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Clips

(July 26, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Angels pile on runs early in 6-2 win over Royals

Mike Scioscia: Minor modifications will make Los Angeles Angels contenders in 2017

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)

Hector Santiago shuts out distractions, pitches Angels past Royals as trade deadline nears

Angels’ Tyler Skaggs ‘excited, nervous’ on eve of his return to a major-league mound

Whicker: Trading Mike Trout makes no sense for Angels right now

Angels Notes: Nick Tropeano a step closer to Tommy John surgery

On deck: Angels at Royals, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 11)

Angels roll by Royals behind Santiago, Pujols

Pujols reaps RBI rewards in RISP situations

Halos’ expectation to contend cloud Deadline

Bedrosian getting grip on breaking-ball success

Skaggs’ long road back leads him to start in KC

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 18)

Pujols drives in 4, Angels beat Royals 6-2

FROM ESPN (Page 20)

Trade Deadline Daily: Angels make Hector Santiago available

FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 20)

Angels-Royals Preview

July 26, 2016 Page 3 of 21

FROM THE LA TIMES

Angels pile on runs early in 6-2 win over Royals

Pedro Moura

Most major league starting pitchers speak sparingly to their teammates and not at all to reporters in the hours before games they are scheduled to start. To ask that night’s starter a question is to commit an infraction akin to gross misdemeanor.

Hector Santiago is different. Not three hours before what might have been his last start as an Angel on Monday at Kauffman Stadium, the 28-year-old left-hander was recalling to reporters his success against selected major league hitters and his failures against others.

Who had he struck out the most? He wanted to know. Who had launched the most homers against him? He had an idea. Santiago has retained a curiosity and friendliness foreign to the majority of his counterparts. In the imperfect but effective effort that followed, the eccentric pitched the Angels to a 6-2 victory over Kansas City.

“I just try to come in, have fun, and be happy every day,” he said afterward. “If this is gonna be my last game here, I’ll just enjoy it and have fun with the guys I’ve bonded all year with. I can’t tell them to trade me or not trade me. We’ll see what happens from there.”

Smarting from a weekend sweep in Houston, the Angels piled on early runs against Royals starter Ian Kennedy. Third baseman Yunel Escobar slapped his 25th leadoff single of the season, and moved to third when Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout worked consecutive walks. The bases full, outs non-existent, Albert Pujols delivered a two-run single to center field. Daniel Nava followed with a deep fly that served as a sacrifice, and Carlos Perez singled in Pujols.

The Angels scored again in the seventh and ninth, both times via run-scoring singles from Pujols, the 36-year-old designated hitter who attended high school and junior college in the Kansas City area.

The lone hit Santiago yielded the first time through the Royals’ order was Paulo Orlando’s second-inning blooper. It fell a a foot from Calhoun and four feet from second baseman Johnny Giavotella. Then, in the fourth, Eric Hosmer bunted for a hit to beat the shift, and Santiago threw errantly to first. Hosmer took second and then third on a flyout. He jogged home when Salvador Perez slammed Santiago’s next pitch, a changeup, for a two-run home run.

“He got me,” Santiago said. “I didn’t think he’d be that aggressive.”

In the fifth, Andrelton Simmons turned in two of his best defensive plays of the season on consecutive grounders. He ranged deep into the hole and made accurate in-air throws each time, but did not record outs on either play. With the bases full, pitching coach Charles Nagy

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visited the mound, and he and Santiago decided to throw Kendrys Morales only fastballs. He had hammered a changeup earlier.

Santiago struck him out on three pitches. He made it two batters into the sixth before Manager Mike Scioscia pulled him.

Over his last eight starts, Santiago has authored a 2.40 earned-run average. He owns a 4.28 mark on the season, 3.68 for his career. His recent performance could be attractive to a contending team seeking starting pitching ahead of the Aug. 1 nonwaiver trade deadline.

The Angels can keep him through next season, and pay him a salary of around $8 million. Or they can trade him now and try to push some present value toward the future. There is one week left to decide before the 1 p.m. PT deadline on Aug. 1.

Four relievers followed Santiago to the mound. Joe Smith did not, because his back tightened during his pregame catch session. He described himself as fit to pitch, but Scioscia said he desired to avoid him. Santiago and Smith are two of the Angels’ four primary trade candidates, in addition to Escobar and closer Huston Street.

Street, struggling this season, handled Monday’s ninth. His first pitch was whacked down the right-field line, just foul, by Alex Gordon, but he settled to secure three rapid outs.

Mike Scioscia: Minor modifications will make Los Angeles Angels contenders in 2017

Pedro Moura

Long out of the playoff race, the Angels won’t need to rebuild to contend next season, according to ManagerMike Scioscia, who said Monday that minor modifications would be enough to improve the team.

