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Clips

(May 14, 2017)

May 14, 2017 Page 2 of 16

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Tigers steal game from Angels 4-3 in the ninth

Angels' Garrett Richards hoping for a return in August

Derek Jeter was never an MVP like Mike Trout, but he won playoff games and titles at

a young age

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 8)

● J.D. Martinez and the Tigers outslug Angels in 4-3 victory

● Angels Notes: Andrelton Simmons honors Derek Jeter with his number

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)

Meyer to close out series on Mother's Day

Pujols ties Yastrzemski for 11th all-time in RBIs

Homers sting Angels in loss to Tigers

Escobar day to day with tight hamstring

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 14)

J.D. Martinez's 2nd homer lifts Tigers over Angels 4-3

May 14, 2017 Page 3 of 16

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Tigers steal game from Angels 4-3 in the ninth

By Pedro Moura

The Angels veered toward another close loss on Saturday night until Mike Trout graced his teammates

with an extension. He did not make an out all night, but they soon went right back off track.

Down one run to Detroit in the seventh inning at Angel Stadium, Trout tied the score with one ferocious

swing. He sent an errant fastball 431 feet to left-center for his 10th home run of 2017, also his longest.

The score remained that way until nascent closer Bud Norris gave up the go-ahead homer in the top of

the ninth, and the Angels fell 4-3.

He walked as many men as he struck out — four — but gave up three runs in six innings, so he was

awarded a quality start. Angels manager Mike Scioscia often sings the praises of that statistic and its

correlation to victories.

All three of the runs Nolasco bore scored on home runs. He gave up two, to raise his 2017 total to 13,

the third-most in the majors. That total is already half of the 26 he gave up in 2016, though he has made

only one-quarter as many starts.

“It’s a byproduct of not being as crisp with your command to this point,” Scioscia said. “He’s not quite

where he hopes to be, and sometimes he pays the price for it.”

J.D. Martinez was the first Tiger to strike, drilling a second-inning fastball to left for a two-run homer. He

later beat Norris on a hanging slider he pounded to right.

“I know I didn’t execute that pitch,” Norris said. “But I can make a better pitch next time.”

In between Martinez’s homers, Justin Upton lofted a ball inside the left-field foul pole for a solo shot.

Batting with one out in the fifth, Danny Espinosa ripped a ball to third and sprinted down the line but

was thrown out by one foot. That foot forced him into ignominious territory, as his hitless streak

stretched to 36 at-bats, the longest in Angels franchise history. At 0 for 35, Reggie Jackson had owned

the record.

The Angels (18-21) then rallied with two outs, and Albert Pujols knocked in two runs on a bases-loaded

single.

In the sixth, Espinosa ended his streak when he hit a two-out double.

Short hops

Scioscia said the team has discussed the possibility of playing Luis Valbuena at second base on occasion.

“On a limited basis, it’s certainly something that we would consider,” Scioscia said. The Angels possess a

greater need for hitting at second than first base, where Valbuena has been playing since his activation

May 14, 2017 Page 4 of 16

earlier this month. He has played plenty of second base in his career, but not much since 2014. The

manager said playing him at the position regularly would risk too much, considering his recent history of

hamstring strains. …Third baseman Yunel Escobar exited after five innings because of a cramping

hamstring. The Angels pronounced him day to day, and he’s unlikely to play Sunday.

Angels' Garrett Richards hoping for a return in August

By Pedro Moura

While the Angels roam around .500, their best pitcher waits, sentenced to inaction by a rare condition

within his prized right arm to which there is no known cure besides time.

The cutaneous nerve in Garrett Richards’ biceps remains irritated, preventing him from firing off his 97-

mph fastballs. He did so for one dominant game last month but exited five innings in with what the team

termed a biceps cramp. A subsequent MRI examination demonstrated the problem, which continues to

date.

When can he come back?

“I don’t know,” Richards said Saturday at Angel Stadium. “September, if anything, maybe. It’s gonna

come back when it wants to come back.”

