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Clips (June 3, 2015)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)  Angels struggle to connect with Chris Archer in 6-1 loss  is a big hit in Angels' loss

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 5)  Kaleb Cowart getting chance to show what he can do at shortstop with 66ers  Cron wastes no time making an impact after demotion to Triple-A Salt Lake  Better than his average, David Freese powers Angels  Angels fans to debut the Calzone tonight  Rays' Chris Archer ends Angels' five-game winning streak  On deck: Rays at Angels, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 12)  More power to him: Freese feels good at plate  Angels unable to solve electric Archer  Grateful Pujols ties for 17th with 534th homer  Karns, Santiago out to settle Rays-Halos series

FROM THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS (Page 17)  Angels manager Mike Scioscia enjoying watching Mike Trout and Albert Pujols make history  Albert Pujols hits No. 534, but Angels shut down by Rays’ Chris Archer in 6-1 loss

FROM FOX SPORTS WEST (Page 20)  Pujols moves up HR list with 534th, says it's 'very special'

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 23)  Albert Pujols ties on all-time HR list  Archer ties Rays record with 15 Ks in 6-1 win over Angels  Rays-Angels Preview

June 3, 2015 Page 3 of 26

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Angels struggle to connect with Chris Archer in 6-1 loss

By BILL SHAIKIN

KEY MOMENT: Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer took the mound with a 2-0 lead – on a two-run from Logan Forsythe – and that was pretty much the game. Archer gave up a leadoff single, then struck out six of the next seven batters. He worked eight innings, giving up six hits and no walks – and his 15 strikeouts tied the club record set by James Shields. Archer lowered his earned-run average to 2.01 – third in the American League – and became the first Tampa Bay ever to strike out at least 12 in consecutive outings. Archer passed Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians for the major league strikeout lead.

AT THE PLATE: Albert Pujols homered for the Angels' only run. For Pujols, that was six home runs in six days, 14 for the season and 534 for his career, tied with Jimmie Foxx for 17th on the all-time list. … Erick Aybar singled and doubled, extending his to 10 games.

ON THE MOUND: C.J. Wilson (3-4) gave up three walks, four hits and five runs in six innings. He has made 11 starts this season but has yet to win consecutive starts. … Left-hander Edgar Ibarra made his major league debut and worked two hitless innings, striking out two. Ibarra, 26, had made 270 minor league appearances over 10 seasons.

EXTRA BASES: The Angels gave out Kole Calhoun visors, with a thatch of red hair attached to the top of a visor in honor of the red-headed right field. Scioscia, asked what the chance was of him wearing the visor on beach this summer: "The same exact percentage chance of me being on the beach."

UP NEXT: Hector Santiago (4-3, 2.18) faces the Rays' Nathan Karns (3-2, 3.32) on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. at Angel Stadium. TV: Fox Sports West. Radio: 830, 1330.

Albert Pujols is a big hit in Angels' loss

By BILL SHAIKIN

On the West Coast, a slugger has a milestone coming up that his team's owner will be delighted to pay.

There will be no threats, no contractual loopholes, no suggestion that a team that markets ballpark dirt cannot market a milestone.

When Albert Pujols gets his 3,000th hit, the Angels will salute him, with confetti and fireworks and a check for $3 million from grateful owner Arte Moreno. If he catches at 763 home runs, the Angels will pay him another $7 million.

That probably is not going to happen — but, after the past week, never say never. Pujols hit his sixth home run in six games Tuesday, in the Angels' 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

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"When he gets going, he's in a class of his own," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's on everything."

Chris Archer, the major league leader in strikeouts, stopped the Angels on six hits and no walks over eight innings. He struck out 15, tying the Rays' record, and he ended the Angels' winning streak at five games.

The Angels tied their club record for strikeouts in a nine-inning game.

The only Angels starter Archer did not strike out was Pujols. On Tuesday, Pujols went deep in the fourth inning, and he came within a few feet of going deep again in the eighth.

And he was delighted, even if you could not tell from looking at the replays.