“Rebuild is not the right word,” Scioscia said. “If you want to call it retooling or getting tooled up, there’s no doubt. I think rebuilding and retooling are different. We’re absolutely going to have to retool to get to a higher level, and not necessarily taking a step backwards. As far as a rebuild, absolutely not.”

He acknowledged that the Angels must improve their starting rotation in order to contend. Three pitchers who were expected to be part of the rotation in 2017 — Andrew Heaney, Garrett Richards and Nick Tropeano — are expected to sit out the season because of elbow injuries. Two others, Hector Santiagoand Matt Shoemaker, are candidates to be dealt before the trade deadline next Monday.

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The market for free agent starters will not be robust, and the Angels do not have a pool of prospects necessary to acquire additional help. Still, Scioscia said he believes.

“We all expect to contend through this year,” he said, “and definitely contend next year.”

Skaggs eager for his return

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs arrived in Kansas City on Sunday night, ahead of his first major league start in two years Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. His return from Tommy John surgery took far longer than he had planned for or hoped, but he said he found fruit from his labor.

“I’ve had a lot of time to refine my mechanics and learn more about myself,” he said. “I feel like I’m a lot more athletic on the mound than I used to be.”

Skaggs’ return was slowed by a May diagnosis of biceps tendonitis, which he said started to bother him after he awoke 40 minutes before a 9 a.m. start in extended spring training.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” Skaggs said. “I’m back now, and everything happens for a reason.”

He also scrapped a spring adjustment to his delivery. He has resumed lifting both hands above his head during his windup.

“I went back to some old-school actions,” he said. “I’ve thrown like that since I was 12.”

Short hop

Tropeano’s visit with Dr. David Altchek on Monday in New York gave the pitcher a second opinion confirming the initial diagnosis of a high-grade tear in Tropeano’s right elbow. The 25-year-old probably will undergo Tommy John surgery and be sidelined through next season.

FROM OC REGISTER

Hector Santiago shuts out distractions, pitches Angels past Royals as trade deadline nears

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hector Santiago has been through this whole trade deadline thing enough times to know how to deal with it.

More accurately, how not to deal with it.

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With the deadline a week away, there was a chance – although not an overwhelming one – that the Angels’ 6-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Monday was Santiago’s last start in this uniform.

Asked after the game when that thought crossed his mind, he told a reporter: “Never, till you just said that.”

Santiago, in his fifth season in the majors, was traded once in the winter and in rumors many other times, so he knows how to shut out that distraction.

“Honestly, I have no control over that,” he said. “I can’t come in and tell them to trade me or not trade me. I just try to come in and have fun and be happy every day. If this is my last game here I just enjoy it and have fun with the guys and see what happens from there.”

Santiago, a former All-Star who is 9-4 with a 4.28 ERA, is one of the few available quality starting pitchers. However, it’s hard to say just how eager the Angels would be to trade him.

Santiago is under control for 2017, and the Angels only have two other healthy major league starters under control for next year, Matt Shoemaker and Tyler Skaggs. And Skaggs is about to make his first appearance in two years, after having Tommy John surgery, so it’s hard to know what he could provide next year.

Given all that, the Angels certainly aren’t going to give away Santiago. Most likely, they would need to get another big league-ready starter back, either for Santiago or in another deal.

In the meantime, the scouts saw a decent performance from Santiago on Monday. He pitched three scoreless innings, gave up a two-run homer to Salvador Perez when he thought he could sneak a first-pitch changeup past him in the fourth. In the fifth, he escaped a bases-loaded jam with a three-pitch strikeout of Kendrys Morales.

After a strikeout and a walk in the sixth, Santiago’s night was done at exactly 100 pitches.

“As the game went on, he just got a little tired and ran out of gas in the sixth, but that’s a tough lineup to get through,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He pitched a great game for us.”

Santiago is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in July.

The bullpen then took over and was even better. J.C. Ramirez retired the final two hitters in the sixth, and then Fernando Salas, Cam Bedrosian (three strikeouts) and Huston Street each pitched perfect innings to close it out.

Notable by his absence was one of the Angels’ other prime trade candidates: Joe Smith.

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Despite some speculation that maybe Smith didn’t pitch because he was or was about to be traded, Smith actually had felt some tightness in his back during pregame warmups. He is expected to be available Tuesday.

Angels pitchers got all the support they needed from Albert Pujols, who drove in four of the six runs. Two were in a four-run first-inning that immediately wiped away the bad taste from the weekend sweep in Houston.

Pujols now has 76 RBI, a pace for 124. He has 16 RBI in his past eight games, and a major league leading 26 in July. He is hitting .319 with runners in scoring position this season.

“Albert makes adjustments as well as any hitter I’ve ever seen,” Scioscia said. “There are little adjustments he makes. He’s got a swing when he’s really just making contact. He knows what he’s doing in the batter’s box with guys in scoring position and tonight he used the middle of the field and right field. He did a great job.”