Examining the season’s six-month docket the Angels have painted on one of their clubhouse walls,

Richards clarified that he retains hope to return in August.

“Looking at the schedule right now, I think that’s realistic,” he said. “I think that’s all going to depend on

when I start throwing again. But with the past cases, this was like a one-time thing for these guys. So I’m

hopeful on that, too, that this might just be a fluke thing and I just continue on.”

Team doctors made Richards aware of two cases similar to his. In 2004, right-hander Brad Penny felt

biceps nerve irritation shortly after the Dodgers acquired him at the trade deadline and effectively

missed two months. That same year, St. Louis right-hander Chris Carpenter missed the season’s last two

weeks and the Cardinals’ World Series run with the same condition.

“What I’ve been told is theirs were worse than mine,” Richards said. “So, if it took them all offseason to

get back for spring training, then hopefully mine’s shorter than that. That would give me a chance to

pitch this year.”

Richards, 28, experiences no pain in the muscle at all, only weakness.

“Literally, in my mind,” he said, “I’m like, ‘I don’t know why I’m hurt.’ ”

So, after much of the same last season while waiting for a stem-cell injection to regenerate his torn

elbow ligament, he is again left to battle his body and his mind.

May 14, 2017 Page 5 of 16

“I’m just waiting,” he said. “That’s really all that I can do. It’s made progress since it happened, but it's

taken six weeks to get there.”

Richards said he has lately noticed “considerable jumps” in the weight room. He’s up to curling 20

pounds with his right biceps, compared to 35 with his left. Periodically, the club tests the strength of the

muscle with other exercises.

He cannot pick up a baseball until the two sides are equally powerful.

“The biceps slows down the elbow,” Richards said. “So, if it isn't strong, the elbow is just gonna be

shredded, especially with my velocity and my arm speed.”

The Angels have researched other possibilities to help him recover and produced nothing concrete,

because there is no precedent for outside treatment. They hope that when he is cleared to throw again,

he can progress quickly.

“Once he’s 100%, he’s probably already gotten some of the legwork and questions out of the way,

compared to where he was in the spring,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “Hopefully that build-up will

happen in a more timely fashion than our seven-or-eight week spring training.”

Until then, Richards works out and waits. And, when the Angels go on the road, he creates a hitter on

the “MLB: The Show” video game and tries to hit homers.

“Every day that goes by, I’m missing an opportunity,” Richards said. “It’s really hard to deal with. But

what are you gonna do? Hopefully, if I can come back with a couple months left in the season and help

us toward the end, it’d be like an instant boost, and you don’t have to go find somebody.”

Derek Jeter was never an MVP like Mike Trout, but he won playoff games and titles at a

young age

By Bill Shaikin

If Mike Trout did not have to work Sunday, he would be at Yankee Stadium.

“One hundred percent,” Trout said.

Trout grew up with a poster of Derek Jeter on his bedroom wall. On Sunday, the New York Yankees will

retire Jeter’s number and immortalize him with a plaque in Monument Park.

Jeter is 42. He has not played in three years. And yet Sunday might be the most hyped day in baseball

this season, at least until the Chicago Cubs arise from their slumber.

On the secondary market, the average ticket price for the Jeter number retirement tops that of the

combined average price for the number retirements of Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte and Bernie

Williams, according to TickPick. The Jeter ceremony starts at 3:30 p.m. PDT and ESPN breathlessly

announced it would provide live reports starting as early as 5 a.m.

May 14, 2017 Page 6 of 16

For all his greatness — five World Series championships, 14 All-Star appearances, sixth on the all-time

hit chart — Jeter never was regarded as baseball’s best player.

Trout has been so dominant that he admits, yeah, he has thought about the day his number might be

retired.

“It’s always in the back of your mind as a player, for a team to retire your number,” he said.

When that day comes, would America pause to pay homage? Or, assuming Trout finishes his career with

the Angels, would ESPN even pay attention?

