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Clips

(September 21, 2017)

September 21, 2017 Page 2 of 18

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIME (Page 3)

Angels again fall short against the red-hot Indians

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 4)

Angels fall to Indians again, despite late rally

Angels Notes: Ben Revere getting comfortable coming off the bench

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 7)

Wild Card-seeking Angels look to solve Indians

Halos keep pace despite dropping nail-biter

Scioscia isn't worried about Petit's rare hiccup

Halos, Tribe thinking of families in Puerto Rico

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 13)

Lindor, Indians hold off Angels 6-5 for 26th win in 27 games

FROM NBC SPORTS (Page 15)

Sherwin Williams is trying to back out of a charitable contribution at Angel Stadium

FROM SB NATION (Page 15)

Albert Pujols is having the worst season for a 37-year-old in MLB history

September 21, 2017 Page 3 of 18

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels again fall short against the red-hot Indians

By Pedro Moura

The Angels have proved they can hang with the American League’s best teams. What they have yet to

exhibit is that they have enough assembled talent to actually beat them.

They played another tight, tenuous game against the current class of baseball Wednesday night, and

again fell achingly short. They lost to the Cleveland Indians 6-5 before an announced crowd of 38,424

at Angel Stadium, though there were far fewer fans seated throughout the night.

“We played a pretty good game,” second baseman Brandon Phillips said. “We just didn’t win. That’s the

way we’ve been playing against good teams like that.”

The Angels faced Josh Tomlin, the Indians’ control-focused right-hander, a soft tosser who has little

chance of making a playoff start next month. He shut them down through 51/3 innings, true to form

walking none and scattering seven hits.

The Angels started Ricky Nolasco, an altogether similar pitcher but one who probably will draw a start if

the Angels make it past the Oct. 3 wild-card game.

After Nolasco induced a grounder that bounced off the first-base bag and became a double, he

walked Edwin Encarnacion. There were two out in the first inning when Jay Bruceskied a pop fly to short

left field.

Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons tracked it while backpedaling, dropped it, then recovered to catch

it with his bare hand as he fell to the grass. The crowd oohed, and Nolasco looked on in disbelief as he

retreated to the dugout.

“I’m glad he made it,” Nolasco said. “I’ll tell you that.”

In the second, Nolasco gave up consecutive doubles to Carlos Santana and Jason Kipnis. Cleveland’s 1-0

lead lasted only until the bottom of the inning, when Kole Calhoun doubled, Simmons singled and

C.J. Cron singled in Calhoun.

The score remained 1-1 until the fourth, when Cleveland’s Giovanny Urshela lined a two-out, first-pitch

double into left. That scored Bruce, who had singled.

An inning later, Cron clubbed a 437-foot homer when Tomlin left a cutter over the middle of the strike

zone. One out later, Phillips came within a few feet of another homer, settling instead for an off-the-wall

double. Mike Trout and Justin Upton had chances to single him in but failed.

Yusmeiro Petit replaced Nolasco to start the sixth inning, manager Mike Sciosciademonstrating greater

faith in his bullpen than in a veteran starter who will become a free agent at season’s end.

September 21, 2017 Page 4 of 18

In the seventh, Petit lost his command. First, he hung a curveball to Urshela, who ripped it for a single.

Petit’s next pitch was a fastball over the middle. Francisco Lindor landed it in the center-field seats for a

two-run home run.

“I made a mistake today,” Petit said, “and I had to pay.”

Petit was later charged with another run, though rookie Keynan Middleton finished the inning for him.

Fellow rookie Eduardo Paredes gave up another run in the eighth.

In their half of the seventh, the Angels stitched together a two-out rally. Pinch-hitter Ben Revere singled

up the middle to start it, and Trout blooped a double to right to extend it, two runs scoring in the

process.

Albert Pujols led off the eighth with a solo shot to make the score 6-5.

With star left-hander Andrew Miller unavailable, the Indians used lesser relievers to piece together the

inning.

Idling at 11/2 games behind the Minnesota Twins, who lost Wednesday, the Angels are well within reach

of a wild-card spot. But they are running out of time to formulate the mini-run required.

Ninety-nine innings of regulation baseball remain in the regular season. That’s enough, they maintain.

“We’ve got a game tomorrow,” Scioscia said.