Angels’ Tyler Skaggs ‘excited, nervous’ on eve of his return to a major-league mound

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas City Royals – perhaps stealing an idea from the Angels – hosted “Christmas in July” on Monday night, it being July 25.

To at least one Angels player, though, it wasn’t such a stretch.

It was more like Christmas Eve, though, to Tyler Skaggs, who is a day away from a day he has anticipated at least as eagerly as any child waiting for Santa Claus.

“I’m excited for tomorrow,” Skaggs said Monday, a day before he was scheduled to pitch in the majors for the first time in nearly two years, after undergoing Tommy John surgery. “Nervous, but I’m going to channel those nerves and use them to pitch well.”

In an Angels season that has been mostly a mess of players lost to injury, the return of Skaggs – although later than expected – could be one of the positives.

Skaggs’ final two outings at Triple-A – 122/3 scoreless innings, 26 strikeouts – certainly gave him and the Angels reason to be excited.

Skaggs said parts of his game have changed since he’s been out. The most noticeable might be that he is lifting his hands back over his head during his windup, which he said is just more comfortable for him.

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Also, he said in the time off he has gotten stronger and learned more about his mechanics, which should help him maintain his delivery better. He also has a much more in-depth pregame routine.

As for the shoulder issue that interrupted this season for about two months, Skaggs says now it was probably just fatigue.

“I think I took so long off of not throwing that my shoulder wasn’t used to throwing 100 pitches at a time,” he said. “There was some tendinitis in there. I took a few weeks off and then felt pretty good after.”

The results obviously showed, good enough to punch his ticket back to the big leagues. He said it’s a big enough event for him that his parents and girlfriend are flying in for the game, but he’s going to try to keep the emotion under control.

“I’m going to take it like a normal game,” Skaggs said. “It’s not my debut. I’ve been here before. I know I’m going to be nervous, very nervous, but at the same time, I’ll tell myself I’ve been here before. ... It’s a big game for me. I put a lot of work into getting here. The work isn’t done. I don’t want to just get here. I want to stay here.”

Whicker: Trading Mike Trout makes no sense for Angels right now

By MARK WHICKER / STAFF COLUMNIST

The first time someone asked Billy Eppler if he’d consider trading Mike Trout, he laughed.

It wasn’t the table-pounding laugh of Shaquille O’Neal, the last time Charles Barkley observed that plus-sized women are abundant in San Antonio. But it was closer to a guffaw than a giggle.

That was a couple of months ago. Since then, the Angels continue to trudge toward Mike Scioscia’s worst season, and Eppler, the general manager, keeps hearing the same question. Some otherwise well-grounded baseball people think the Angels should indeed deal Trout, who turns 25 Aug. 7 and has been the best player in baseball over the past 41/2 years.

Maybe this is a weird CHP experiment. In order to save money and eliminate breathalyzers, the patrolmen can ask the suspect, “Do you think the Angels should trade Mike Trout?” and, if they hear yes, use that as evidence. “The driver blew an .09 on the Mike Trout scale,” the officer might say.

It would be a sign of sobriety if Trout were (A) coming to the end of his contract or (B) eager to leave Anaheim. The first is not true and the second does not appear to be. Trout belongs to the Angels through 2020. From 2018-20, he gets paid $33.25 million per season.

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He also has full no-trade protection throughout.

Trout obviously is relishing a shot at free agency when he is 29, as would we all. And he obviously is a native of Millville, N.J. Just as every NBA free agent was of course going to sign with the Lakers, Trout has been targeted as a future Yankee for several years now. Meanwhile, he seems to be as tense and nervous as a cat with a ball of string.

But what if the Angels aren’t contenders by 2020? Trout has played three postseason games. When he plays his fourth one is anyone’s guess. The Angels have no imminent star in their system, and owner Arte Moreno has sheathed his credit card. You also hear very little about a new, revenue-belching Angels stadium.

The trade-Trout lottery needs to come up with real names in return before anyone can make a judgment. But players like Trout don’t get traded, in any sport, without footnotes.

In 1975 the Milwaukee Bucks dealt Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers and actually did well, with Elmore Smith and Brian Winters, and draft picks that became David Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. But you can’t trade draft picks in baseball. And Kareem triggered the trade by threatening to sign with the ABA.

Wayne Gretzky came from Edmonton to the Kings in 1988. He was accompanied by Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley. The Oilers got Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas. That wasn’t nearly enough but, ironically, they won the Stanley Cup two years later and the Kings never did with Gretzky. Again, the trade was driven by Edmonton’s financial headaches.