Trout turns 26 in August. He has been selected the American League most valuable player twice. There

is only one player to win more than three MVP awards: Barry Bonds, who won for the first time at 26.

Trout has won zero postseason games. When Jeter was 26, he had won 46 postseason games, and four

World Series championships. In ESPN’s ranking of Jeter’s 10 greatest moments, five came in the playoffs.

“I think you’ve got to win,” Trout said. “That’s the biggest thing. It’s all about winning.”

Jeter won his first four rings before the Yankees had their own television network, and before

cellphones in general and TMZ in particular made a night out a dicey proposition for a high-profile

athlete. He was the biggest star on baseball’s most star-studded and storied team. He dated models,

smiled a lot and said little.

“You felt like you knew him, but you didn’t really know him,” said Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy, a

teammate of Jeter in his final season.

“I think there are guys that are perfect for their era. Jeter was perfect for that. In this era, it might be a

guy that has to be more social media forward, or a guy that has to be louder, or whatever it is. That isn’t

Trout’s style.”

Jeter’s late-night outings spurred a national television commercial in which he and Yankees

owner George Steinbrenner danced together in a conga line. Trout is engaged to his high school

sweetheart, follows the Weather Channel, and sends tweets with airplane emojis whenever the Angels

fly somewhere.

Trout turned down an invitation from “60 Minutes” for what would have been the kind of flattering

portrait that would have broadened his national profile.

In each of Jeter’s last four full seasons, in which he was well past his prime, he had baseball’s best-selling

jersey. Trout never has ranked higher than third and fell to 10th in the most recent rankings.

Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs, whose national “Bryzzo Souvenir Co.” commercials spotlight

their dynamic personalities as well as their considerable power, ranked first and second in jersey sales,

respectively, well ahead of Trout.

May 14, 2017 Page 7 of 16

“If he has long October runs, if he hits a walk-off home run to beat the Cubs in the World Series last

year, and that continues, and the Cubs aren’t winning, then he goes into a different stratosphere,”

McCarthy said. “So much of it is just random timing and luck, and making sure you take advantage of

that moment.”

Billy Eppler, the Angels’ general manager for the last two years and a Yankees executive for the previous

11 years, appreciates in Trout the consistency and drive that he long admired in Jeter.

“The common denominator I see between those two is the enjoyment they have playing the game,”

Eppler said. “They enjoy being around their teammates. They enjoy the competition each baseball game

brings.

“Generally, they’re smiling — 98.5% of the time.”

However, when September turned to October for the Yankees, Eppler said Jeter flashed a more serious

side and repeated a three-word mantra in the clubhouse: “Season starts now.”

It is Eppler’s job to assemble the team that makes it possible for Trout to play in October. Ask him if he is

confident he can do that in the four years before Trout can become a free agent, and he is too smart to

answer with an unqualified yes.

“That’s exactly what we’re working for here,” Eppler said, “to have that opportunity for Mike, and for 24

other players as well, and our fans, and our ownership, and our entire community. We want everybody

to feel that pride that comes with playing in October.

“Time will tell. I think we’re going in the right direction.”

Trout is the best player in the game. The Angels have one other qualifying player above league average

on offense — third baseman Yunel Escobar — and no starting pitchers above league average. Their best

pitcher, Garret Richards, has started one game over the last 12 months because of elbow and biceps

injuries.

Baseball America this week ranked the game’s 100 top prospects. None of them play in the Angels

organization.

Eppler has a talent base to rebuild, with the Angels just emerging from the Josh Hamilton debacle that

cost them the ability to replenish their farm system with a top draft pick and the ability to spend on free

agents without triggering the luxury tax. Albert Pujols soon will become the ninth player in major league

history to hit 600 home runs, but he and Trout by themselves will account for $61 million of the Angels

payroll next year.

