’m not really concerned.” Wilson said there is not one particular pitch in his vast repertoire that puts more stress on his elbow, but he will have to make one concession when he returns. “I need to avoid trying to throw the ball with max effort repeatedly, over and over and over again,” he said. His elbow problems are “a condition of pitching, not necessarily of my mechanics. I don’t have anything too flagrant that I do. I just need to stay on top of my mechanics overall.”


Quick thinking Garrett Richards benefited from an alert instant-replay request from the Angels dugout in the fifth inning Wednesday night. Dodgers rookie Corey Seager led off with a single and appeared to get to the bag in plenty of time on a Richards pick-off attempt. But Seager did a little tap-dance on the bag, hopping off with his right foot and landing on his left foot while first baseman C.J. Cron applied the tag. The Angels challenged, and after a 3-minute 6-second review, Seager was ruled out. Short hops Matt Shoemaker, who missed Monday's start because of a forearm strain, pushed his throwing program from 90 feet to 120 feet Wednesday. The right-hander will take Thursday off and hopes to extend to 140 feet or so Friday before his next step, throwing off a mound. ... When Justin Ruggiano and Kole Calhoun homered in the first inning Tuesday, it was only the third time in Angel Stadium history that both teams hit leadoff homers. The others: Sept. 25, 1996 (Randy Velarde and Seattle's Joey Cora) and Sept. 8, 1995 (Tony Phillips and Minnesota's Chuck Knoblauch)

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels edge Dodgers to avoid sweep, gain ground in AL wild-card race BY JEFF FLETCHER

ANAHEIM – The Angels needed that one. After losing two straight games and seeing their playoff chances sink, the Angels pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night, snapping their eight-game losing streak against their Southern California neighbors. The Angels gained a game on the Texas Rangers for the final wild card spot, pulling within 3½ games. “For us there is no tomorrow,” said Albert Pujols, who drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth. “That’s how we have to keep looking at it this whole month.” Pujols, who has been criticized for his failure to produce in the clutch for much of the season, came through with the Angels’ biggest hit. Just after the Dodgers had tied the game in the top of the eighth, Kole Calhoun led off the bottom of the inning against Luis Avilan by yanking a ball inside the right field line. Calhoun went all the way around to third on the play after Andre Ethier bobbled it in the corner. After Mike Trout struck out, Pujols poked a ground ball right up the middle. It was his seventh hit in his last 17 at-bats with runners in scoring position.


“I think I have enough experience just to calm myself and get a good pitch to hit, and do some damage,” Pujols said. “Do something. Hit a sacrifice fly or get a base hit.” After Huston Street worked a perfect ninth to lock up the victory, the Dodgers had seen their bullpen take a loss for the 25th time this season, seventh most in the majors. Despite the Dodgers’ bullpen issues – which were apparent even in winning the first two games of the series – they had nonetheless been having their way with the Angels. They even knocked this game off the script when they deprived Garrett Richards of a victory on a night when he had been at his dominant best. He struck out 11 and gave up two runs in 72/3 innings. “That’s what a lead dog in a rotation does, what Garrett did tonight,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “You go out and stop a streak and shut down a team that’s been scoring a lot of runs.” Richards gave up a homer to Scott Schebler on the first pitch he threw, and he gave up a game-tying double to Chase Utley with two outs in the eighth, on the last pitch he threw. In between, he gave up just two hits. Richards has 20 strikeouts in his last 162/3 innings against the Dodgers. “He was a little different this time around than last time we faced him,” Dodgers infielder Justin Turner said. “He was cutting all his pitches instead of sinking them. We tried to make adjustments. He pitched a good game.” His worst mistake may have been the first pitch he threw, just trying to get ahead, and Schebler ambushed him. “Just got to move on and hit the reset button,” Richards said. “You have 99 more pitches to throw.” Schebler’s homer, combined with Justin Ruggiano’s leadoff homer the night before, gave the Dodgers their first back-to-back leadoff homers since Carl Furillo led off consecutive games for the Brooklyn Dodgers with homers in July of 1951. Richards needed to be as good as he was because the Angels, whose offense had been showing signs over the past week and a half, couldn’t do much with an assortment of Dodgers pitchers. Joe Wieland, making a spot start because of Mat Latos’ stiff neck, gave up two runs in four innings. The Angels tagged him for a run in the second after back-to-back two-out doubles by Erick Aybar and David Freese. In the third, Taylor Featherston led off with a triple and then he scored on a sacrifice fly from Calhoun.

Miller: Did Angels' desperately needed win over Dodgers just delay the inevitable? BY JEFF MILLER

ANAHEIM – It was an occasion that called for an ace, but only because it was asking a bit much to expect Garrett Richards to be a savior.


The Angels entered their finale against the Dodgers desperate for a victory, about as desperate as a tattoo is for attention. They’d lost 3 of 4, eight in a row to the Dodgers and any semblance of grip they might have once had on serious playoff contention. I don’t want to overstate the significance of the Angels’ 3-2 victory, but just think about trying to breathe without the benefit of oxygen. Based on the pitching matchup alone, this was a game the Angels simply could not dare lose. After facing Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to open the series, the Angels were greeted Wednesday by Joe Wieland. Greinke and Kershaw tend to give up nothing. In his most recent start, Wieland, who was a late replacement for an ailing Mat Latos, gave up five runs … to the Albuquerque Isotopes. Naturally, seeing how things have been souring on the Angels, Richards surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced, giving the Dodgers leadoff homers in consecutive games, something the franchise hadn’t done since 1951, only 64 years ago. But, since he is an ace, Richards did what aces do, permitting only one other run and giving his team a chance to win. “That was a tremendous effort from Garrett,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “His stuff got better as the game went on. I think he just got into his rhythm and found his timing.” Of course, since the Angels are the Angels, they didn’t score the deciding run until the eighth inning, long after they had done little against Wieland. Yeah, the Angels definitely are the Angels … and not the Isotopes. On Wednesday in this space, having just witnessed the Angels attempt to beat Kershaw with a starting lineup that featured two guys hitting below .190, I wrote a column tweaking the notion that there was still reason for hope. Today, I’m going to keep things a little more real, the reality being the Angels are close – roughly, oh, the girth of a credit card or so – from being dismissed from postseason consideration. They remain alive, at the moment mathematically more than practically, and Wednesday gained ground on two of the three teams ahead of them in the wild-card race. Still, their victory over the Dodgers came on a night when a defeat would have plunged them below .500, and I’m certain I’ve never used the word plunged in a more fitting way. Rather amazingly, this franchise now teeters on producing another empty season in the Trout/Pujols Era, another year to forget during a time when the Angels were supposed to be making Octobers to remember.