The Fox baseball neophytes who bought the Dodgers traded Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile to Florida for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla and Jim Eisenreich in 1998. Again, a contract argument was at the heart of it. Piazza entered the Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Wilt Chamberlain won championships in Philadelphia and L.A. after two horribly one-sided deals. One was prompted by San Francisco’s insolvency, the other by Chamberlain’s desire to leave Philly for the Lakers.

Trout is different. He is already a Cooperstown-bound player who is probably four years away from his best. He has finished second, second, first and second in MVP voting in his first four seasons. He is so reminiscent of Ken Griffey Jr., the other new Hall of Famer, who was indeed traded to Cincinnati, but not until he was 30. The Mariners still only got Mike Cameron and Brett Tomko.

Griffey also courted injury, whereas Trout’s ligaments, obliques and tendons want to play ball as much as the rest of him does.

Trout is unique in the market. Only a minority can see the Dodgers on TV. The alternative is the Angels, which means you watch Trout, then go cook an omelet or rearrange the

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refrigerator and come back for his next at-bat. The risk, of course, is that you miss an over-the-wall catch in center field.

Somehow the Angels are averaging nearly 38,000 fans at home. There is only one reason for that and it isn’t “Build Me Up Buttercup.”

If the Angels are still lunch meat at the trade deadline in 2019 and if the farm system is still a frozen tundra, then we can have this discussion again. Otherwise, those who yearn to trade Mike Trout should practice touching their noses and walking the line.

Angels Notes: Nick Tropeano a step closer to Tommy John surgery

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Nick Tropeano likely moved a step closer to having Tommy John surgery on Monday.

Tropeano saw Dr. David Altchek, one of the nation’s leading sports orthopedic surgeons, and he “confirmed the initial diagnosis” of a damaged ulnar collateral ligament, the Angels said in a statement.

For now, the Angels and Tropeano are still “discussing all options,” for treatment. Presumably, that includes non-surgical treatments, although the Angels are running out of time.

If Tropeano does end up having Tommy John surgery, the Angels would probably want him to have it by sometime in September to give him the best chance of being 100 percent by 2018.

ALSO

A day after Tim Lincecum suggested that he would be willing to work out of the bullpen to get himself straightened out, Manager Mike Scioscia reiterated that he thinks Lincecum can stay in the rotation. Essentially, Lincecum’s problem – fastball command – would be a problem in any role, and if he can fix it, “his upside as a major league starter is very real,” Scioscia said. ...

Don’t be surprised if right-handed reliever Jose Valdez is up with the Angels soon. Valdez, claimed on waivers from the Tigers last month, has an 0.87 ERA in his first 13 games with Salt Lake City, with 22 strikeouts in 20-2/3 innings. Valdez pitched nine innings in the majors with Detroit last year.

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On deck: Angels at Royals, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

Where: Kauffman Stadium TV: Fox Sports West Did you know? Angels broadcaster Mark Gubicza and Cookie Rojas, the father of broadcaster Victor Rojas, are both in the Royals Hall of Fame. THE PITCHERS ANGELS LHP TYLER SKAGGS (First game of 2016) Vs. Royals: First game At Kauffman Stadium: First game Hates to face: None Loves to face: None ROYALS RHP DILLON GEE (3-3, 4.19) Vs. Angels: First game At Kauffman Stadium: 1-2, 4.54 Hates to face: None Loves to face: None

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels roll by Royals behind Santiago, Pujols

By Jeffrey Flanagan and Alden Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY -- Angels left-hander Hector Santiago loves facing the Royals more than any team in baseball, as evidenced by his 1.70 career ERA against them entering Monday's game.

Facing a Royals teams mired in a dreadful slump would seem almost unfair. Santiago held the Royals to two runs through 5 1/3 innings and Albert Pujols drove in four runs with three hits as the Angels cruised to a 6-2 win.

The Angels' bullpen, taxed after back-to-back brief outings by Jered Weaver andTim Lincecum in Houston, picked up the last 3 2/3 innings and didn't allow a baserunner.

"The bullpen did a great job tonight," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We needed it, too."

The Royals now have lost five of six and 13 of 18, and are fading from playoff contention. The defending-champion Royals have fallen 8 1/2 games behind the American League Central-leading Indians. The Angels snapped a three-game losing streak.

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Royals starter Ian Kennedy gave up four runs in the first inning and left in the sixth, trailing, 4-2.

"I just wasn't throwing quality pitches," Kennedy said of his four-run first inning. "My mechanics were off, I was dragging my arm. It didn't come to me until the second or third inning. By that time it was too late."

Santiago gave up five hits and walked four but struck out five.

"I think he's gotten more confidence in his fastball," Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "He uses both sides with that and then he mixes in his offspeed stuff."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED RBI Machine: Pujols hit a two-run single up the middle to ignite a four-run first inning, then singled to right in the seventh and added another in the ninth. Pujols has 76 RBIs, third-most in the AL and on pace for 124, which would be his highest total in seven years. Pujols is batting .319 with runners in scoring position this season, after hitting just .248 in that situation the last two years.