"You can definitely tell he's excited," Iannetta said, "but he's very professional about it.

"He knows how to handle himself on the field. He never shows anybody up. ... With Albert, it's pretty subdued."

His teammates say they can tell, even in the absence of a fist pump or bat flip.

"You can tell he's got that energy about him," Iannetta said. "He's truly savoring the moment."

Pujols leads the Angels in home runs. In his previous three seasons with the Angels, Pujols never has hit more than 30. In his 11 seasons in St. Louis, he never hit fewer than 32.

Pujols has 14 home runs, fourth in the American League. He is on pace for 43, a total he has not reached since 2009.

"I couldn't even imagine what it's like to have a career like that," Angels Chris Iannetta said, "and pass a Hall of Famer every time you hit a home run.

"And his career is far from over. He's going to have a lot more of that to come."

Pujols' career total is 534 homers, which ties Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx for 17th on the all-time list. If he were to hit 43 home runs this season, he would need to average 33 for the remaining six seasons of his contract to catch Bonds.

"Every time he hits a home run, there's another immortal he's in the same sentence with," Scioscia said. "It's fun. It's exciting."

Pujols could slug his way into the top 10 next season, by passing Mark McGwire (583), (573), (569), (563), (555), (548) and (536).

Pujols is 97 home runs from catching for fifth on the all-time list.

And that 3,000th hit? He has 2,568 now. So probably 2017 or 2018. June 3, 2015 Page 5 of 26

It will be a long time coming, but the Angels will be happy to celebrate, and to pay up.

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Kaleb Cowart getting chance to show what he can do at shortstop with 66ers

BY KYLE GLASER

Kaleb Cowart has been a his entire professional career.

But with his bat struggling and the dealing with multiple injuries, Cowart and Manager Denny Hocking are trying something new: playing shortstop.

"Every once in a while he would say to me 'I can play short,'" Hocking said. "So finally I was like 'OK let's see if you can play short.' I hit him some grounders and he looked good, so we decided to give him the opportunity to play."

Cowart, who hadn't played shortstop since high school, slid over from third base to play the final three innings at shortstop on May 25 and May 28. On May 29 he made his first start at short, and so far has converted all seven of his overall chances there.

"It was really fun honestly," Cowart said. "It was different, but I enjoyed it a lot."

Putting Cowart at shortstop isn't merely a fluke, but something Hocking said he plans to continue to mix in throughout the season.

Hocking, a utility infielder who played 285 games at shortstop in his 13-year major league career, said repeatedly he's been impressed by Cowart's performance there and sees the skills necessary to handle the position.

"If he started there the other day and booted two ground balls in the first three innings I would've run him back over to third," Hocking said, "but what he showed me over there was solid and we're going to see about getting him in there some more."

Cowart is fully on board with that plan.

"I wouldn't mind it," he said. "I think it brings more to the table for me as a versatile player, not be so monotonous just playing third base. I think I could play the outfield too. It's just something where I'm moving forward looking at other options."

Looking at all options has become somewhat of a necessity for Cowart. The former Angels first-round pick and top prospect is hitting just .205 with a .281 on-base percentage, and the prospect of him becoming a power hitting corner infielder is fading.

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Becoming a switch-hitting utility infielder, however, is something that could rekindle hopes of getting Cowart to the majors.

"I see value in that," Hocking said. "That's me personally. No one told me to do it. No one of the higher ups said why don't you run him over there to short, and no one told me I couldn't do it. I see it as an opportunity for him and we're going to give it a shot."

Cron wastes no time making an impact after demotion to Triple-A Salt Lake

BY BUBBA BROWN

SALT LAKE CITY — For three years as a star at the University of Utah, it didn’t matter what pitcher was on the mound of what is now Smith’s Ballpark — C.J. Cron torched them.

Some things, as the saying goes, never change.

Cron, demoted to Salt Lake City last week after seeing his playing time with the Angels shrink, returned to the ballpark in which he first made his name and established himself as a hitter deserving of a first- round selection.