Short hops

Catcher Martin Maldonado wrote “Pray for” on his Puerto Rico hat from the World Baseball Classic,

showing support for his home that sustained significant damage Wednesday from Hurricane Maria. …

Left-hander Andrew Heaney, sidelined since Sept. 9 because of shoulder soreness, reported feeling well

after another session of catch. The Angels have still not said when they expect him to throw off of a

mound.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Angels fall to Indians again, despite late rally

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — Proof of the urgency of the situation for the Angels came in the sixth inning on

Wednesday night, when Yusmeiro Petit came jogging in from the bullpen.

By using one of his best relievers in a tie game, Manager Mike Scioscia was demonstrating that he

understands time is running short and victories are vital. Not only did Scioscia use Petit in a tie game, but

he used Blake Parker when the Angels were down a run.

September 21, 2017 Page 5 of 18

Neither worked.

The Angels lost, 6-5, to the Cleveland Indians, missing a second straight opportunity to gain ground in the

race for the last spot in the postseason.

With 11 games to go, the Angels are still 1½ games behind the Minnesota Twins, who have lost five of six

but maintained their lead over the struggling Angels.

The Angels have been unable to catch the Twins because they have run into the hottest team in baseball,

an Indians squad fresh off a record-setting 22-game winning streak. They showed how tough they are by

hitting both Petit and Parker, their two most consistent pitchers — not just relievers — all season.

“It’s one of those nights where our bullpen, which has been there the whole season, stubbed its toe a little

bit,” Scioscia said. “Yusmeiro has been there time in and time out. He’ll get the ball tomorrow if his role

comes up, and he’ll do a good job. He’ll be fine.”

Petit seemed not the least bit shaken by an outing in which he was charged with three runs, equaling the

total he’d yielded in his previous 18 games.

“One bad night,” Petit said. “I’ll take it. I made mistakes today and I had to pay.”

Petit brought a 2.09 ERA to the mound in the sixth, with the score tied, 2-2, after Ricky Nolasco’s solid five

innings and a pair of RBI from C.J. Cron, one on a homer.

Petit pitched a perfect sixth, although two of the outs were on line drives that found gloves in the outfield.

In the seventh, he wasn’t so lucky. He missed on a location to Giovanny Urshela, who singled. Francisco

Lindor then blasted a two-run homer, the first homer Petit had allowed since Aug. 6. Petit gave up another

hit and was then pulled. The runner scored while Keynan Middleton was on the mound.

“I missed a lot of pitches today,” Petit said. “No excuse for that.”

Down 5-2, though, the Angels rallied with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.

Pinch hitter Ben Revere reached on an infield hit, his fourth hit in his last seven pinch-hit at-bats. Brandon

Phillips followed with a blooper into right. As Phillips slid into second, the throw from right fielder Jay

Bruce hit him and rolled away, just far enough for Revere to score.

Mike Trout, who had been hitless in his previous seven at-bats despite hitting four balls hard, then hit a

soft pop fly that dropped inside the right field line, driving in another run.

Parker then entered with a runner at second in the eighth, trying to hold the deficit at one run, and he

gave up a run-scoring single to Jose Ramirez.

That run turned out be huge, because Albert Pujols led off the bottom of the eighth with a solo homer, his

23rd of the year. Kole Calhoun then drew a walk, putting the potential trying run on base.

September 21, 2017 Page 6 of 18

Cleveland summoned reliever Bryan Shaw, who retired the final six hitters of the game, including a

strikeout of Trout to end it.

The Angels’ 10th straight loss to the Indians was another frustrating one, with so many ways that this

game could have flipped.

“We just didn’t win,” Phillips said. “I think we played a good game. They’re a great team. They got key hits

in key situations. They did a great job. We played a great game. They just outplayed us toward the end.”

Angels Notes: Ben Revere getting comfortable coming off the bench

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — Last season Ben Revere learned how to not play.

A starter throughout his big league career, when Revere got hurt and lost his job last year with the

Washington Nationals in 2016, the other veteran bench players helped him learn how to adjust to his new

role.

Now, the Angels are reaping the rewards, as Revere has proven to be a valuable pinch-hitter. His pinch hit

on Tuesday night was his third in his last six attempts, lifting his average to .292 in 24 at-bats this season.

“It’s the toughest thing to do,” Revere said. “The main thing is to just keep yourself ready. From the start

of the season, I knew what my role is. I just gotta keep myself ready. I’m definitely feeling good.”

Last season, Revere lost his everyday job and then was just 2 for 15 as a pinch-hitter.

“When I lost my job, I was mad,” Revere said. “I wanted to be out there every day to help my team win.

The guys who are usually bench guys showed me the ropes and told me what to do. I learned to never get

surprised. Always stay ready, no matter what.”