Ken Griffey Jr. never did get to the World Series. He played 22 years, won seven playoff games, and still

he was elected to the Hall of Fame with a record percentage of the votes.

May 14, 2017 Page 8 of 16

So, no, Trout does not have to win to get to Cooperstown, or ensure national interest in his retirement.

Jeter never won an MVP award. Trout could play out his career in Anaheim, and his farewell ceremony

would be more monumental than the one the Angels threw, say, for beloved star Tim Salmon.

“He’s carving his own way, a little differently than Jeter did,” Salmon said. “He’s got the MVPs. He’s

making a name for himself for being the best player in the game. I don’t think Jeter made his name the

same way. It was the championships, and the leadership he displayed on those championship teams.

And, of course, being in New York really gave him that lift.

“From Mike’s standpoint, if the guy wins two or three more MVPs? He could have a comparable deal as

Jeter, but it would be for different reasons. We still haven’t seen if this team is going to win any

championships while he’s here.”

The clock is ticking. There is no evidence that Trout is unhappy with the Angels, but he wants deeply to

win. It would be a shame if all of America got to tune in to Trout’s retirement ceremonies, live from

somewhere that was not Anaheim.

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

J.D. Martinez and the Tigers outslug Angels in 4-3 victory

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD

ANAHEIM — J.D. Martinez missed the first 33 games of the season because of a sprained right foot. The

Tigers right fielder didn’t miss much of anything the Angels threw his way Saturday, hitting two home runs

in Detroit’s 4-3 victory in front of 40,251 at Angel Stadium.

Martinez was a difference-maker after making his 2017 debut Friday. He homered off Angels reliever Bud

Norris to lead off the ninth inning, breaking a 3-3 tie by sending a 1-and-1 pitch soaring into the stands

beyond the right-field wall.

“I just didn’t execute my pitch right there to a good hitter, a hot hitter,” said Norris (1-2). “Pretty

frustrating. I’m glad I minimized the damage, but clearly taking the loss isn’t easy. … It was a slider. It was

supposed to be down. It definitely back-spun on me a little bit.

“I didn’t execute it and he put a good swing on it.”

Detroit’s Justin Wilson, an Anaheim native, struck out the side in the ninth for his second save.

Albert Pujols delivered a two-run single in the fifth inning that tied the score at 2-2 and Mike Trout hit his

second home run in as many games to tie it again, 3-3 in the seventh, taking Angels starter Ricky Nolasco

off the hook after giving up two homers to run his season total to 13 in eight starts.

Nolasco gave up a two-run homer to Martinez in the second and a bases-empty shot to Justin Upton in the

sixth in an otherwise solid showing. He gave up five hits with four strikeouts and four walks in six innings,

drawing his third straight no-decision after consecutive wins.

“A couple of mistakes cost me,” Nolasco said. “Just mistakes are getting hit.”

Pujols’ two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded in the fifth inning pulled the Angels into an all-

too-brief 2-2 tie with the Tigers, his 1,843rd and 1,844th career RBI, tying him with Carl Yastrzemski for

May 14, 2017 Page 9 of 16

11th place on baseball’s all-time list.

“It’s, like, every night he passes somebody,” Trout said of Pujols. “It’s pretty remarkable, pretty special just

to have him in the clubhouse with his presence. It’s Albert. He’s a Hall of Famer. Obviously, he’s trying to

chase the big one, 600 (homers), but he’s people in other statistics, too.”

Upton slammed the first pitch he saw from Nolasco over the low wall near the left-field foul pole for a one-

out homer, giving the Tigers a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Nolasco avoided further trouble, aided by shortstop

Andrelton Simmons’ diving catch of James McCann’s line drive.

The Angels threatened again in the sixth, highlighted by Danny Espinoza’s two-out double after Kole

Calhoun led off the inning with a walk. Espinoza’s sharply-hit grounder down the left-field line ended an

excruciating 0-for-36 skid for the Angels’ second baseman.

Detroit’s Shane Greene relieved Norris and retired Maldonado on a popup to end the sixth.