In his first at-bat back in Salt Lake — where he also played in 49 Triple-A games last year — he homered. He tripled off the wall in his next time up and hasn’t stopped hitting since. Following the first game of a doubleheader against the Memphis Redbirds Monday, Cron was hitting .409 with a pair of homers in 22 at-bats.

It’s a small sample size, to be sure, but he has appeared more comfortable at the plate than he has at any point this season.

Maybe it was the familiar surroundings. More likely is the fact he doesn’t have to worry in Triple-A about getting consistent at-bats. He said that was the biggest challenge he faced this year in the majors.

“It’s just getting my timing down,” he said. “I didn’t get many at-bats in the recent stretch, and for me mostly everything is fine. It’s just the timing aspect of it.”

Cron, who hit .204 with one homer in 102 plate appearances with the Angels before the demotion, demurred when asked if he thought he was given a fair shot at playing time in the bigs.

“I thought it was a little sporadic,” he said. “But I never really earned a spot, at the same time. So that’s kind of where it was at.

“It’s tough. Whether you get two or three starts a week, or I think I was getting about one a week. It’s tough but that’s kind of my role when I’m up there, so I’ve got to get better at it.”

Cron is unsure how long the Angels intend to keep him in Salt Lake. If he continues to hit and prove he has found the swing he had in spring training, he could force his way back up. But he also realizes there are no guarantees. June 3, 2015 Page 7 of 26

“Whatever they feel is right for me, I’m just going to work hard,” he said. “I’m going to get my swing right and hopefully get back up there.”

NOTES

May was not kind to Adam Wilk. After starting the season relatively strong, the 27-year-old has floundered in recent starts and has seen his ERA balloon to 5.58. In 10 games with the Bees — nine starts — he has given up well over a hit an inning and has the highest walk rate of his career.

Better than his average, David Freese powers Angels

BY JEFF FLETCHER

ANAHEIM – David Freese is Exhibit A for why average isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Heading into Tuesday’s game, Freese was hitting .237, which is low even in this era of depressed offense.

Yet Freese said he’s happy with how he’s swinging the bat, as is Manager Mike Scioscia.

“His batting average is not reflective at all of how he’s hitting the ball,” Scioscia said. “He’s having a lot of hard outs and he’s gotten some big hits for us.”

There are two ways to look at Freese’s season that make him look better than that batting average: how he’s hitting the ball, and when he’s hitting it.

First, the how.

Freese has made “hard” contact on 35.1 percent of his balls in play this season, according to FanGraphs. For comparison, the major league average is 28.5 percent. The only player on the Angels who has a higher percentage is than Freese is Mike Trout (41.6 percent).

As for when, Freese has gotten plenty of opportunities because of the hitters in front of him. Spending his season behind Trout and Albert Pujols, Freese has come to plate with a runner in scoring position 54 times, most on the team.

He’s hit .267 in those situations, with an .822 OPS. That’s helped him to a team-leading 21 RBI in those at-bats.

“He’s cashed in a lot of them, but he’s had a lot of hard outs,” Scioscia said. “With any luck he could be sitting on 40 RBIs.”

Freese, whose 29 RBI are second only to Trout and more than halfway to his total of 55 last year, has also been driving himself in. His nine homers are one less than he hit all of last year.

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“That’s just my legs,” Freese said. “My legs feel good. They feel as good as they’ve felt in a long time. You need your legs to hit. I think it’s shown a little bit.”

Freese had surgery to remove a bone spur from his left foot in October. He never let on during the season last year that he was having any trouble, but he obviously feels better now.

Freese, 32, has also resculpted his body. Although he insists he weighs the same 225 pounds as he did last year, he is clearly leaner.

“The older you get, you’ve got to watch what you eat, what you are doing day in and day out,” Freese said. “That matters… I feel good. Hopefully it shows. I think I’m running down the line a lot better. Running the bases more aggressively. I am excited where I’m at.”