Revere, 29, now has a routine for the games he’s not starting. Early in the game he runs sprints on the

rubber mats that line the tunnels under the stands at Angel Stadium.

As the game wears on, he moves into the cage to take some swings. He faces the pitching machine, to see

game-speed velocity and breaking balls. He said he also watches film regularly so he’s ready for whatever

pitcher he might face.

“You just make sure you keep your rhythm,” Revere said. “That’s the main thing.”

Revere said he got his rhythm this season when injuries to Mike Trout and Cameron Maybin allowed him

to get regular playing time during the middle of the season.

He also said he rediscovered the swing that he lost when he tore his oblique last year.

September 21, 2017 Page 7 of 18

After hitting .217 in 2016, Revere was hitting .203 with a .213 on-base percentage on June 18 this season.

Since then, he’s hit .327 with a .379 on-base percentage over a span of 161 plate appearances. He hasn’t

started a single game in September, but he still had five hits in 12 at-bats.

“Now I’m going the other way and up the middle on a consistent basis,” Revere said. “Breaking balls and

changeups, I have enough juice to hit a line drive the other way. Last year I couldn’t do that. I’d pop

everything up to left field. …

“I have the confidence back. I feel like I have my swing back.”

ALSO

Yunel Escobar repeated Tuesday’s workout, doing defensive work on the field and taking batting practice

in the cage. Manager Mike Scioscia said Escobar is closer to being ready to play in the field than hit. “Once

he starts to take BP on the field, we’ll definitely try to get him to see some live pitching somewhere and

see if he can be ready at some point to come in the lineup and help us,” Scioscia said. …

Andrew Heaney played catch and reported that he “felt very good,” Scioscia said. The Angels still aren’t

sure when he will be able to move to a mound, which he’ll have to do before they can know if he can pitch

again. …

Martin Maldonado wore Puerto Rico’s World Baseball Classic cap during batting practice as a show of

support for his native island, which has been devastated by Hurricane Maria. Maldonado said before the

hurricane struck that he believed his family members would be safe, but he had been having trouble

getting through to get information on Wednesday.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Wild Card-seeking Angels look to solve Indians

Tribe on 26-1 run, with 10 straight victories against Halos

By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com

The Angels are knocking on the door of the American League playoffs. With the regular season winding

to a close, the AL's second Wild Card spot is within reach, but the team with the league's best record

continues to stand in the Halos' path to October.

The Indians have a 1 1/2-game lead on the Astros for the AL's top seed and are within one game of the

Dodgers for the best ledger in the Major Leagues -- a gap they'll try to close on Thursday at Angel

Stadium, with Halos righty Parker Bridwell (8-2, 3.71 ERA) taking on Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.52 ERA). The

Angels remain 1 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot, despite falling to the

Tribe for the 10th straight time on Wednesday.

September 21, 2017 Page 8 of 18

"We haven't played well in Cleveland. They played us well everywhere," Angels manager Mike Scioscia

said. "They're a good club. I thought right now we match up with them better than we did maybe at

points last year, or the first series we went to Cleveland."

It does not help the Angels' cause that they have caught Cleveland in the midst of a historic hot streak.

The Indians, who recently pieced together an AL-record 22-game winning streak, are the first AL team

with 26 wins in a 27-game stretch. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 1916 New York Giants --

owners of MLB's longest winning streak (26 games) -- are the last National League club with such a span.

The MLB record for the longest run with only one loss belongs to the 1884 Providence Grays (28 wins in

29 games).

"The streak is in the past," Indians outfielder Jay Bruce said. "When we did lose, we didn't think of it as a

letdown, per se. Just keep on going, keep on playing. There are still a lot of games to play. We're [right

behind] the Dodgers. They're still within striking distance."

Things to know about this game

• Salazar has not thrown more than 28 pitches in any of his last three outings (two relief appearances),

so the right-hander will be working on a limited count. He averaged 96-plus mph with his fastball in

those outings, giving the pitcher some peace of mind that his arm troubles are in the past. Cleveland is

evaluating whether Salazar will pitch in the rotation or out of the bullpen when it comes time for the AL

Division Series.

• Tribe relief ace Andrew Miller remains on throwing schedule, as the lefty continues to regain his form

following a recent stint on the disabled list due to a right knee issue. Indians manager Terry Francona

noted that Miller, who pitched one inning on Tuesday and rested on Wednesday, will be eligible to log a

multi-inning appearance in Thursday's game.