Yusmeiro Petit replaced Nolasco to start the seventh and retired the Tigers in order.

Trout evened the score with his 10th homer of the season, a rocket to left field on a 0-1 pitch. He slugged a

two-run homer in the Angels’ 7-0 victory Friday over the Tigers, his first hit in nine at-bats after a five-game

layoff because of a tight right hamstring.

“I feel 100 percent,” Trout said. “I feel good. Just happy I’m back out there.”

Angels Notes: Andrelton Simmons honors Derek Jeter with his number

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM — When Andrelton Simmons first reached the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves, he was just

happy to be there, not bold enough to request a number.

But when the Angels acquired him and he was established enough to have a choice, he knew what he

wanted.

Simmons wanted No. 2, for the same reason that so many other shortstops want No. 2.

“It’s the norm,” Simmons said. “If you want to be a shortstop, Derek Jeter, No. 2, is who everybody wanted

to be. Every shortstop wanted to be Derek Jeter. He was the golden standard, the way he played and the

way he was off the field.”

While the majors will continue to be dotted with No. 2’s who idolized Jeter, like Simmons, the New York

Yankees won’t have any more. They are retiring Jeter’s number in a ceremony on Sunday.

Simmons was a 5-year-old in Curaçao in 1996, Jeter’s rookie season, so his formative baseball years came

during Jeter’s prime. He said one particular Jeter play made an impression on him.

“The jump throw,” Simmons said. “That was the play that I remember as a kid. Every time someone went

into the hole and made that jump throw, that’s the Jeter Play. I practiced that when I was young. I was

decent at it, but I never made it look easy like he did.”

SECOND THOUGHTS

May 14, 2017 Page 10 of 16

Danny Espinoza went into Saturday’s game against the Tigers hitless in his last 34 at-bats and stuck in a 2-

for-52 funk that had Angels manager Mike Scioscia thinking about options to replace him at second base.

Cliff Pennington is a natural alternative, but Luis Valbuena is not.

At least, Valbuena is not considered a long-term solution despite going 9 for 31 with two home runs and

four RBI in his first 10 games after coming off the disabled list May 2. Valbuena’s tender hamstrings might

not stand up to the steady workload of a second baseman, according to Scioscia.

Valbuena sat out 27 games because of a strained right hamstring.

“There’s no doubt he can play second base, but I would think it would be on a little bit more of a limited

basis,” Scioscia said. “We’ve talked about it and we’ll continue to explore, but we like the way he’s

swinging the bat and play first and third. As far as second, we’d consider it, but not long term.”

SHOEMAKER REVIEW

The job of Angels ace remains wide open, although Matt Shoemaker took a confident stride toward filling

it with six scoreless innings during the Angels’ 7-0 victory Friday over the Tigers. Shoemaker had seven

strikeouts and retired the final 10 batters he faced.

It was just what the Angels needed Friday, and want they want moving forward without Garrett Richards

and Tyler Skaggs healthy and in their rotation. Richards (right biceps strain) and Skaggs (strained right

oblique muscle) are on the DL.

“As the game went on, he made some great pitches, really, with all his stuff,” Scioscia said of Shoemaker.

“I think it shows ‘Shoe’ is more in line with where we expect him to be, so that was encouraging. We

definitely need him to keep going. …

“In the meantime, we need all the guys to take a step forward.”

Staff writer Elliott Teaford contributed to this report.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Meyer to close out series on Mother's Day

By Austin Laymance / MLB.com

The Tigers give the ball to ace Justin Verlander in Sunday's series finale at Angel Stadium against the

Angels, who will counter with Alex Meyer.

Verlander will make his eighth start of the season. He earned his third win in his last outing, striking out

seven and allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings against the D-backs.

Full Game Coverage

May 14, 2017 Page 11 of 16

Meyer will make his fourth start of the year. He's coming off the first road win of his career, holding the

A's to three runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings. In that start, Meyer matched a career-high with seven

strikeouts.