Scioscia has noticed an improvement showing up on defense, too: “He’s definitely playing at a high level defensively.”

All of that could add up when the season is over. Freese is in the final year of his contract, so his price tag is certainly rising. Chase Headley, a comp to Freese offensively but better defensively, signed for $52 million over four years last winter.

The Angels are not expected to make a serious run at keeping Freese. They acquired Kyle Kubitza with an eye on him being their everyday third baseman in 2016.

“I don’t worry about that,” Freese said. “There are so many things that can happen any day of the year. Front offices have their idea of the future. It’s not anything I’m worried about. My job is to go out this year and help the Angels win ballgames.”

TROUT AT DH

Trout got his second start of the season at designated hitter on Tuesday night. Kirk Niewenhuis started in center field. One of the reasons the Angels felt Nieuwenhuis could help is by providing a left-handed hitting backup center fielder, giving them more freedom to rest Trout. Previously, their only backup center fielder was right-handed hitting Collin Cowgill.

The break for Trout was warranted because the Angels on Wednesday will play their 20th consecutive game without an off day, the maximum allowed by the collective bargaining agreement. The first 10 included a three-city trip through Baltimore, Toronto and Boston.

"We're on a tough streak, not just the 20 games but that was a long tough trip, four games on turf (in Toronto)," Scioscia said. "We have another tough East Coast trip (starting Friday in New York). These guys need to get off their feet."

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Angels fans to debut the Calzone tonight

BY MARCIA C. SMITH

Tonight at Angel Stadium, the Angels fans in the right field stands who built the sign cities of “Matsuiland,” “Toriitown,” and most recently albeit briefly, “Hamiltown,” will unveil and hoist high some new letters to celebrate another Angel.

They will up signs for the “C-A-L-Z-O-N-E” in honor of Angel right fielder Kole Calhoun. Look for it in Section 237, Row M, when Calhoun takes right field to start the Angels game against Tampa Bay.

The debut comes on the same night the Angels promotional giveaway will be the Kole Calhoun visor, which includes a built-in red fuzzy wig, for the ginger-haired player.

Calhoun, in his second full season as an everyday outfielder, has become an impact player for the Angels, a team ambassador and a fan favorite for his all-out-hustle style.

Going into Tuesday’s game, the lefty batting Calhoun has a slash line of .270/.325/.438 with five home runs, eight doubles and 24 RBI. The Angels strongest arm in the outfield, Calhoun has also laid out to make several diving, Gold Glove-worthy catches.

“We consider Kole one of those guys that beat the odds to become a professional baseball player,” said Calzone leader Claude Bilodeau of Downey.

“He's young but he kind of has an old-school, hard-work-type approach.”

The signs will use a throwback Angels’ font from the mid-1990’s because “Kole reminds us of a young Tim Salmon roaming right field,” Bilodeau said.

Calhoun, officially listed as 5-foot-10, grew up in Phoenix, played junior college ball and graduated Arizona State University, going undrafted four times before becoming an Angel.

Often told by scouts that he was “too short and too slow,” Calhoun persevered. He told his against-the- odds story to a group of 1,900 at-risk students who got to attend Monday’s game as a reward for improved school attendance and behavior as part of the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP).

“I grew up in inner-city Phoenix, and it was pretty rough,” Calhoun told them. “I played sports, and that kept me out of trouble.”

Beginning tonight, Calhoun will have his own fan section, “Calzone,” behind him.

June 3, 2015 Page 10 of 26

Rays' Chris Archer ends Angels' five-game winning streak

BY JEFF FLETCHER

ANAHEIM – If you weren’t familiar with Tampa Bay Rays righty Chris Archer, allow Chris Iannetta to introduce you.

“He’s exceptional,” the Angels catcher said. “He should get a lot more notoriety than he does.”

The Angels were the unfortunate victims in Archer’s latest effort to carve out a national name for himself, striking out 15 times in a 6-1 loss to the Rays on Tuesday night.