"It's part of the game," Pujols said when asked if he has changed his approach with runners in scoring position. "If you look at Houston, I went 0-for-6. But you know that your team is going to give you an opportunity every night to do that, and you can't let one series affect you. You have to stay positive all the time, and that's what I do."

Big Sal goes yard: Salvador Perez had been just 3-for-21 on this homestand before he belted a fastball from Santiago into the left-field bullpen with Hosmer aboard in the fourth. Hosmer had reached on a bunt single and advanced to second on Santiago's throwing error. Perez's homer was his 15th, one shy of Kendrys Moralesfor the team lead.

Rally cut short: The Royals nearly jumped Santiago in the fifth inning with a two-out rally. Alcides Escobar got it going with an infield hit to deep short, and Cheslor Cuthbert followed with another infield single. Hosmer walked on a 3-2 pitch, setting the stage for Morales. But Santiago struck out Morales on three pitches. Escobar and Cuthbert each barely reached first despite back-to-back terrific jump throws from Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons.

"We thought we could crawl back in it," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Sal got the big homer and got us within two, but it just didn't happen."

"The two at-bats leading up to that at-bat kind of put me in the situation where I could do that," Santiago said of being able to attack Morales with fastballs in that situation. "A lot of offspeeds, a lot of fastballs away, some curveballs. Fastball in to righties is my strength."

Another '0': Young right-hander Cam Bedrosian, who has basically locked down the job as the Angels' setup man, pitched another scoreless inning, striking out Hosmer, Morales and Perez,

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all of whom went down swinging on breaking balls. Bedrosian has now converted 22 consecutive scoreless outings, tied for the fifth longest in Angels history. His ERA is 0.97.

"So good," Bedrosian said of how it feels to record three strikeouts on breaking balls, a pitch that has given him fits for a long time. "It's been hard work that's paid off; really focusing on throwing it, being able to throw it in whatever count I need to throw it."

SAME AS 2014? The Royals now are at 48-50, the same record they had in 2014 before they made a huge burst to make the postseason and ultimately the World Series. The Royals haven't lost hope on 2016, either.

"We've been down four runs in the eighth inning in the Wild Card Game," Yost said. "We've been down four runs in an elimination game against Houston [in the AL Division Series]. These guys know how to come back. Nobody in there has given up. They still have confidence they can compete for a Wild Card spot or a playoff spot."

Added Hosmer, "It's still doable. If there's any team that can do it, it's us."

MEDICAL REPORT Angels sidearm reliever Joe Smith was unavailable because of a stiff back, which he tweaked while throwing long-toss prior to the game. Smith, who was previously on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, said the back issue isn't serious. He's expected to be available on Tuesday.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW With the Royals down, 4-2, with one on and two out in the bottom of the fifth, Cuthbert hit a soft ground ball and appeared to just miss out on a single, after Simmons made a fantastic throw to get the out at first. The Royals challenged the call and the ruling was overturned.

The Angels challenged a call in the eighth, when their catcher, Carlos Perez, hit a ball down the left-field line that appeared to land fair, which would've given Perez a double. The initial foul call was upheld, however, and Perez ultimately struck out.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Tyler Skaggs, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2014, makes his long-awaited return, starting five days before the two-year anniversary of his last Major League game. Skaggs dominated in his last two Triple-A starts, striking out 26 batters across 12 2/3 innings.

Royals: Right-hander Dillon Gee (3-3, 4.19 ERA) gets another shot at the No. 5 spot in the rotation in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. In his last appearance Gee threw 5 ⅓ innings of relief, matching a career long. He gave up three runs.

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Pujols reaps RBI rewards in RISP situations

By Alden Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY -- Albert Pujols drove in four runs in the Angels' 6-2 victory over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Monday night. He's got 76 RBIs on the year, third-most in the American League. And he's on pace for 124, which would represent his highest total since he recorded 135 in 2009.

"Wow, that would be awesome," Pujols said, smiling. "We'll see. It would be nice, but I can't think about that right now."

With the bases loaded and none out in the first, Pujols snuck a grounder up the middle to score two runs. With a runner on second and one out in the seventh, he smacked a base hit to right. And with runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth, he singled up the middle once more.

Pujols is batting .319 with runners in scoring position this year, after hitting only .248 in that situation the previous two seasons.

Success rates with runners in scoring position tend to fluctuate and are hardly a measure of overall ability. But Pujols' numbers in RBI opportunities are critical to the Angels' offense, because batting behind Mike Trout gifts him plentiful opportunities to drive in runs.

"We're in the middle of the lineup," Pujols said. "That's our job."