Barring a late surge, the Angels will have had four seasons of Trout/Pujols without winning as much as a playoff game, never mind a series. If you’re familiar at all with this column, you know that’s not the first time I’ve written that sentence or one just like it. The fact bears repeating, though, just because, every time I write it, it still seems so completely impossible. Who would have thought, back on that December day in 2011, when the fans chanted “We got Al-Bert!” and Pujols explained that signing with the Angels was God’s calling, this team would have had as much postseason success since as the Montreal Expos? The empty Octobers suggest two things that have become abundantly obvious: 1) Pujols isn’t near the hitter he once was; and 2) The players around Trout and Pujols have been staggeringly inadequate. During spring training, I asked Arte Moreno if he was surprised his team hasn’t managed to win at least one playoff game since he agreed to pay Pujols $240 million. To his credit, he admitted he was. Though I haven’t spoken to Moreno lately, I’m guessing the Angels owner is no less surprised or no less miffed today. After all, as the Josh Hamilton saga showed, Moreno tends to get a little emotional about his investments. Moving forward, the bad news is the Angels have only 23 games remaining. Or, if you’ve tired of watching all this, maybe that’s the good news. The good news is 14 of those games are against teams ahead of the Angels in the standings. Or, if you’ve noticed the Angels struggle against good clubs, maybe that’s the bad news. No matter your perspective, the Angels are probably going to have to go at least something like 17-6 to ultimately factor into the wild-card chase. Are they capable? Sure, but 17-6 seems awfully unlikely given that the Angels, entering Wednesday, had won only 17 times in their previous 46 games. Soon enough, the talk concerning this team will be about the new general manager, how that general manager plans to coexist with Scioscia and how that general manager plans to make the Angels October relevant again. Until then, we can all sit back and watch a group frantically cling to what’s left, secure in the knowledge Richards aced this latest test, sparing for one day a team that still looks like it needs saving.

David Murphy holding down left field for Angels BY JEFF FLETCHER

ANAHEIM – The Angels' best-laid plans were changed by David DeJesus’ slump, which has landed David Murphy in the outfield more often than they expected.


Which has been fine with Murphy, and not so bad for the Angels. “Murph is covering the ground we need,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hes not going to cover as much as Shane (Victorino) or Collin (Cowgill), but he’s made the plays that we need out there. Especially for a left fielder, we have a big left field, so that’s an important piece of the puzzle.” When the Angels acquired Murphy, DeJesus and Victorino in late July, the plan was for Murphy to share DH duty with C.J. Cron, while DeJesus and Cron platooned. But Cron has hit well enough to play every day, and Murphy has hit much better than DeJesus, taking his playing time in left, against right-handed pitchers. He’s held his own in the outfield. Murphy had played 17 games in left for the Angels prior to Wednesday’s game, without an error. It’s too small of a sample size for any advanced defensive metrics to be indicative. Murphy said it has taken some adjustment to get back to playing outfield after being a DH in Cleveland before the Indians traded him. “I played left field a lot in my career, playing outfield more recently I had to transition back into it,” Murphy said. “At first it was weird doing it more frequently. I had a little bit more adrenaline and I feel like my breaks were a little bit off and inconsistent. I feel like as I’ve played out there more consistently, I felt a lot better. Just more consistent.” Murphy, 33, who played 122 games in the outfield last season, said he’s enjoyed getting back to defense. “It keeps me engaged in the game a little more,” Murphy said. “You are not going to have great days at the plate every day. You feel a little more worth as a player when you can contribute on both sides of the ball.” By showing he can play the outfield capably, Murphy probably has increased the chances that the Angels will pick up his $7 million option for 2016. It’s not likely that they would view him as an everyday left fielder, but his ability to play the outfield makes it easier to keep him as a DH, especially with Albert Pujols likely needing plenty of days at the DH spot. Murphy said he’d like to stay with the Angels. “I’ve loved everything about it,” Murphy said. “I didn’t know what to expect at all. I love the clubhouse. I love the guys. I love Southern California. I feel like its been a great fit so far. I would definitely enjoy being here next year. ... I can definitely envision myself back here next year and hopefully they feel the same way.”

Angels Notes: C.J. Wilson sees improvement after surgery BY JEFF FLETCHER


ANAHEIM – C.J. Wilson is just two weeks removed from elbow surgery and can already see a noticeable difference in his range of motion. Wilson said Wednesday he’s been wearing a special brace that essentially forces his arm into uncomfortable positions to help him regain flexibility and range of motion. Wilson, who is planning to be at 100 percent by the start of spring training, said he’s taken some lessons from this year. “I was out there battling below 100 percent pretty much the whole season,” Wilson said. “I felt like the times I had success, I’m able to use that as a springboard for next year.” ALSO Matt Shoemaker played catch at a distance of about 120 feet Wednesday, his third straight day throwing. Shoemaker said he is expecting to extend that Friday, after Thursday’s off day. He could be ready to throw off a mound as soon as Saturday. Shoemaker missed his last start because of forearm tightness, but said he “feels really good.” The Angels need a starter for his spot Tuesday in Seattle… The Angels have been at .500 on 21 different days this season, the most in the American League.