“He’s one of the elite in the game and he had his good stuff,” Kole Calhoun said. “He throws extremely hard, spotted the ball up, threw his slider in some tough spots. He was on it.”

Archer, who lowered his ERA to 2.01, did not walk a batter. The only run he gave up was an historic homer from sizzling Albert Pujols.

That Pujols was the only Angels player who didn’t strike out said something about his hot streak.

“It speaks volumes,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “This guy, when he’s going, is in a class of his own. He’s swinging it right now.”

Pujols is swinging up the sport’s most famous leaderboard. His homer on Tuesday was the 534th of his career, tying Jimmie Foxx for 17th on the all-time list. Mickey Mantle, at 536, is next.

“The way Albert is going, every time he hits a home run there’s another baseball immortal he’s in the same sentence with,” Scioscia said before the game. “It’s exciting.”

He’s moving up the list, quickly, too.

It was Pujols’ sixth homer in six games, pulling him into the team lead with 14 homers. He had homered in three straight games, Thursday to Saturday, then hit two on Monday.

Pujols also lined out and hit deep fly balls to right and to center, the latter of which was only a few feet short of being another homer.

Other than Pujols, who hit a hanging slider from Archer, the Angels did almost nothing at the plate.

“He’s got great stuff,” Scioscia said. “You know going into the game that he’s got a power arm with a really good slider. Any looks we got at him, we missed some of the few mistakes he made. Albert didn’t miss one. Outside of that, he pitched a good game. He was just pounding the zone with good stuff.”

Archer buzzed through the lineup on 105 pitches, including 80 strikes.

C.J. Wilson, meanwhile, was almost as good for the first five innings. He gave up a two-run homer in the first when Logan Forsythe’s fly ball dropped into the second row, just inside the left field pole, about 350 feet from the plate. June 3, 2015 Page 11 of 26

“I don’t know how that stayed fair,” Scioscia said.

After that, Wilson retired 12 out of the next 13, striking out six, appearing to be firmly in control.

In the sixth, Wilson loaded the bases with two outs by hitting a batter and walking two. Jake Elmore then hit a sinking liner that barely eluded the diving Calhoun in right field, pushing in two runs. Asdrubal Cabrera followed with a clean single to give the Rays a 5-1 lead.

Wilson has now posted a 5.48 ERA in his last four starts, as his season has gone south since an outstanding start.

Wilson, believe it or not, said his problem lately has been that his stuff has been too lively, and he’s not able to corral it into the strike zone.

“I’m used to having a terrible changeup that just hangs, now this year all of the sudden it just keeps getting better and better,” Wilson said. “I need to learn to pitch with it a little better.”

On deck: Rays at Angels, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

BY JEFF FLETCHER

Where: Angel Stadium

TV: FSW, 7 p.m.

Did you know: The season will be exactly one-third complete after Wednesday’s game.

THE PITCHERS

LHP HECTOR SANTIAGO (4-3, 2.18)

Santiago has held opposing hitters to a .135 average with runners in scoring position, which is obviously one of the major keys to his success in preventing runs. That includes an average on balls in play (BABIP) of .179, though, which is probably unsustainably low. With the bases empty, opponents have hit .217 with a .259 BABIP.

Vs. Rays: 0-0, 7.71

At Angel Stadium: 4-6, 3.28

Loves to face: Asdrubal Cabrera, 2 for 9 (.222)

Hates to face: None

RHP NATHAN KARNS (3-2, 3.32)

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The 27-year-old former 12th-round pick is making the most at his first extended opportunity in a major league rotation. Ironically, he’s doing so after posting a 5.08 ERA in Triple-A last year, an outlier from his career 3.45 ERA in the minors. Karns has allowed an excellent rate of 6.3 hits per nine innings this year, but he’s also walked 3.8 batters per nine innings.

Vs. Angels: First game

At Angel Stadium: First game

FROM ANGELS.COM

More power to him: Freese feels good at plate

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The advancement of sabermetric statistics has created a generation of baseball pundits and fans who generally dismiss the importance of RBIs when it comes to evaluating the value of offensive players.