• According to Statcast, Bridwell posted his second-best swinging-strike rate of the season (16.7

percent) in his last start, with 13 of his 15 whiffs coming on his curveball or changeup. Over his past two

starts, Bridwell has allowed two runs with nine strikeouts against three walks over 12 innings.

Halos keep pace despite dropping nail-biter

By Jordan Bastian and Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Francisco Lindor crushed a two-run, tiebreaking home run off Yusmeiro Petit to help lift the

Indians to a slim 6-5 win over the Angels on Wednesday night, putting the Tribe within one game of the

Dodgers for the best record in the Major Leagues.

By winning 26 of their past 27 games, the Indians have all but erased the 20-game gap that was between

them and the Dodgers as recently as Aug. 25. Cleveland's lead for the American League's best

record remains 1 1/2 games, as Houston kept pace with a 4-3 win over the White Sox.

September 21, 2017 Page 9 of 18

"We did a lot of good things tonight," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "And I thought they did a lot

of good things. That was a fun game to be a part of. That looked like two teams that really wanted to

win."

The Angels, who have now lost 10 consecutive games to the Indians and eight of their last 12 overall,

missed another chance to gain ground in the race for the second AL Wild Card spot, staying 1 1/2 games

behind the Twins, who took an 11-3 loss to the Yankees.

With this one tied, 2-2, in the seventh, Lindor hammered a first-pitch fastball from Petit to right-center

field to put Cleveland ahead, 4-2. Lindor's 31 home runs this season are the most in MLB history by a

switch-hitting shortstop, passing Jimmy Rollins (2007) and Jose Valentin (2003).

"It's an honor, a blessing," Lindor said. "I'm blessed to play this game day in and day out, and to be

named along with all those great shortstops that have played the game. That's something special. That's

something that'll be there for, probably, one more year. Somebody will come in and do it."

Albert Pujols launched a solo home run off former Halos reliever Joe Smith to cut the Indians' lead to 6-5

in the eighth, but Bryan Shaw pitched two scoreless innings to shut the door for Cleveland.

"I thought we hit the ball well tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "They did a good job. They

mixed and matched and held the lead. It's one of those nights where our bullpen, which has been there

the whole season, just stubbed its toe a little bit. But outside of that, on the offensive side, I thought we

pressured them and did some good things. Just fell a run short of tying it."

Josh Tomlin gave up two runs on seven hits over 5 1/3 innings for the Indians. C.J. Cron inflicted all the

damage against the right-hander, with an RBI single in the second and a home run that tied the game, 2-

2, in the fifth.

Angels right-hander Ricky Nolasco needed 92 pitches to get through five innings, allowing two runs on

five hits while walking three (one intentional) and striking out four. Nolasco escaped a first-inning jam

with some help from shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who bobbled a popup into shallow left-center off

the bat of Jay Bruce but then snatched the ball out of the air barehanded as he fell to his back, ending

the inning.

"I'm glad he [recovered], because it was a long first," Nolasco said. "That lineup is really good, so you

kind of give those guys opportunities like that, it just seems like it haunts you a little bit. I'm just glad he

held on."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Indians bat around: The Indians broke the 2-2 deadlock by scoring three runs in the seventh off the

Angels' bullpen. Giovanny Urshela led off the inning with a single to left, and Lindor followed by

launching his tiebreaking homer off Petit. Austin Jackson kept the rally going with a single and later

scored on Edwin Encarnacion's base hit to make it 5-2. The Indians loaded the bases after Carlos

Santana and Jason Kipnis delivered back-to-back singles with two outs, but Los Angeles righty Keynan

Middleton induced a groundout from Roberto Perez to prevent Cleveland from extending its lead.

September 21, 2017 Page 10 of 18

"Every run is important, especially against the Angels," Lindor said. "They've got a great-hitting team and

they can come back at any time. Every run is important. That's why we try not to take the game for

granted. At the end of the day, anything can happen."

Shaw's save: One day after logging 24 pitches in a rocky appearance against the Angels, Shaw

volunteered to tackle two innings to give closer Cody Allen and relief ace Andrew Miller some rest. Shaw

set down all six hitters he faced, including a strikeout of Trout to end the game. It marked the first two-

inning save of Shaw's career.

"Everybody saw what we did in the postseason last year with our bullpen and how it was run," Shaw

said. "So, any time we can get guys rest, it's a positive for later on."

Angels trim the deficit: The Angels responded by scoring twice in the bottom half of the seventh to

tighten the game, 5-4. After pinch-hitter Ben Revere singled off Smith with two outs, Brandon

Phillips sliced a double to right field that Bruce bobbled, allowing Revere to score from first. That

brought up Mike Trout, who blooped a double to right to plate Phillips and bring the Angels within one.