Smith: Albert Pujols pitching against Clayton Kershaw? The two MVPs change roles for their charities BY MARCIA C. SMITH

ANAHEIM – This was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for two contest winners and their buddies to play a pickup Wiffle ball game at Angel Stadium with two All-Stars and NL Most Valuable Players in Angels slugger Albert Pujols and Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. But Wednesday afternoon’s game also offered Pujols and Kershaw their own rare opportunities. “I gotta hit!” said Kershaw, the four-time Cy Young Award winner, asking to take swings that he wouldn’t normally do at an American League ballpark. “And I’ll run for everybody too so I can get in the conditioning.” Pujols, meanwhile, grinned maniacally, clutching a Wiffle ball and walking to the center of the makeshift field set up in center field. “Now’s my chance!” Pujols announced, giddily winding up to pitch to Kershaw. Pujols was happy to turn the tables from the night before when Kershaw got a 6-4 victory over the Angels in the second game of the Freeway Series at Angel Stadium. Pujols had grounded out, flown out and struck out against Kershaw. So, Pujols let Kershaw have it, striking him out twice, letting Kershaw look silly whipping the plastic yellow bat through the hot afternoon air.


“This is hard,” Kershaw said. “That ball is small, and I think you just threw me a curve!” Pujols celebrated each strikeout with his hands high and big shout of “Yes!” Kershaw left his at-bat feigning frustration and pretending to want to break the bat over his thigh. Pujols didn’t let up when Kershaw took the mound too. Pujols also yelled, “He’s hittable!” when Kershaw gave up a line drive. The contest winners, Troy Hedman, a Pujols fan from St. Louis, Mo., and Susie Acosta, a Dodgers fan from Los Angeles, enjoyed seeing the ballplayers ham it up for the game. The winners were selected at random by Omaze.com, which ran the drawing any one could enter for a $10 donation. Proceeds benefited the Pujols Family Foundation and Kershaw’s Challenge.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels' fire may have returned just in time BY ALDEN GONZALEZ / MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- Erick Aybar wanted to wear his socks high for Wednesday night's series finale against the Dodgers, so he told Albert Pujols to do it, and Pujols told Mike Trout to do it, because it's baseball, and superstition is prevalent, and the Angels needed something -- anything -- to keep their faint postseason hopes alive. "Sometimes you just have to change the flavor, man," Pujols said, a big smile on his face after his eighth-inning single gave the Angels a 3-2 win over the Dodgers. "Just try to do something to turn things around, because you never know." "You never know." That's what the Angels cling to these days, what they fall back on to keep their edge. This is where they are. Their 70th win -- which snapped an unprecedented eight-game losing streak to the Dodgers -- allowed them to gain a game on the Rangers. But they're still 3 1/2 out of the second American League Wild Card spot, with the Twins also in front, and the Halos only have 23 games remaining. Eighteen days ago, during the team meeting that followed a demoralizing sweep to the Blue Jays, Pujols once again brought up his 2011 Cardinals, who won 16 of their last 21 regular-season games to sneak into the playoffs and ultimately win it all. "For us, there's no tomorrow," Pujols said. "That's how we have to look at it this whole month." Garrett Richards' first pitch on Wednesday, to Dodgers leadoff man du jour Scott Schebler, went out for a home run. But he retired 19 of his next 24 batters, 11 on strikeouts, and pitched into the eighth inning.


After Richards' only other mistake of the night -- a two-strike slider that stayed up and was poked to left field for a game-tying RBI double by Chase Utley -- the Angels came right back. Kole Calhoun led off the bottom of the eighth with a line drive to right, a double that allowed him to advance to third on an error. And after Trout struck out, Pujols stayed back just long enough on a 1-0 slider from Luis Avilan and managed a grounder up the middle, past a drawn-in infield. It was Pujols' 17th RBI in the last 23 games, and it kept the Angels breathing. "This is something that we can build off," Richards said. "We've got Houston coming in, and we know how important those games are." They all are, really, especially the three-game showdown with the first-place Astros that opens on Friday in Anaheim. The Angels followed a stretch of 17 wins in 20 games by losing 26 of 37 from July 23-Aug. 31. Now they must thrive against a schedule that has them playing four of their last seven series against teams well above .500. "If it's meant to be for us, we're going to be there in the playoffs," Pujols said, his team 5 1/5 back of Houston. "But one thing that I can tell you is that those 35 guys that are active now, in this roster, are going to do the best that they can to squeeze ourselves in."

Pujols gives Angels a much-needed win BY DAVID ADLER AND STEVE BOURBON / MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- Albert Pujols hit the tiebreaking single through the middle of the Dodgers' drawn-in infield off Pedro Baez in the eighth inning on Wednesday night, lifting the Angels to a much-needed 3-2 win in the Freeway Series finale. The Angels couldn't beat Zack Greinke or Clayton Kershaw in the first two games at Angel Stadium -- despite scoring five runs on Monday and four on Tuesday -- and being swept while losing the one game not started by either National League Cy Young candidate would have been a tough blow to their playoff chances. The Angels now sit 3 1/2 games behind the Rangers, who are in the lead for the second AL Wild Card slot. The Dodgers still hold an 8 1/2-game lead over the Giants in the NL West. "In that situation -- one out, infield in -- I think I have enough experience to try to just calm myself and get a good pitch to hit and try to do some damage," Pujols said. "Do something to hit a sacrifice fly or get a base hit like I did. I try not to do too much, just let the pitcher provide the power -- especially a guy that's throwing a 98, 100 mph sinker." The Dodgers, who had won eight straight against the Angels, tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the eighth, on Chase Utley's two-out, two-strike RBI double off Angels starter Garrett Richards. Richards had pitched brilliantly to that point, striking out a career-high-tying 11 batters -- 10 of them swinging, most of them on his slider, which looked as sharp as it had all season.