It's safe to say David Freese is not among them.

"RBIs and runs are big, because that's what wins games," the Angels third baseman said. "You have to outscore the opponent."

Freese is biased, of course.

He isn't getting on base at a high rate -- his on-base percentage is .288, 26 points below the Major League average -- but his power numbers are showing up in a big way.

Entering Tuesday's game against the Rays, Freese had nine home runs (one fewer than he hit all of last season) and 29 RBIs (15 more than he had at this point last year). His slugging percentage was .432, 50 points higher than his average the last two seasons. And he was on pace for 28 homers and 90 RBIs.

Freese hasn't sniffed that since his All-Star season in 2012, when he hit 20 home runs and drove in 79 for the Cardinals.

He felt it was in there, though.

"I don't want to talk about health too much because there's a lot more that is involved than just feeling good, but my legs feel good," Freese said. "I think it shows when I'm running a little bit and defensively. You use your legs to hit and you use your legs to slug. Right now I feel good."

Freese, 32, had bone spurs removed from his left foot over the offseason and entered his final season before free agency in better shape. His batting average is still stuck at .237 and he's walking a career low June 3, 2015 Page 13 of 26

5.8 percent of the time. But Freese's hard-hit rate of 35.1 percent -- available on FanGraphs -- trails only Mike Trout for the team lead, and he sports an .822 OPS with runners in scoring position.

"You don't want to look at numbers, you don't want to chase numbers; that'll make for a long season," said Freese, who entered Tuesday with nine hits in his last 21 at-bats. "But when you're doing stuff to help the team, especially on a consistent basis, you'll be a lot happier with what you're doing."

Worth noting

• Trout made his second start at designated hitter on Tuesday. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he just wanted to get his superstar center fielder off his feet, with the Angels winding down a stretch of 20 games in 20 days. Kirk Nieuwenhuis started Tuesday's game in center field.

• The Angels gave away Kole Calhoun-themed visors on Tuesday, topped with fake red hair. Asked about the chances of wearing one of those at the beach this summer, Scioscia quipped: "Same percentage chance of me being on the beach."

• Matt Shoemaker visited Olive Elementary School in Anaheim on Tuesday morning as part of the Angels' Adopt-A-School program, which is in its seventh year. Each year, the Angels work with the Orange County Department of Education to identify five high schools and four elementary schools to adopt.

The Angels Baseball Foundation then donates $2,000 to each school and provides a supply pack to each child. The foundation also provides $2,500 to assist the school's baseball and softball programs, as well as a donation of Angels tickets to be used as part of the school's incentive programs.

Angels unable to solve electric Archer

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels were feeling good entering Tuesday, while coming off a four-homer game that put their season-best winning streak at five games. But then they ran into the electric Chris Archer, who put them in their place with 15 strikeouts and led the Rays to a 6-1 victory at Angel Stadium.

Archer gave up only an Albert Pujols home run -- the 534th of his career to move him into a tie for 17th all-time -- while pitching eight innings of one-run ball, walking none and setting a career high in strikeouts. The 26-year-old right-hander was five days removed from a 12-strikeout performance in eight scoreless innings against the Mariners and tied James Shields (Oct. 2, 2012) for the most strikeouts in a game in Rays history.

His ERA is down to 2.01.

"He should get a lot more notoriety than he does," Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said. "Good guy, goes about his business the right way, looks like he has really good work ethic, great demeanor on the mound, doesn't show anybody up, very professional out there. It's evident in his ability to execute pitches." June 3, 2015 Page 14 of 26

The Rays entered 25th in the Majors in runs, but scraped across five against C.J. Wilson in the first six innings. Logan Forsythe hooked a two-run homer around the left-field foul pole in the first and Jake Elmore and Asdrubal Cabrera notched big two-out singles in the sixth, helping the Rays capture their third win in the last four games.