Still, Smith stranded Trout at second by coaxing an inning-ending groundout from Justin Upton.

"We're trying to go out there and get as many wins as possible so we can make it to the playoffs, but we

have to do the key things in key situations to make that possible," Phillips said.

QUOTABLE

"So often, he does a lot of the heavy lifting. When you don't finish the game, maybe people overlook it --

not us. But, man, he came in and did a great job tonight. That was not easy. We gave him the option

after the eighth. I said, 'If you want [the ninth], it's yours.' And he did. He did a really good job." --

Francona, on Shaw

"When you start off the West Coast stretch with two wins, that's good. That's a good team over there,

so you want to come over here and play your best baseball and try to beat them. We understand they're

in the Wild Card hunt, so they're going to be bringing it, just like us."-- Tomlin

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

This was the Indians' 13th straight road victory, breaking the previous franchise record of 12, set in

1922.

WHAT'S NEXT

Indians: Right-hander Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.52 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Tribe in Thursday's 4:07

p.m. ET tilt at Angel Stadium. Salazar, who has been in the bullpen after returning from arm troubles, is

making a start to help Cleveland gauge whether he might fit into the postseason-roster plans in the

rotation or as a reliever.

Angels: Rookie right-hander Parker Bridwell (8-2, 3.71 ERA) will start Thursday afternoon's series finale

against the Indians, set for 1:05 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium. Bridwell, who will make his first career

appearance against Cleveland, worked six scoreless innings against the Rangers on Saturday.

September 21, 2017 Page 11 of 18

Scioscia isn't worried about Petit's rare hiccup

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Yusmeiro Petit has been arguably the Angels' most reliable reliever all season, but the

veteran right-hander suffered a rare misstep on Wednesday night, surrendering a tiebreaking home run

to Francisco Lindor that helped propel the Indians to a 6-5 win at Angel Stadium.

The defeat prevented the Angels from gaining on the Twins for a second straight night, as they remain 1

1/2 games out of the second American League Wild Cardspot with 11 games left to play.

"It's one of those nights where our bullpen, which has been there the whole season, just stubbed its toe

a little bit," manager Mike Scioscia said.

Petit was summoned to replace starter Ricky Nolasco to start the sixth with the game tied, 2-2, a sign

that Scioscia has begun to manage with more urgency as the regular season continues to wind down.

Petit, who entered Wednesday with a 2.09 ERA over 86 innings, worked a clean inning, but he fell into

trouble in the seventh.

After yielding a leadoff single to Giovanny Urshela, Petit threw a fastball down to the middle to Lindor,

who crushed it to right-center field for a two-run homer that put Cleveland ahead, 4-2. Petit gave up

another single to Austin Jackson before exiting, and he was ultimately charged with three runs

after Keynan Middletonallowed an inherited runner to score on Edwin Encarnacion's RBI single.

"One bad night," Petit said. "I'll take it. I made mistakes today and I had to pay."

The Angels responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 5-4, but the bullpen

couldn't prevent Cleveland's potent lineup from adding on in the eighth. After Jackson doubled with two

outs, Scioscia brought in Blake Parker to try to keep the deficit at one, but he gave up an RBI single

to Jose Ramirez.

It proved to be a crucial insurance run for the Indians, as Albert Pujols homered to lead off the eighth,

trimming Cleveland's lead to 6-5. Still, Bryan Shaw recorded the final six outs to seal the Angels' eighth

loss in their last 12 games.

Despite the bullpen's tough night, Scioscia said he has plenty of faith that his relievers will have no

trouble bouncing back, especially Petit.

"He's been automatic for us this year," Scioscia said. "At times, you're going to miss your spots, and guys

are going to hit it. Yusmeiro's been there time in and time out. He'll get the ball again tomorrow if his

role comes up, and he'll go and do a good job. He'll be fine."

September 21, 2017 Page 12 of 18

Halos, Tribe thinking of families in Puerto Rico

By Maria Guardado / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Martin Maldonado sat in front of his locker in the Angels' clubhouse on Wednesday

afternoon and scrolled through his social-media feeds, his attention fixated on videos and photos of the

destruction wrought by Hurricane Maria in his native Puerto Rico.

He had been unable to contact his family in Naguabo, a town located on the east coast of the island, as

the storm had caused widespread power outages and severed lines of communication. Before taking the

field for batting practice prior to the Angles' matchup with the Indians, Maldonado retrieved the blue

and red cap Team Puerto Rico wore during the World Baseball Classic in March and wrote "Pray 4" next

to the PR logo on the front.