"That's a tremendous effort from Garrett," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's what a lead dog in the rotation does, what Garrett did tonight. You go out there and you stop a streak and you shut down a team that's been scoring a lot of runs." Richards surrendered a leadoff home run on the first pitch he threw to Scott Schebler -- the second straight night the Angels allowed a home run to open the game -- before getting into a groove. The Angels tied the game on back-to-back doubles by Erick Aybar and David Freese in the second inning and took the lead in the third -- their first of the series -- on Kole Calhoun's sacrifice fly. Huston Street worked a scoreless ninth for his 33rd save. "A loss is a loss," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We've been talking about each game being a chance to take a game off the schedule, and we saw later on the board we could've added on." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Halo hustle: Two Angels runs were set up by getting the leadoff man to third base, thanks to hustle plays by Taylor Featherston and Calhoun. In the third, Featherston ripped a line drive into the left-field corner, dove in safely with a triple. Calhoun drove him in a batter later with a sacrifice fly, giving the Angels their first lead of the series. In the eighth, Calhoun started the Angels' rally by doubling down the right-field line, easily taking third when Andre Ethier bobbled the ball. Pujols eventually drove him in. "I think two plays were important -- Taylor Featherston and Kole Calhoun out of the box were thinking not only extra bases, but thinking three bases," Scioscia said. "Taylor got to third, and Kole got to third, and that's a huge base right there." Not getting it done: The Dodgers brought in left-hander Luis Avilan to face one hitter in the eighth inning, Calhoun, but he couldn't get his man. Calhoun dropped a 2-2 fastball down the right-field line for a double, then advanced to third on Ethier's bobble to set up the go-ahead run. One last strike: Richards pitched one of his best games of the season, and he was lights-out once he got to two strikes, with one exception. With the Angels leading, 2-1, with two outs and a Dodgers baserunner on third base in the eighth inning, Richards spun a 1-2 curveball knee-high and away to Utley, who poked it down the left-field line to tie the game. Prior to that, Dodgers hitters who faced a two-strike count were 0-for-12 with 11 strikeouts. "Some games guys are gonna come out hacking and put the ball in play, and some games you're gonna get to two-strike counts and be able to put guys away," Richards said. "This was one of those games where I got ahead early and put guys away." Leadoff man: With fans still working their way in from the parking lot, Schebler took the first pitch of the game out to center field for a home run. It was the second consecutive game with a leadoff homer for the Dodgers and Schebler's second homer in just six Major League games. "You can see the ball jumps off his bat a little bit," Mattingly said. "He's a guy we feel like is going to be a good player." QUOTABLE


"What are you gonna do, right? You're trying to get ahead early, he put a good swing on the ball. You just kind of move on, I guess, You've got 99 other pitches to throw. -- Richards, on bouncing back from Schebler's homer on the game's first pitch "Winning two series on the road is good for us. Earlier in the year, we weren't playing very well on the road. So now it's nice to win some series but now we have to go into Arizona." -- Justin Turner, on the Dodgers starting 5-2 on their 10-game road trip SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Pujols' RBI single in the eighth was his 45th career go-ahead hit in the eighth inning or later -- the most in the Major Leagues since Pujols debuted in 2001. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Angels won a replay challenge in the top of the fifth as Richards picked off Corey Seager, who was originally called safe. While the Dodgers' rookie shortstop was back to the base in plenty of time, he took his foot off the base while switching which foot was on the bag and was tagged out. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: The Dodgers have an off-day on Thursday before finishing out their 10-game road trip in Arizona starting on Friday. Alex Wood (10-9) will be on the mound for Los Angeles in the 6:40 p.m. PT start. Shortstop Jimmy Rollins is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out the Angels series with a jammed right index finger. Angels: The Angels also have Thursday off before opening a three-game series against the AL West-leading Astros on Friday, with right-hander Jered Weaver squaring off with Houston ace Dallas Keuchel at 7:05 p.m. PT. Weaver held the Rangers to one run in six innings in his last start, one of his better efforts since coming off the disabled list in early August.

Richards' gem marred by bookend mistakes BY LYLE SPENCER / MLB.COM ANAHEIM --The Angels' Garrett Richards threw 107 pitches on Wednesday night between the two he will have trouble getting out of his head for a while. If not for a first-pitch fastball to the Dodgers' Scott Schebler and a last-pitch curveball to Chase Utley, this could have been the best performance of Richards' career, given the urgency of the circumstances. Schebler homered to center leading off the game. Utley sent Richards' final delivery into the left-field corner with two down in the eighth inning, delivering Joc Pederson with a tying run for the Dodgers. In one of those peculiar injustices of the game, Richards wasn't awarded the win when the Angels rallied in the bottom of the eighth against the Dodgers' bend-and-sometimes-break bullpen to claim a 3-2 victory and avoid a sweep by their geographical rivals.