"We talked about getting an early lead. Logan providing the big home run in the first inning," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "That was nice. Because you don't want to let a pitcher like C.J. Wilson kind of set in a groove."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Loaded for Elmore: The Rays clung to a 2-1 lead with two out in the sixth and the bases loaded. Wilson fell behind 2-0 to Elmore when his third pitch came in high. Home-plate umpire Pat Hoberg called strike one. Elmore shook his head while Rays manager Kevin Cash fumed in the Rays' dugout. Then Elmore singled to right to drive home two and put the Rays up, 4-1. Kole Calhoun almost ended the inning with a diving catch.

Pujols keeps raking: Pujols' solo homer in the fourth gave him six home runs in his last six games and a team-best 14. He now has 534 for his career, tying Jimmie Foxx for 17th on the all-time list, and is on pace for 43 this season. The 35-year-old first baseman was batting .375 over his previous eight games and was the only Angels player who even had a chance against Archer on Tuesday. Pujols also lined into a double play in the first, toward the shift, and flied out to the edge of the warning track in center field to end the eighth.

Forsythe delivers: Batting against Wilson in the first with Joey Butler on first and two outs, Forsythe hit a home run over the wall in left to stake the Rays to a 2-0 lead. Forsythe has reached base in 21 of his last 22 games. Five of his six home runs this season have come against left-handers. The six home runs match a single-season high for Forsythe.

Recent struggles: If Forsythe's home run doesn't sneak over the short fence in left field, or if Calhoun extends an inch or two further to rob Elmore, Tuesday plays out a whole lot differently. But as it stands, Wilson gave up five runs in six innings and has now allowed 14 runs -- on 23 hits, 13 walks and 23 strikeouts -- over his last 23 innings. In that span, his ERA has jumped from 2.62 to 3.55. "If you go through a whole lineup and you give up one hard-hit ball, you feel pretty good about yourself in general," Wilson said. "It just [stinks] that I gave up four free baserunners tonight with the hit-by-pitch and the walks."

QUOTABLE

"The way he's pitching right now I would certainly say he would be the ace of any staff. You can take his numbers and probably put them up against anybody in baseball." -- Cash, when asked if Archer is becoming an ace

"One day I can look back and say, 'What a career.' But it's hard for me to stay focused on that. I know the people in front of me because people bring it up to me all the time. It's a blessing to accomplish that. I have to acknowledge that. But at the same time, I have to block that out." -- Pujols, on continuing to move up the home-run list June 3, 2015 Page 15 of 26

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Archer became the first Rays pitcher in team history to strike out at least 12 in back-to-back games. He struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced, including five in a row, and has 27 strikeouts in his last two games. His 97 strikeouts are the most by a Rays player through his team's first 53 games. Archer passed Indians ace Corey Kluber for the Major League lead in strikeouts.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Edgar Ibarra, signed out of Venezuela at the age of 16 and in the Minors for the last 10 years, pitched two hitless innings in his Major League debut, walking one and striking out two. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Ibarra is "definitely further along than we saw in Spring Training. He's come a long way."

WHAT'S NEXT

Rays: Nate Karns (3-2, 3.32 ERA) will make his 11th start of the season at 10:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday. The right-hander has enjoyed a big turnaround. In his first four starts, he was 1-1 with a 5.32 ERA. Over his last six starts he is 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA. He is 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three road starts this season.

Angels: Hector Santiago (4-3, 2.18 ERA) starts opposite Karns in the series finale (7:10 p.m. PT), taking the ball with the lowest ERA in the Angels' rotation. The 27-year-old left-hander won the fifth spot in Spring Training and has since given up two runs or fewer in seven of 10 starts. Santiago pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings against the Tigers on Friday.

Grateful Pujols ties for 17th with 534th homer

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The seasons keep marching on and the names keep dropping off. Next will be Jimmie Foxx, No. 17 on the all-time home run list. Albert Pujols tied him with a fourth-inning solo shot on Tuesday night, his sixth homer in the last six days and the only blemish for electric Rays starter Chris Archer in the Angels' 6-1 loss.