After receiving special permission from Major League Baseball, he donned the hat on the field as a sign

of support for Puerto Rico.

Maldonado's anxiety was mirrored in the Indians' clubhouse, where countrymen Francisco

Lindor and Roberto Perez were enduring similar concerns. Lindor, who stayed up late Tuesday trying to

maintain contact with his family in Puerto Rico, said he had managed to speak with his cousins, but not

his brother.

"They told me that the surroundings look bad, but the houses are OK," Lindor said. "Everything around

them is very bad. It's sad, but hopefully they can get back on their feet soon."

Perez said he had also been unable to communicate with his family, including his mom, brother, aunt

and cousins.

"I asked my mom to come here before it happened, but she didn't want to come," Perez said. "But, I'm

sure they're safe. They were going to be safe. They were staying with my aunt, and it's a concrete house,

so they should be good. I'm just worried about our house. I think where I live it's a lot of flooding and a

lot of rain. Even if it's not a hurricane, if it rains, there can be flooding."

While their hearts were in Puerto Rico, Lindor and Perez understood that they couldn't afford to let the

storm distract them from the task at hand, namely Wednesday's game against the Angels. Both said

they are looking forward to the offseason, when they will be able to return to their homeland and assist

with rebuilding efforts.

"I can't wait," Lindor said. "I've got to help. I've got to find a way to help people. There's no way I can sit

here and just not do anything.

Added Perez: "This is the hardest hurricane we've ever had hit. Everybody was prepared for it. I know

we had time to prepare for this hurricane, but it sucks, man. I want to be there with them and

supporting them. But, I will be there after the season, after the playoffs, after we hopefully win the

World Series. I've just got to keep my focus on the baseball field."

September 21, 2017 Page 13 of 18

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Lindor, Indians hold off Angels 6-5 for 26th win in 27 games

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- This has been one amazing run for Francisco Lindor and the Cleveland Indians.

Lindor snapped a seventh-inning tie with a two-run homer and the remarkable Indians held off the Los

Angeles Angels 6-5 on Wednesday night for their 26th victory in 27 games.

It was Lindor's 31st home run of the season, most by a switch-hitting shortstop in major league history.

"When you have talent, the moment's not too big for you," Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. "I

know we feel good when he comes up."

Albert Pujols hit his 614th home run for Los Angeles, which remained 1 1/2 games behind Minnesota for

the second AL wild card. The loss by the Angels clinched a playoff spot for AL East-leading Boston.

The Indians have beaten the Angels 10 consecutive times.

"Our goal hasn't changed, our focus hasn't changed, our mission hasn't changed," Los Angeles manager

Mike Scioscia said. "We need to come out here first pitch tomorrow and get the game on our terms."

The score was 2-all in the seventh when Lindor connected off reliever Yusmeiro Petit (5-1). Edwin

Encarnacion had an RBI single later in the inning and Jose Ramirez added one of his own in the eighth.

The Indians are 95-57, only one game back of the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in

baseball and home-field advantage throughout the postseason. Cleveland trailed the Dodgers by 20

games on Aug. 25.

"It shows baseball is a long season and anything can happen," Lindor said.

Tyler Olson (1-0) won in relief of Josh Tomlin, who allowed two runs and seven hits in 5 1/3

innings. Bryan Shaw worked two hitless innings for his third save, striking out three for the AL Central

champions.

"Maybe people overlook him, but not us," Francona said. "He came in and did a great job tonight. That

was not easy.

"That was a fun game to be a part of. That looked like two teams that really wanted to win."

C.J. Cron's solo homer and RBI single accounted for the first two Los Angeles runs. Brandon

Phillips and Mike Trout each had a two-out RBI double in the seventh. Pujols, mired in a 3-for-31 slump,

hit a solo homer in the eighth.

LINDOR'S RECORD

September 21, 2017 Page 14 of 18

The Cleveland shortstop broke the home run record for a switch-hitting shortstop that he previously

shared with Jimmy Rollins (2007) and Jose Valentin (2004).

"It's an honor, a blessing, a privilege," Lindor said. "I'm blessed to play this game. To be named along all

those great shortstops that played the game as switch-hitters, it's something special."

PETIT FALTERS

The right-handed reliever has been a great find for the Angels this season and his struggles in the

seventh were one of the few times this season he has flopped.