"My job is to keep us in games," Richards said. "We won. That's all that matters." Reliever Jose Alvarez threw 105 fewer pitches than Richards but snatched the win by striking out Adrian Gonzalez to close the eighth. When Kole Calhoun doubled leading off the home half against Luis Avilan, took third on right fielder Andre Ethier's bobble and scored on Albert Pujols' single, it was left to Huston Street to finish it off for his 33rd save. The stars were shining brightly, but this was all about the will and power of Richards. The 27-year-old right-hander, not quite 13 months removed from major surgery on his left knee, has traveled a long, hard road back from that Aug. 20, 2014 nightmare at first base at Fenway Park. Matching a career high with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings, Richards showed he is all the way back to the form that had made him an elite pitcher before the crash in Boston. "That's who I am," Richards said in response to a question about holding his mid-90s fastball all the way. "I take pride in maintaining my velocity throughout the game. I felt good with all my stuff tonight. I was able to get ahead early and put guys away." Holding the Dodgers to four hits and three walks, Richards notched the biggest of the 11 strikeouts against Gonzalez. The National League leader in RBIs with 320 since coming to Los Angeles from Boston on Aug. 25, 2012, Gonzalez was victimized in the sixth inning on a slider with two on and one out. When Justin Turner's deep fly ball was run down on the track in center by Mike Trout, Richards' one-run lead was preserved. "He was a little different this time around than the last time we faced him," Turner said. "He was cutting all of his pitches, instead of sinking them." Richards sailed through the seventh, but it got away in the eighth on Pederson's leadoff double to left and Utley's double the same way, to the opposite field, on a 1-2 curve. "I probably hung it a little more than usual," Richards said. "I was one pitch away from getting out of it." The Angels remain 5 1/2 games behind the Astros in the American League West but picked up a game in the Wild Card chase, moving to within 3 1/2 games of the Rangers for the second spot. "We've got a ton of experience in our locker room," Richards said. "That's why nobody's panicking." Back in prime form, Richards gives the Angels a hammer at the front of the rotation. "That was a tremendous outing for Garrett," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Early in the game he was trying to find his release point. He was throwing hard and really spinning it well. After the leadoff home run, he methodically got in his game. "That's what a lead dog in a rotation does, what Garrett did tonight. You get a lead and you shut down a good offense they have over there." Just as Justin Ruggiano had done on Tuesday night against Andrew Heaney, Schebler opened the game with a bomb. It was a first-pitch ambush.


"What are you gonna do?" Richards said. "I'm trying to get ahead early [with a 97 mph heater] and he put a good swing on it." Richards notched two strikeouts in the first, two in the second, two in the third. He got out of the fourth with a double-play grounder. He picked off rookie Corey Seager after a leadoff single in the fifth on a review, escaped the sixth and blew through the seventh. "He wanted the ball to start the eighth inning," Scioscia said. "It's hot and he's getting into a range of pitches where you're looking at how the ball's coming out of his hand. He did a great job but just couldn't finish off Chase Utley." Richards might not have gotten the W he wanted -- and deserved -- but the Angels got what they needed: some satisfaction.

Angels braced for showdown with first-place Astros BY DAVID ADLER / MLB.COM The Angels and Astros open a key three-game series on Friday at Angel Stadium. It's the second-to-last series between the American League West rivals this season, and the Halos are running out of time to close Houston's 5 1/2-game lead for the division title and Texas' 3 1/2-game lead for the second AL Wild Card spot. The Astros will send their ace, AL Cy Young Award candidate Dallas Keuchel, to the mound in the series opener. The left-hander notched his league-leading 17th win in his last start, allowing three runs over eight innings while striking out 12 against the Wild Card-contending Twins. The Angels will counter with veteran right-hander Jered Weaver. Weaver has been streaky since his return in early August from a lengthy disabled list stint, but he held the Rangers to one run in six innings in his last start. Things to know about this game The Angels have gone 5-8 against the Astros, and they were swept in Houston the last time the clubs played, in late July. There's a chance that Albert Pujols returns to first base for the Angels during the weekend series. Pujols has been limited to designated hitter because of lingering pain in his right foot. Astros reliever Tony Sipp (lower back stiffness) threw a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday and should rejoin the team in Anaheim, although it's not certain that he'll be ready to pitch against the Angels.

Kershaw, Pujols play Wiffle ball with fans for charity BY DAVID ADLER / MLB.COM


ANAHEIM -- Albert Pujols struck out Clayton Kershaw on Wednesday. A day after Kershaw got the better of Pujols and the Angels in the Dodgers' 6-4 win Tuesday night in Anaheim, Pujols was on the mound, whiffing Kershaw in the duo's charity Wiffle ball game. "My Wiffle ball game's pretty bad, apparently," Kershaw said. "My offensive game is bad. Albert can hit anything, apparently, even a Wiffle ball." Captained by the two superstars, teams of fans -- who were chosen from a pool of contest entrants who made donations to the Pujols Family Foundation and Kershaw's Challenge, with the help of Omaze.com -- faced off on the Angel Stadium outfield. Afterwards, both teams joined Pujols and Kershaw for lunch. A couple of the contest winners on Pujols' team had flown in all the way from St. Louis, where the first baseman played the first decade of his career. "We just want to have an opportunity to do the best that we can for the fans, as long as everybody has a good time," Pujols said. Hitting with the game's trademark thin yellow plastic bat, Kershaw rolled over multiple ground balls. Pujols lined out several times, anointing himself "the rally killer." For the first batter of the game, Pujols pitched while Kershaw caught, one of the most unique batteries to ever grace Angel Stadium. "Hey, this guy can hit," Pujols said, laughing after the game, despite his success against Kershaw on the mound. "Everybody knows in the National League that he can hit, as well as, obviously, we all know what he can do on the mound. We had a great time. Hopefully the participants had a great time." The biggest hits of the day, by far, came from the contest winners, not the Major Leaguers. As Pujols' team plated its first run with Kershaw pitching, Pujols jokingly cheered, "Yes! He's hittable!" The Pujols Family Foundation aims to promote awareness, provide hope and meet needs for individuals and families who live with Down syndrome. They work to improve the standard of living and quality of life for impoverished people in the Dominican Republic through education, medical relief and tangible goods, and they provide extraordinary experiences for children with disabilities and/or life-threatening illnesses. "It's great to hit homers and win World Series, but at the end of the day, it's about making a difference off the field," Pujols said. "That's how we want to be remembered." Kershaw's Challenge is committed to transforming the lives of children in America, Africa and the Dominican Republic by empowering others to give back in unique ways. They partner with similarly oriented organizations who serve the needs of at-risk and vulnerable youth. "Just an awesome opportunity," Kershaw said. "It's really cool to see everyone come out and want to participate in this. Just being able to partner with Albert, and our foundations. What his foundation is doing, it's really cool for our foundation to be a part of as well."