Pujols trails only Carlos Santana for the most plate appearances with runners in scoring position since the start of the 2014 season, which is no surprise.

Pujols didn't reach 76 RBIs until Aug. 31 in 2015. His overall batting average (.254) and OPS (.766) remain low by his standards, but he's doing a better job of converting his RBI opportunities, a big reason why his Angels have averaged the fifth-most runs in the game since the start of May.

"It's part of the game," Pujols said when asked if he has changed his approach with runners in scoring position. "If you look at Houston, I went 0-for-6. But you know that your team is going to give you an opportunity every night to do that, and you can't let one series affect you. You have to stay positive all the time, and that's what I do. I'm pretty good at doing that and flipping the page, and not letting one at-bat take control of the whole series, or the whole game."

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Halos’ expectation to contend cloud Deadline

By Alden Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY -- Hector Santiago took the mound at Kauffman Stadium on Monday night in front of a handful of rival scouts who were fixated mostly on him, hoping to decipher whether their contending clubs should take a run at the young left-hander this week.

The Aug. 1 non-waiver Trade Deadline is only seven days away now, and several Angels pitchers are already being discussed.

The Marlins have reached out about Santiago, according to MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi. The Giants have reached out about closer Huston Street, a report in the San Francisco Chronicle stated. And as the days go by, starter Matt Shoemaker, reliever Joe Smith, third baseman Yunel Escobar and several others will be mentioned, as well.

The Angels -- 11 games below .500 and 13 1/2 out of first place after Monday's 6-2 win over the Royals -- are undoubtedly in a position to part with veteran players.

But their path remains hazy because their desire to contend next season remains steadfast.

"Our objectives haven't waned at all based on anything recent," Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. "It's more the model of this organization, and the model of what we want to continue to be as a contending team, and reach towards those championship standards. We're going to always keep our eyes on that, and remain focused on that throughout all the noise and fog."

The Angels can get the biggest return by moving a starting pitcher, whether it's Santiago or Shoemaker. But they may only be willing to do that if their return includes an upper-level starting-pitching prospect, either in that trade or another, because the Angels badly need arms to fill out next year's rotation.

Shoemaker, Santiago and Tyler Skaggs, who debuts on Tuesday, are the only current starters on track to be part of next year's rotation, unless you wish to include the Angels' top pitching prospect, Nate Smith, who's still developing in Triple-A.

The Angels aren't necessarily disinclined to move a starter, but they do need coverage so that they don't have to fill three rotation spots via free agency this winter.

"I wouldn't call it worrying," Eppler said when asked if he's concerned about his ability to fill out next year's staff, "but I would just say we're all mindful of what we have and what we expect to have, and what we perceive we can go out and get, whether it's free agency or trade-wise."

Eppler remained coy about the Angels' plans this week, saying merely that he's "always going to be opportunistic" and that a move is "really hard to forecast."

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The Angels will face challenges to be competitive next season. A big chunk of the money they free up -- mainly with Jered Weaver and C.J. Wilson heading for free agency -- will probably be reallocated for arbitration-eligible players. They'll still be paying the Rangers the majority of Josh Hamilton's 2017 salary, will still have very little depth in their farm system, and could have up to three young pitchers --Andrew Heaney, Garrett Richards and Nick Tropeano -- spend the entire year recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Asked what makes him believe the Angels can be competitive next season, Eppler pointed to the offense, which ranks fifth in the Majors in runs per game since the start of May.

"There's young players here that are controlled moving into next year, and hopefully we can continue to supplement around those guys," Eppler added.

"I think rebuilding and retooling are different," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We're absolutely going to have to retool to get to a higher level. And not necessarily taking a step backwards. But if you look at the way our starting pitchers have been decimated, there's no doubt you're going to have to retool there. But as far as a rebuild? Absolutely not. We all expect to contend through this year, and definitely contend next year."

Bedrosian getting grip on breaking-ball success

By Alden Gonzalez

KANSAS CITY -- Cam Bedrosian didn't just strike out the side in Monday's eighth inning, which gave him 22 consecutive scoreless outings. He struck out the side on breaking balls, a pitch the 24-year-old right-hander has spent the last five years painstakingly striving to command.

"So good," Bedrosian, speaking after the Angels' 6-2 win over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, said of how it felt to finally start having success with his breaking ball. "It's been hard work that's paid off; really focusing on throwing it, being able to throw it in whatever count I need to throw it."

He used it Monday to set down the heart of the Royals' order, fanning Eric Hosmer,Kendrys Morales and Salvador Perez.

Bedrosian always threw hard, always had the makings of a potential closer, but it wasn't until he commanded his breaking ball that he actually tapped into his potential.