In seven career starts at Angel Stadium, Verlander is 2-4 with a 5.98 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 43 2/3

innings. Verlander faced the Angels twice last season, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 15 innings with 15

strikeouts.

Things to know about this game

• Verlander has recorded at least one strikeout in 322 consecutive games, the longest such streak

among active pitchers and the eighth-longest streak among all pitchers since 1913. Verlander's strikeout

streak dates back to May 4, 2007.

• In two career starts in day games, Meyer has allowed one earned run in 8 1/3 innings. He's faced the

Tigers only once, in a one-inning relief appearance as a member of the Twins on April 29, 2016.

• For Mother's Day, there will be plenty of pink splashed across the field as part of Major League

Baseball's efforts to raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer.

Players and on-field personnel will wear a pink ribbon on their uniforms. Players will have the

opportunity to use pink bats and wear pink footwear, pink compression sleeves, pink batting gloves and

pink catcher's equipment. Players and coaches will wear specially designed uniforms that incorporate

pink into the club's regular logos, as well as caps highlighted by a graphite crown and pink visor and two

options for pink socks.

Pujols ties Yastrzemski for 11th all-time in RBIs

Angels slugger drives in two runs in fifth vs. Tigers

ANAHEIM -- Angels slugger Albert Pujols continued to climb up the RBI leaderboard in Saturday

night's 4-3 loss to the Tigers, collecting his 1,844th career RBI and tying Carl Yastrzemski for 11th on

MLB's all-time list, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Pujols delivered a bases-loaded, two-run single off Detroit left-hander Daniel Norristhat tied the game at

2 in the fifth inning. Pujols pulled a 1-2 curveball to left field, driving in Martin Maldonado and Yunel

Escobar for his 26th and 27th RBI of the season.

Full Game Coverage

The 37-year-old veteran is batting .238 after recording a hit in 17 of the Angels' last 21 games. Pujols has

also launched five home runs this season, bringing his career mark to 596 and leaving him just four shy

of becoming the ninth player in Major League history to join the 600-homer club.

May 14, 2017 Page 12 of 16

"I'm not surprised," Halos star Mike Trout said of Pujols' milestones. "It seems like every night he passes

somebody. It's pretty remarkable. It's pretty special just to have him in the clubhouse. He's a Hall of

Famer. Obviously, he's trying to chase the big one, 600, and he's passing people in other statistics, too."

Homers sting Angels in loss to Tigers

Angels outfielder faces Tigers this weekend for first time since trade

By Maria Guardado and Austin Laymance / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- J.D. Martinez crushed his first two home runs of the season, including a go-ahead blast

off Bud Norris in the top of the ninth inning, to lift the Tigers to a 4-3 win over the Angels on Saturday

night at Angel Stadium.

Martinez, who was activated from the disabled list Friday after missing the first 33 games of the season

with a right midfoot sprain, hammered a 1-1 slider from Norris to right field, snapping a 3-3 tie and

producing the game-winning run for the Tigers. Martinez, who also launched a two-run shot off Angels

starter Ricky Nolasco in the second, finished the night with three RBIs and his second career multi-

homer game.

Full Game Coverage

"I'm just happy I was able to contribute in the win today," Martinez said. "I've been down there just

watching the team, wishing I could do something, and every time we lose it's one of those frustrating

things, so just happy to be back and be able to help us win a game."

Left-hander Justin Wilson struck out the side in the ninth to seal the win and pick up his second save of

the season. The Tigers, who have won two of the first three games of this four-game set, can secure a

series victory Sunday. Detroit has not won a series at Angel Stadium since 2009.

"This has been a tough place for us to win, and obviously J.D., you can tell how much we've missed him,

just from this one game," said Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

All four of the Tigers' runs came via home runs, as Justin Upton also hit a solo shot off Nolasco that

briefly gave Detroit a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Nolasco was charged with three runs on five hits over six

innings and has now permitted 13 homers this season, the third-most in the Majors.