Wilson encouraged by recovery progress


BY DAVID ADLER / MLB.COM ANAHEIM -- C.J. Wilson's range of motion in his left elbow has improved significantly since he underwent surgery to remove bone spurs and bone chips on Aug. 20, the Angels' left-hander said before the Angels' 3-2 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday night. "My arm is in better condition now than it was, probably, in the last five years, in terms of the angles that I have at this point," Wilson said in the Angels clubhouse, demonstrating how far he could bend and extend his arm. He said he's been doing grip-strength exercises with his left hand, but he can't do any upper-body lifting or, of course, throw. Sitting at his locker, Wilson was wearing Kinesio Tape, which he said is meant to push inflammation out of his elbow. He also has what he calls a "Frankenstein brace" -- a brace that can force his elbow to full extension or flexion, to help his range of motion increase in both directions. He wears it for about six-to-eight hours a day, and tries to wear it when he sleeps. "It's intolerable for most people past a certain amount of time or a certain amount of tension," Wilson said. "Considering what I went through previously with my elbow, I can tolerate it a lot more, so I just keep going." Worth noting Right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who was scratched from his start Monday with a right forearm strain, is starting to increase the intensity of his throwing and played catch from 120 feet on Wednesday. He said he'll probably have to play catch from longer than that, at his full long-toss distance, before he moves on to possibly throwing a bullpen session. Shoemaker still does not have a timetable for his return. Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday that he's happy with the defense David Murphy has provided in left field. The Angels originally intended Murphy to serve as their designated hitter against right-handers, but with Albert Pujols limited to DH for the time being, Murphy has had to play outfield. "Murphy's covered the ground we need," Scioscia said. "He's not gonna cover as much as Shane [Victorino] or Collin [Cowgill], but he's made the plays that we need out there." Despite the Angels running out of time to make up ground in the playoff standings, Scioscia said he doesn't want the players to feel any additional "sense of urgency" or to place extra importance on individual games. He said that's always been the Angels' philosophy. "You should be playing the game tonight the same way you play a game in Spring Training -- aggressively, with the same reads, playing with the same freedom," Scioscia said. "You should be playing a pennant race game that way; you get into a playoff game it's the same feeling. " FROM LA DAILY NEWS


Kole Calhoun can’t stop, won’t stop for the Angels BY MARK WHICKER ANAHEIM — The best compliment you can give Kole Calhoun is that he would have fit right into the 2002 Angels, the battered crew that kept bashing away at the door to a world championship until it fell. You might ask where Calhoun would have played in an outfield that had Garret Anderson, Darin Erstad and Tim Salmon. Good question. He would have figured out something. On Wednesday, the Angels had ridden a circa-2014 pitching performance by Garrett Richards to a one-run lead, going into the top of the eighth. It was a win they needed like the oxygen nobody could quite find on this balmy night in Angel Stadium. Yet Joc Pederson doubled, and then Chase Utley sliced a double down the left-field line, and the Dodgers tied it. If there had been any air where Angels fans were sitting, it would have left. Jose Alvarez came in to strike out Adrian Gonzalez, a bail-out that would not be forgotten. Calhoun made sure it meant something. He popped a drive down the right-field line, and when Andre Ethier juggled it, Calhoun was on third with a leadoff triple. “When I went around first I saw what happened, and when I got to second I just kept going,’ he said. “It was an instinct thing.” Albert Pujols then guided a single through the drawn-in Dodgers, and the Angels could present a 3-2 lead to Huston Street, which he protected. With Texas losing, the Angels got back to within 3.5 games out of the second wild-card position, and within 5.5 of Houston in the A.L. West. The Angels have six games left with Houston, including their next three, beginning Friday here. Meanwhile, the Dodgers really lost nothing except maybe the kernel of belief that Mat Latos might actually help their rotation. Latos, who came to the Dodgers and almost immediately began complaining about Don Mattingly’s hook, was scratched from his Wednesday start with a stiff neck. Considering the Cincinnati Reds practically threw a team party when Latos was traded last year, the Dodgers do not need such discontent as they gallop away from the N.L. West. It did force Mattingly to use Joe Wieland and four relievers, which isn’t usually good. Luis Avilan, a lefty brought from Atlanta to retire lefties, was Calhoun’s victim. Richards gave up a first-pitch home run to Scott Schebler and then broke out a warhead slider that was responsible for most of his 11 strikeouts. The Dodgers were hitless until Corey Seager singled in the fifth, and then Richards picked him off. It was Richards’ third consecutive quality start, and his fifth in his past six, and the Angels rose to 6-0 in games Richards has pitched against L.A. Meanwhile Calhoun has 23 homers, 73 RBIs and a .448 slugging percentage, and has become one of the better right fielders in the American League.