He used to throw a good breaking ball, but then he had Tommy John surgery in 2011 and never quite regained a feel for it. He tried upward of five grips thereafter. Some worked momentarily, but all eventually flattened out. Then Bedrosian spent the offseason playing catch with his father, former Cy Young Award-winning closer Steve Bedrosian, and adopted his grip, which is basically a standard four-seam grip.

July 26, 2016 Page 17 of 21

He threw the pitch with the arm action of a slider, so that it has more bite and less loop.

Just as important, though, was Bedrosian's mindset with the pitch.

"Just really focusing my brain -- 100 percent, all in -- on throwing it for a strike," said Bedrosian, his ERA down to 0.97. "Going into Spring Training, just having a clear mindset of, 'I'm going to work all Spring Training on being able to throw it for a strike.'"

Skaggs’ long road back leads him to start in KC

By Scott Chasen

Promising young Angels starter Tyler Skaggs makes his return from Tommy John surgery -- five days before the two-year anniversary of his last Major League game -- on Tuesday, when he will be pitted against Royals right-hander Dillon Gee (3-3, 4.19 ERA) in the second game of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium.

Skaggs, 25, is coming back after undergoing Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss all of 2015 and dealing with shoulder tightness at the start of this season. His last big league start came on July 31, 2014.

"We're all very excited to see him be ready to take the ball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said on Sunday. "He was working on refining some stuff. He hadn't thrown in a long time. It looks like he got the work in that he needed to and he's ready to go after that challenge of pitching in the big leagues."

Skaggs' most recent outings have come at the Minor League level, where he's thrived. This year, he's gone 3-2 in nine Minor League games, posting a combined 1.60 ERA. He dominated in his last two starts at Triple-A Salt Lake, allowing just two hits and striking out 26 over 12 2/3 scoreless innings.

Gee, on the other hand, has made 19 outings with the Royals this year, but has seen his role shift back and forth between the bullpen and the rotation. And as the Royals continue to look for the answer at the fifth spot in the rotation, it'll be Gee's turn once again to try and solidify that spot. He'll be making his first start since July 10, when he gave up five hits and three runs (two earned) in just 3 2/3 innings against the Mariners.

"I've started many games before so it's nothing new," Gee said. "We're about to come up on the dog days, so if we can just pull together as a team and keep fighting and playing hard ... hopefully we can just get on a run and make it really interesting."

Things to know about this game

July 26, 2016 Page 18 of 21

• Skaggs has never faced the Royals in his career, while none of the expected Royals starters have tallied an official at-bat against him. Likewise, Gee did not pitch in the series the Royals played against the Angels earlier this year and has not faced the team since April 11, 2014.

• The Royals had given up a home run in 11 consecutive games before keeping the Angels inside the park on Monday in Kansas City's 6-2 loss.

• The Angels swept their first two home series after the All-Star break, but have won just one of their four road series since the start of July. Meanwhile, the Royals have not won a home series since taking three out of four against the Tigers back on June 16-19.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Pujols drives in 4, Angels beat Royals 6-2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Albert Pujols, even at 36 years old, is still an RBI machine for the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols drove in four runs, Hector Santiago won his fifth consecutive start and the Angels beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Monday night.

Pujols drove in two with a bases-loaded single during a four-run first, then added RBI singles in the seventh and ninth innings. He leads the majors with 26 RBI in July, including 16 in his past eight games, and he has 76 this season despite a .254 average.

Part of that is from hitting behind Mike Trout, Yunel Escobar and Kole Calhoun, all of whom entered Monday ranked among the top 40 major leaguers in on-base percentage.

"Any time you're hitting behind Mike, you're going to get your opportunities," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "This year, what Yunel and Kole have done has really paid off for Mike and Albert. Albert is a terrific RBI guy. He drove them in tonight.

"Albert makes adjustments better than any hitter I've ever seen. There are little adjustments he makes. He knows what he's doing in the batter's box when there are guys in scoring position. Today he used the middle of the field and right field. He did a great job."

The Angels batted around in the first, which also included Daniel Nava's sacrifice fly and Carlos Perez's RBI infield single with two outs.

Santiago (9-4) is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in July. He held the Royals to two runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts.

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Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the only Royals runs. It was the sixth straight game the Royals have scored four or fewer runs.

The Royals loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth but failed to score when Santiago struck out Kendrys Morales on three pitches.

Ian Kennedy (6-9), who did not give up a home run for the first time in 10 starts, is 0-3 in five starts since a victory June 26. He allowed four runs on six hits, three walks and a hit batter in five-plus innings.

The Royals did not have a baserunner against four relievers. Cam Bedrosian struck out Eric Hosmer, Morales and Perez on 13 pitches in the eighth inning. Bedrosian has not permitted a run in his past 22 games, covering 20 2/3 innings.

The Royals have lost 14 of 20 July games to fall two games below .500.