“Obviously, I don't want to give up those homers," Nolasco said. "They're at a rate that's not normal, but

at the same time, they're pitches that should be getting hit, so they're getting out. If I just clean it up a

little bit, it should be OK."

Tigers left-hander Daniel Norris yielded two runs on seven hits over 5 2/3 innings and departed with a 3-

2 lead, but Mike Trout evened the game by blasting a 431-foot shot off reliever Shane Greene in the

bottom of the seventh. It was Trout's 10th homer of the season and his second in as many days.

May 14, 2017 Page 13 of 16

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Pujols ties it: The Angels entered the fifth inning down, 2-0, but they generated a two-out rally against

Norris after Martin Maldonado and Yunel Escobar hit back-to-back singles and Trout reached via a hit-

by-pitch to load the bases for Pujols. The 37-year-old Angels slugger then delivered a two-run single to

left field, tying the game at 2.

The clutch hit gave Pujols his 1,844th career RBI, tying him with Carl Yastrzemski for 11th on MLB's all-

time list, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

There was one casualty on the play, however, as Escobar experienced tightness in his hamstring while

scoring from second and was replaced at third base by Cliff Pennington in the following inning. Angels

manager Mike Scioscia said afterward that Escobar is day to day.

Trout's laser: Upton homered to give the Tigers a one-run lead in the sixth, but Trout countered with a

solo shot of his own in the following inning to tie the game at 3. The ball had an exit velocity of 107 mph

and traveled a projected 431 feet -- his longest home run of the season, according to Statcast™.

Trout, who played his third game since returning from a left hamstring issue, reached base four times

Saturday, finishing 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

"You can't always expect Mike to be as locked in as he was the first month of the season, but he's going

to be there," Scioscia said. "He's going to get his at-bats, he's going to beat every pitch, and when he

gets a ball to hit, he's got the chance of doing what he did the last couple nights and hit one out."

QUOTABLE

"That was huge. He's just a huge bat. He can get in there and give us another guy for them to fear." --

Norris on J.D. Martinez

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Danny Espinosa snapped his 0-for-36 drought by ripping a two-out double down the third-base line in

the sixth. It was the longest hitless streak in Angels history, according to the club's radio broadcast.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the first inning, Ian Kinsler drew a leadoff walk against Nolasco and then attempted to steal second

with no outs. Kinsler was called safe by second-base umpire Mike Winters, but the Angels challenged

the ruling after replay appeared to show that Kinsler briefly came off the bag while Espinosa applied a

tag on him. The call was overturned following a review, wiping Kinsler from the basepaths.

WHAT'S NEXT

Tigers: Ace Justin Verlander gets the ball in the series finale Sunday against the Angels on Mother's Day.

It's the final contest of Detroit's nine-game road trip. Verlander has worked at least six innings in each of

his last three starts. First pitch is scheduled for 3:37 p.m. ET.

May 14, 2017 Page 14 of 16

Angels: Right-hander Alex Meyer (1-1, 7.62 ERA) will take the mound on Mother's Day as the Angels

close out their four-game series with the Tigers at 12:37 p.m. PT at Angel Stadium. Meyer earned his

first win of the season Tuesday after holding the A's to three runs in 5 1/3 innings.

Escobar day to day with tight hamstring

Angels third baseman exits in sixth after scoring on Pujols' single

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar exited the Halos' 4-3 loss to the Tigers in the sixth

inning Saturday night with tightness in his left hamstring, according to manager Mike Scioscia.

"Just a little cramping, a little tightness in his hamstring," Scioscia said. "I'm not sure if any tests, but it'll

be day to day right now."

Full Game Coverage

Scioscia added that Escobar first experienced tightness while legging out a single in the fifth, then felt it

again while scoring from second base on Albert Pujols' game-tying, two-run single.