"He's been automatic for us this year," Scioscia said. "At times you're going to miss your spots and

they're going to hit it. But he'll be back out there tomorrow."

BRANTLEY DOWN

After getting a second opinion on OF Michael Brantley's sprained right ankle, the Indians are shutting

him down for another seven to 10 days. He has not played since Aug. 8.

Being out another 10 days would make it difficult for Brantley to play in the postseason, particularly the

first round.

"I don't even feel it's appropriate to say that right now," Francona said. "This guy's trying his best to do

whatever he can. It's best to do whatever we can and see how he does."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Indians: Francona said OF Lonnie Chisenhall would have taken time off with his calf injury even if

Cleveland had not already clinched its division. Chisenhall remained home when the team came to

Anaheim. "He needed to have some time down. He needed to have three to five without doing stuff,"

Francona said.

Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney(shoulder) played catch Tuesday and came out of it well, Scioscia said, but

Heaney's next rehab effort has not been determined. ... 3B Yunel Escobar again took fielding practice

and hit in the indoor cage, but did not take batting practice on the field.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Danny Salazar (5-6, 4.52 ERA) gets a start after making two scoreless relief appearances.

His last start was Sept. 5. It will be his sixth start against the Angels (1-1, 3.74) but first this season.

Angels: RHP Parker Bridwell (8-2, 3.71), coming off the best start of his career, will face the Indians for

the first time. He threw six scoreless innings against the Rangers last time out. The Angels are 16-2 in

games in which he has appeared.

September 21, 2017 Page 15 of 18

FROM NBC SPORTS

Sherwin Williams is trying to back out of a charitable contribution at Angel Stadium

By Bill Baer

The paint company Sherwin Williams created a neat promotion at Angel Stadium. There’s a giant paint

can with the brand name in left-center field. If a player hits a ball into the can, Sherwin Williams will

donate $1 million to the Angels Baseball Foundation, the Angels’ charity for kids.

Angels outfielder Justin Upton appeared to trigger that charitable contribution when he hit a solo home

run to left-center field against Indians closer Cody Allen on Tuesday night. The ball bounced in front of

the can and then went in on a hop.

ESPN reports that Sherwin Williams is using a technicality to try and get out of the obligation. Because

Upton’s home run didn’t land in the can on the fly, Sherwin Williams is saying they’re not obliged to

make the $1 million donation. In 2014, Frazee Paint and the Angels agreed to the paint can promotion

and indeed the press release says, “…if an Angels player hits a home run that lands in the can on the fly,

the company will make a $1 million donation to benefit the Foundation’s efforts to improve the lives of

children in the community.” Frazee Paint is now owned by Sherwin Williams.

According to Forbes, Sherwin Williams is worth $29.2 billion, ranking at 724 on the Global 2000. One

would imagine ponying up the relatively minuscule sum of $1 million would be worth it rather than

taking the P.R. hit from the dozens of articles that have been and will continue to be written about the

company’s pedantry over a charitable donation to needy children.

FROM SB NATION

Albert Pujols is having the worst season for a 37-year-old in MLB history

And history says things probably aren’t going to get any better for Pujols or the Angels.

By Marc Normandin

Albert Pujols has hit 23 homers, but that doesn’t mean he’s had a good season. Hell, Rougned Odorhas

29 homers, and Sam Miller just wrote a whole column at ESPN about how Odor sucks out loud this

season in spite of the dingers. Everyone is hitting homers, and 23 of them doesn’t make Pujols special,

especially not when he’s slugging under .400 with a sub-.300 on-base percentage in spite of the long

balls he has managed.

Really, saying Pujols hasn’t had a good season is understating the issue: Pujols is having the worst-ever

season by a qualifying 37-year-old, because usually, when you’re that age and playing that poorly, MLB

teams don’t let you keep piling up plate appearances. As Pujols has another four years and $114 million

of contract left to him, though, well, the Angels are playing him. A lot.