“He’s the same guy I saw when he came up,” Pujols said. “He plays with a chip on his shoulder, and he’s become a great player.” Calhoun’s insistent style has shone brightly this year, as the Angels have struggled with their identity. He has the second longest streak of consecutive games played in baseball, and on Tuesday he became the first player this year to hit homers off Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, which is notable considering how rarely he saw either. Although Calhoun was a cog on Arizona State’s College World Series team, and although his numbers always shone in the minor leagues, he has been guilty until proven innocent in the eyes of evaluators. Proving he could play, while other taller, more favored players had to prove they couldn’t, has been a way of life. For instance, the Angels kept trying Johnny Giavotella, Shane Victorino and Erick Aybar in the leadoff spot after using Calhoun there earlier this season. The reasoning was that they needed run production in the middle of the lineup. The improvement by C.J. Cron has helped convince Mike Scioscia to use Calhoun up top again, where he precedes Mike Trout and Pujols. The Angels have averaged five runs in their past nine games, which should be enough. Calhoun is batting .284 as the Angels’ leadoff hitter. “It’s been up and down lately, a little weird,” Calhoun said. “I’ve been striking out more than I usually do, but the hits are there. But when you get wins like that. ... “It’s been kinda crazy bouncing from spot to spot in the lineup. But it’s the same core, with Mike batting behind me and Albert batting behind him. I still want to be aggressive, still try to get on base.” Not that he stops there.

Angels salvage final game of Freeway Series, beat Dodgers 3-2 BY JP HOORNSTRA, INLAND VALLEY DAILY BULLETIN ANAHEIM >> If such a thing as a must-win interleague game on Sept. 9 even exists, the Angels won one Wednesday. Their 3-2 win over the Dodgers before 42,799 at Angel Stadium salvaged the final game of the Freeway Series and allowed them to momentarily pull a game closer to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers (73-65), who lost Wednesday, currently lead the Angels (70-69) by 3 1/2 games in the race for the American League’s second wild-card position. The Dodgers maintained their 8 1/2-game lead over the San Francisco Giants atop the National League West.


The game was tied 2-2 when Kole Calhoun led off the eighth inning with a double to right field off Dodgers pitcher Luis Avilan (2-5). He went to third base when the ball caromed off Andre Ethier’s glove, an error on the Dodgers’ right fielder. Pedro Baez relieved Avilan and struck out Mike Trout with an impressive 99-mph fastball, but Albert Pujols followed with a single up the middle, driving in Calhoun with the game-winning run. “I was trying to do my job and get the ball up, try and hit a sacrifice fly, something deep,” Pujols said. “I was lucky enough to get a base hit back up through the middle. In that situation, with one out, infield in, I think I have enough experience to calm myself and just get a good pitch to hit and try to do some damage. Or hit a sacrifice fly. Try not to do too much, just let the pitcher provide the power, especially when the guy is throwing 98- and 100-mph sinker.” The Angels had lost their last eight games against the Dodgers, their longest head-to-head losing streak since the Freeway Series began. Making his second major league start of the season, Dodgers right-hander Joe Wieland subbed in for Mat Latos as an 11th-hour replacement. He allowed two runs in four innings: the first on back-to-back doubles by Erick Aybar and David Freese in the second inning, the second on a triple by Taylor Featherston and a sacrifice fly by Calhoun in the third. “I thought I was going to be more rusty,” said Wieland, who hadn’t pitched a game at any level since Aug. 26. “My arm felt great. I thought toward the end maybe I was going to lose some in the tank, but I came in after that fourth (inning) and I told (pitching coach Rick Honeycutt) I’m good. “They told me, though, this was the plan.” Wieland said he was first told Tuesday night that he might get the assignment. The official word came down when he arrived at Angel Stadium on Wednesday. His opponent was Angels ace Garrett Richards — an unfair matchup on paper, but one that tilted in Wieland’s favor quickly. Richards allowed a home run to Dodgers rookie Scott Schebler on his first pitch of the game, then settled in masterfully. He didn’t allow another hit until Corey Seager led off the fifth inning with a single. Seager was then picked off base when first baseman C.J. Cron held the gloved ball on Seager’s leg when it came off the bag. In 7 2/3 innings, Richards allowed four hits, walked three batters and struck out 11 — tying his career high. “That was a tremendous effort from Garrett,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Early in the game he was trying to find his release point. Once he found it, he was spinning it well. Everything came together. …. Not many mistakes tonight from Garrett after the first couple of innings.” The Dodgers trailed 2-1 in the eighth inning when Joc Pederson greeted Richards with a leadoff double to left field. Austin Barnes bunted Pederson to third, giving Schebler and Chase Utley a chance to cash in with one out.


Richards struck out Schebler swinging on a vicious curveball. Utley must have been looking for the curve on Richards’ 1-2 pitch; he got it and stroked an RBI double down the left-field line, tying the game 2-2. “He wanted the ball to start the eighth inning,” Scioscia said of Richards. “It’s hot. … That’s what a lead dog in the rotation does, what Garrett did tonight. You go out there and you stop a streak. You shut down a team that’s been scoring a lot of runs. They have a great offense over there.” Jose Alvarez (4-3) got the Angels out of the eighth inning without incurring further damage, striking out Adrian Gonzalez on a fastball just below the knees for the final out. He was the Angels’ pitcher of record despite throwing only four pitches. Huston Street tossed a scoreless ninth inning for his 33rd save. FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dodgers' 5-game winning streak ends with 3-2 loss to Angels BY GREG BEACHAM ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have run away with the NL West lead during three weeks of largely outstanding play, so perhaps they're due for a few disappointments before October. Yet even with a spot starter and a strikeout-happy lineup, Chase Utley and the Dodgers nearly grabbed a season sweep of the Angels before Albert Pujols snatched it away. Pujols drove in Kole Calhoun with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the Angels snapped their eight-game skid in the Freeway Series with a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night. Scott Schebler homered for the Dodgers on Richards' first pitch, but they lost for just the third time in 16 games. The Giants' loss kept the Dodgers 8 1/2 games up in the division race, but the Dodgers' five-game winning streak was snapped despite Utley's tying two-out, two-strike RBI double in the eighth. "To win two series on the road has been good for us," third baseman Justin Turner said. "Earlier in the year, we didn't play well on the road, so it's nice to win some series." Joe Wieland yielded four hits over four innings in his first big league appearance since May 6 for the Dodgers. After two weeks of inactivity, he did fairly well as the fill-in starter for Mat Latos, a late scratch with a stiff neck. Calhoun doubled into the right-field corner leading off the eighth against Luis Avilan (2-5) and advanced when Andre Ethier bobbled it. After Pedro Baez struck out Mike Trout, Pujols bounced a one-out single through the middle. "We went after Albert," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "Either try to go for the punchout, or get a ground ball. It just didn't work out. We got a ground ball, but it just went up the middle."