The infielder left the game, having gone 1-for-3 on the evening with two strikeouts, and was replaced at

third by Cliff Pennington with the score even at 2-2.

Escobar, 34, has been the Angels' leadoff hitter in 37 games this season, and has been enjoying a recent

hot streak. He entered Saturday's game with a .358 average (19-for-53) over his last 12 games, and his

production at the plate leaves the Halos with a key hole to fill in the interim.

Scioscia said the team will evaluate its options at third, should Escobar miss any extended time.

"We have Cliff, we have Luis [Valbuena] and Jefry [Marte]," he said. "We'll match up one of the guys.

Luis or Jefry have to play first base, then we can look at some stuff and see who will go to third and

make those decisions."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

J.D. Martinez's 2nd homer lifts Tigers over Angels 4-3

Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- For the first time since last September, J.D. Martinez stepped on home plate,

smacked his chest a few times with his right hand and then looked up, pointing to the sky.

A few innings later, he got to celebrate all over again -- a welcome sight for his Detroit Tigers.

May 14, 2017 Page 15 of 16

Martinez powered up in just his second game of the season, hitting his second homer of the game in the

ninth inning to lift the Tigers over the Los Angeles Angels 4-3 on Saturday night.

"I still feel like I'm just trying to feel it out," Martinez said. "It was just one of those things where I ran

into a couple of balls today."

Martinez opened the ninth with a solo shot off Bud Norris (1-2) to snap a 3-3 tie. He came off the

disabled list Friday after missing the Tigers' first 33 games with a sprained right foot.

"You can tell how much we missed him based on this one game," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Martinez opened the scoring in the second inning, following Victor Martinez's single with a two-run

homer off Ricky Nolasco.

"I'm just happy I can contribute to the win today," he said. "I've been down there just watching the

team, wishing I could do something. It was one of those frustrating things."

Martinez said his foot still hurts and expects it will all season.

"It's something I already have in my mind," he said. "The doctor said it's normal. He said I'm not going to

do anything wrong to it. You want it to feel better, you have to rest it. We have a season to play, so you

don't have time to rest."

It remained 2-0 until the fifth, when Los Angeles' Albert Pujols poked a two-run single off starter Daniel

Norris. That gave Pujols 1,844 RBI, tying Carl Yastrzemski for 11th on baseball's career list.

Alex Wilson (1-1) pitched the eighth and got the win. Justin Wilson struck out three in the ninth for his

second save.

Justin Upton hit a solo home run in the sixth for his eighth of the season and a 3-2 lead.

The Angels tied it in the seventh when Mike Trout crushed a solo home run off Shane Greene for his

10th of the year.

Norris went 5 2/2 innings for the Tigers, allowing two runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out

four.

Nolasco pitched six innings, surrendering three runs, five hits and four walks with four strikeouts.

"He's not quite where he wants to be, and at times when he's not making his pitches, he's paying the

price for it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Tigers: Ausmus had no concerns about J.D. Martinez after his first game Friday. Martinez batted sixth

Saturday.

May 14, 2017 Page 16 of 16

Angels: C.J. Cron (left foot bruise) started his fourth rehab game for Triple-A Salt Lake, Scioscia was

uncertain how many additional games he would play before rejoining the Angels. He is 5 for 12 with a

home run.

ESCOBAR EXITS

Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar left after the fifth when he felt a hamstring tighten up. Scioscia

called him day to day, which makes him unlikely for Sunday's quick turnaround for an afternoon game.

Scioscia said Cliff Pennington, Jefry Marte or Luis Valbuena could play third.

UP NEXT

Tigers: Justin Verlander (3-2, 4.25 ERA) will be looking for his third consecutive victory in the series finale

against the Angels on Sunday. He is 6-7 lifetime against the Angels.

Angels: Right-hander Alex Meyer is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season. Meyer (1-1, 7.62

ERA) has struggled with his command, walking 12 and allowing 14 hits in his 13 innings.