September 21, 2017 Page 16 of 18

Here, thanks to Baseball Reference’s Play Index tool, are the worst-ever age-37 seasons since 1901 for

qualifying players:

Worst age-37 seasons since 1901, ranked by WAR

Rank Player WAR/pos Year Age Tm G PA BA OBP SLG

1 Albert Pujols -1.6 2017 37 LAA 138 593 .242 .287 .392

2 Paul Konerko -1.4 2013 37 CHW 126 520 .244 .313 .355

3 Garret Anderson -1.4 2009 37 ATL 135 534 .268 .303 .401

4 Steve Garvey -1.3 1986 37 SDP 155 584 .255 .284 .408

5 Charley O'Leary -1.1 1913 37 STL 121 444 .217 .260 .278

6 Dave Kingman -1.0 1986 37 OAK 144 604 .210 .255 .431

7 Dode Paskert -1.0 1919 37 CHC 88 309 .196 .274 .281

8 George Stovall -0.9 1915 37 KCP 130 531 .231 .286 .288

9 Joe Carter -0.8 1997 37 TOR 157 668 .234 .284 .399

10 Tommy Corcoran -0.8 1906 37 CIN 117 460 .207 .242 .249

We’ll get back to the contents of the table in a moment, but for now, let’s not make too much of Pujols

being worth -1.6 wins above replacement in a season in which the Angels sit 1.5 games behind

the Twins for the second wild card. It’s pretty convenient that those two numbers line up the way they

do, but between WAR being an approximation and it not 100 percent directly tying to record and all

that, you can’t declare with absolutely certainty that Los Angeles would have a postseason spot if they

weren’t playing Pujols.

However, you can definitely imply it, and imply it strongly, because the spirit of what those two numbers

represent carries real weight: if the Angels were using a replacement level player at DH, just some rando

from the minors who barely held his own (but held it!) instead of Pujols, the Twins very well might be

the ones chasing the Halos right now. If the Angels had someone better than replacement, well, wow,

the sky is the limit you dreamer you.

September 21, 2017 Page 17 of 18

And since Pujols is being paid $26 million this year, if you want to get into the “what if the Angels hadn’t

signed Pujols?” game, well, it’s not too difficult to envision Los Angeles picking up someone who could

outhit both Pujols and a hypothetical replacement level player.

Enough about all of that, though: Pujols is playing, the Angels don’t seem to think they have much of a

choice in the matter given what they’re paying him, so let’s move on to the rest of that table and what it

might mean for Pujols.

Here is what the rest of that table did the season following their historically poor age-37 season:

Paul Konerko played one more season, and was even worse, amassing -1.1 WAR in just 81

games with an OPS+ of 64. This was his final season.

Garret Anderson dropped to 80 games and also put up -1.1 WAR, except he one-upped Konerko

by only managing an OPS+ of 29. It, uh, was also his final season.

Steve Garvey appeared in just 27 games in 1987, and hit .211/.231/.276. You guessed it: this was

Garvey’s final season.

Charles O’Leary played 114 games in 1914 and amassed -1.1 WAR in the process, but it wasn’t

his last season because he reappeared in 1934 — yes, 1934 — for one at-bat. And he got a hit!

It’s actually a noteworthy hit, too, as it made O’Leary the last 19th century player to play in an

MLB game, as well as the oldest player to get a hit and score a run: O’Leary was a few weeks shy

of 59. Thanks, Wikipedia!

Dave Kingman’s age-37 season was his last season, so Dave Kingman is officially the least

prideful player on the list so far.

Dode Paskert managed to rebound at 38 in 1920, putting up a 118 OPS+ and jumping up about

3.5 WAR in the process. Then 1921 came and his OPS+ dropped to 12, so, his sense of timing

isn’t great, either.

George Stovall called it a career after his age-37 disaster.

Joe Carter was just as awful for the Orioles at 38 as he was at 37, but then he was traded to

the Giants, and for 41 glorious, career-wrapping-up games, Carter was good at baseball once

more. He then wisely rode off into the sunset after his best lengthy stretch since his early 30s.

Finally, there’s Tommy Corcoran, who rebounded in 1907 at 38, but was still no good, and also

limited to 62 games — the last 62 he’d play.

It’s not a promising list. The most significant rebound came from someone playing nearly 100 years ago,

and then there was Carter, who inexplicably became the hitter people always talked him up as being for

about 40 games before calling it a career. Also, not to hammer on this point too much, but Pujols is still

owed $114 million after 2017, so the Angels really need to hope he’s going to be some kind of new

model for old dude rebounds.

September 21, 2017 Page 18 of 18

Speaking of models, maybe the Angels will pull a Yankees and try to talk Pujols into early retirement like

New York did Alex Rodriguez. Chances are good it won’t work after one awful season given Pujols is

younger with more years and money to go on his deal, but it’s maybe something to think about. The

money is spent: there is no stopping that, and any negotiations about calling it quits are going to involve

a payout for Pujols. The Angels sure could use a designated hitter capable of fulfilling the implied role

contained within that position’s name, though, and if history is any indication, Pujols doesn’t seem like

he has much of a chance of being that guy anymore.