Garrett Richards matched his career high with 11 strikeouts during 7 2-3 innings of four-hit ball, snapping his slider with authority as the Angels beat their local rivals for the first time since last year. "I just felt good with all my stuff," said Richards after barely missing his 14th victory. "I got ahead early and put guys away." The Angels hadn't even led a game against the Dodgers this season until Taylor Featherston tripled and scored on Calhoun's sacrifice fly in the third inning. David Freese had an early RBI double for the Angels, who pulled within 3 1/2 games of Texas for the second AL wild-card spot with the Rangers' loss, although Minnesota is between them. Jose Alvarez (4-3) struck out Adrian Gonzalez to end the eighth, and Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 33rd save. FIRST THINGS FIRST Until Featherston scored, the Angels hadn't led the Dodgers at any point in any game this year, or in seven consecutive meetings dating to last season. They hadn't held on to a lead for a full inning in any of their eight straight losses to the Dodgers. BROOKLYN UPPER-DECKER Schebler's homer followed Justin Ruggiano's leadoff homer in the Dodgers' 6-4 win on Tuesday night. The Dodgers hadn't led off consecutive games with homers since July 12-13, 1951, when Carl Furillo did it both games for the Brooklyn Dodgers. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: Latos was scratched about three hours before game time. His one-run performance against the Angels last month has been his only outstanding start since joining the Dodgers in a trade. Angels: Matt Shoemaker played catch Wednesday in the next step in his rehabilitation of a strained right forearm. He still doesn't know when he'll return to the rotation. UP NEXT Dodgers: After a day off, Alex Wood (10-9, 3.51 ERA) is likely to start at Arizona on Friday, but manager Don Mattingly hasn't confirmed his reconfigured rotation in the wake of Latos' scratch. Angels: After a day off, Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.78 ERA) takes the mound for their series opener against AL West-leading Houston.

Pujols gets big RBI; Angels avoid sweep, beat Dodgers 3-2 BY GREG BEACHAM


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Garrett Richards largely dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers until Chase Utley slapped his 109th and final pitch into left field, driving in the tying run. It was disheartening and deflating - just like the Los Angeles Angels' entire stretch run. A few minutes later, Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols showed there's still hope. Pujols drove in Calhoun with the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the Angels snapped their eight-game skid in the Freeway Series with a 3-2 victory over the Dodgers on Wednesday night. The Angels had lost 12 of their previous 18 games while sliding to the brink of irrelevance in the playoff race. But Pujols insists his team won't give up, and he came up big to make sure the Angels avoided a six-game season sweep by the Dodgers. "In that situation, I have experience," Pujols said. "One out, the infield in, I think I've got enough experience to calm myself and get a good pitch to hit." Calhoun doubled into the right-field corner leading off the eighth against Luis Avilan (2-5) and advanced when Andre Ethier bobbled it. After Pedro Baez struck out Mike Trout, Pujols bounced a one-out single through the middle. Richards matched his career high with 11 strikeouts during 7 2-3 innings of four-hit ball, snapping his slider with authority as the Angels beat their local rivals for the first time since last year. "I just felt good with all my stuff," said Richards after barely missing his 14th victory. "I got ahead early and put guys away." The Angels hadn't even led a game against the Dodgers this season until Taylor Featherston tripled and scored on Calhoun's sacrifice fly in the third inning. David Freese had an early RBI double for the Angels, who pulled within 3 1/2 games of Texas for the second AL wild-card spot with the Rangers' loss, although Minnesota is between them. Scott Schebler homered for the Dodgers on Richards' first pitch, but the NL West leaders lost for just the third time in 16 games. The Giants' loss kept the Dodgers 8 1/2 games up in the division race, but the Dodgers' five-game winning streak was snapped despite Utley's clutch two-out, two-strike hit for his new team. "To win two series on the road has been good for us," third baseman Justin Turner said. "Earlier in the year, we didn't play well on the road, so it's nice to win some series." Jose Alvarez (4-3) struck out Adrian Gonzalez to end the eighth, and Huston Street pitched the ninth for his 33rd save. Joe Wieland yielded four hits over four innings in his first big league appearance since May 6 for the Dodgers. After two weeks of inactivity, he was the fill-in starter for Mat Latos, a late scratch with a stiff neck.


Until Featherston scored, the Angels hadn't led the Dodgers at any point in any game this year, or in seven consecutive meetings dating to last season. They hadn't held on to a lead for a full inning in any of their eight straight losses to the Dodgers. BROOKLYN UPPER-DECKER Schebler's homer followed Justin Ruggiano's leadoff homer in the Dodgers' 6-4 win on Tuesday night. The Dodgers hadn't led off consecutive games with homers since July 12-13, 1951, when Carl Furillo did it both games for the Brooklyn Dodgers. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: Latos was scratched about three hours before game time. His one-run performance against the Angels last month has been his only outstanding start since joining the Dodgers in a trade. Angels: Matt Shoemaker played catch Wednesday in the next step in his rehabilitation of a strained right forearm. He still doesn't know when he'll return to the rotation. UP NEXT Dodgers: After a day off, Alex Wood (10-9, 3.51 ERA) is likely to start at Arizona on Friday, but manager Don Mattingly hasn't confirmed his reconfigured rotation in the wake of Latos' scratch. Angels: After a day off, Jered Weaver (6-10, 4.78 ERA) takes the mound for their series opener against AL West-leading Houston. Houston

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