"They still have confidence they can compete for a playoff spot and so do I," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

DAVIS TRADE POSSIBLE

With the Yankees dealing closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs, several contending clubs have reportedly talked to the Royals about the availability of Wade Davis, who has 21 saves in 23 chances with a 1.10 ERA. Davis is under contract through the 2017 season.

"I wouldn't classify or characterize any player as untouchable," Royals manager Dayton Moore said. "I never have. We always evaluate somebody's level of interest and what their level of interest may mean to the improvement of our team as far as players that they would be willing to part with. That's what you do. That's what we continually do especially this time of year.

"Whether we make a move or not, we are evaluating the landscape, which potentially puts us in a better position this offseason to improve our roster."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: RHP Nick Tropeano, who has been diagnosed with a medium to high grade UCL right elbow tear, traveled to New York for a second opinion from Dr. David Altchek. ... Angels RHP Joe Smith was unavailable because of tightness in his back.

Royals: OF Lorenzo Cain (left hamstring strain) will begin a rehab assignment Friday with Triple-A Omaha.

UP NEXT

July 26, 2016 Page 20 of 21

Angels: LHP Tyler Skaggs, who has not thrown in the majors since July 31, 2014 after elbow surgery and shoulder tendinitis, will start Tuesday. In his past two starts with Triple-A Salt Lake, he allowed no runs and two hits while striking out 26 in 12 2/3 innings.

Royals: RHP Dillon Gee makes his first start against the Angels since April 11, 2014 while with the Mets.

FROM ESPN

Trade Deadline Daily: Angels make Hector Santiago available

With the Aug. 1 trade deadline a week away, the Los Angeles Angels are listening to offers for left-hander Hector Santiago.

Jerry Crasnick's take: The Angels, who are 43-55 and 13 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West, are so short on starting pitching they keep givingTim Lincecum opportunities. But sources said they've engaged in discussions with several teams on Santiago, who is 8-4 with a 4.32 ERA and is making an affordable $5 million this season with two years to go until free agency.

Santiago could have some appeal to teams like the Marlins, Orioles or Pirates, that are looking for depth or an upgrade in a thin market for starting pitching. The Mets are focused primarily on a reliever. But if they decide to dabble in the starting market, they could also enter the fray.

FROM FOX SPORTS

Angels-Royals Preview

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It has been nearly two years since Tyler Skaggs started a major league game for the Los Angeles Angels.

Skaggs, who starts Tuesday against the Kansas City Royals, last appeared on a major league mound on July 31, 2014 at Baltimore.

Skaggs underwent season-ending left elbow surgery after that and then had a setback this season with shoulder tendinitis.

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His two phenomenal recent starts with Triple-A Salt Lake earned Skaggs a promotion to the majors. He went 2-0, allowing two hits in 12 2/3 innings, while striking out 26 and walking three in winning at Omaha and Iowa. The 14 strikeouts against Omaha equaled a Bees record for a game, held by Jered Weaver.

"It feels good to be back up here," Skaggs said. "My teammates gave me a lot of love when I came back. I'm excited about tomorrow. I know I'm going to be nervous, very nervous. At the same time, I'm going to tell myself I've been here before. I've pitched in this stadium before, the (2012) Future's Game. Just take it slow out there, deep breaths."

Skaggs went 3-2 with a 1.60 ERA in nine starts with three different minor league clubs. He allowed 26 hits and struck out 53 in 39 1/3 innings.

"It's a big game for me," Skaggs said. "I've put in a lot of hard work to get here. The work is not done. I don't want to just be here. I want to stay here."

Skaggs, who turned 25 on July 13, was 5-5 with a 4.30 ERA in 18 starts in 2014 with the Angels before the Tommy John surgery.

"I've been through so much the past few years; I'm going to take it day-by-day. There's nothing much I could do about it. You've got to trust the process. Don't get me wrong. I was excited, but I think it was a good experience for me and a humbling experience to go down to Triple-A to kind of figure things out.

"I wouldn't say I'm a different pitcher. I would say I'm bigger and stronger. I've had a lot of time to refine my mechanics and learn more about myself than anything. How my body moves. What I need to do to get ready. My whole pregame routine is more at-depth now. I feel like I'm a whole lot more athletic on the mound than I used to be."

"I've done a lot of things mechanically to correct myself. I went back to my old mechanics of going over my head. I looked at some spring training video and I wasn't doing that. I went back to going back to old school. It's helped me a lot. I've always thrown like that since I was 12."

The Royals will counter with Dillon Gee, who will be making his first start since July 10. He pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief on July against Cleveland, allowing three runs.

The Royals could wind up sellers instead of buyers at the trading deadline. They are 6-14 in July and are quickly fading out of postseason contention.

"I don't really worry about it right now," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "That's not on my mind. My mind is on the Angels."