Pujols is now at 534 career home runs, a number not even his innate tunnel vision can avoid reflecting on.

"I never thought in my life that when I got to the big leagues I was going to have half the home runs I have hit," said Pujols, who is two homers behind Mickey Mantle for 16th place. "I thank the lord for giving me the talent to be able to play this game, and to give me the strength and the power. I know the last four years have been tough with injuries and going through the things that I'm going through, but I never give up. I just work hard every day to give the best that I can give to my teammates and to the fans."

That's one thing Angels manager Mike Scioscia has noticed about Pujols, now 35 and nearing the midway point of his 15th season. It's a trait Pujols' longtime skipper, Tony La Russa, continually June 3, 2015 Page 16 of 26 referenced when talking about what set the nine-time All-Star apart from the mere mortals of this game. And it's something Scioscia referenced late Tuesday night, when asked if Pujols ever shows excitement, even when he's on a tear like this one.

"During the game, he's thinking about one thing -- us winning a ballgame, and what he needs to do to win a ballgame," Scioscia said. "That's what he's consumed with, and I think that's what makes him special."

Shortly after reaching the 500-home run club, Pujols had platinum, diamond-encrusted medallion necklaces made. He kept one for himself, and wears it frequently these days, and handed the others to his children. Asked recently about what he'd do if he reached 600, Pujols laughed and tried his best to ignore the thought.

That may come, too.

Pujols' latest homer -- on a 1-1 slider that didn't break low enough -- gave him a team-leading 14 on the year and put him on pace for 43 this season, which would represent his highest total since 2009. It would also put his career mark at 563, which would tie Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson for 13th.

If he averaged 20 homers over the final six years of his 10-year, $240 million contract, he could finish as high as fourth on the all-time list, behind only Barry Bonds, and .

"One day I can look back and say, 'What a career,'" Pujols said. "But it's hard for me to stay focused on that. I know the people in front of me because people bring it up to me all the time. It's a blessing to accomplish that. I have to acknowledge that. But at the same time, I have to block that out."

Pujols was the only Angels player who even stood a chance against Archer, who struck out 15 batters and walked zero in eight innings of one-run ball. Pujols entered batting .375 over his last eight games, then lined into a double play, homered, flied out to right and flied out to the edge of the warning track in center field, missing his 15th home run by a couple of feet.

He was the only Angels starter Archer didn't strike out.

"I'm getting better luck," said Pujols, his batting average still stuck at .254. "If you look all year long, I've hit some balls hard. Sooner or later, if you continue to do that, you're going to find some holes." Pujols was uncommonly reflective late Tuesday night.

He recalled how La Russa questioned him as a rookie, by asking him if he'd rather have a .300 batting average or hit 30 homers -- before knowing Pujols would do both for 10 straight years.

"I went for the 30 homers," Pujols said. "Rookie mistake."

He talked about Mike Trout.

"Ten or 15 years from now," Pujols said, "you guys are going to talk to him about reaching 500." And he talked about enjoying the moment.

June 3, 2015 Page 17 of 26

"Our life is like numbers," Pujols said. "You don't even know if you're going to wake up tomorrow. You have to enjoy every moment. So I don't like to plan, I don't like to think about what can happen. I just let things happen."

Karns, Santiago out to settle Rays-Halos series

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

Angels left-hander Hector Santiago and Rays righty Nate Karns, both in the middle of solid runs on the mound, will finish off the clubs' three-game series in the rubber game at Angel Stadium on Wednesday night.

Santiago will be looking for his sixth straight quality start. In his last five starts, dating to May 7, Santiago has a 1.35 ERA and a .190 batting average against him in 33 1/3 innings. His most recent start was his best of the year -- 7 1/3 shutout innings on three hits with seven strikeouts against the Tigers.

Karns hasn't allowed two runs or more in six straight starts, dating to April 27, and he's posted a 1.89 ERA and a .195 batting average against over that span, also in 33 1/3 innings. Like Santiago's, Karns' last outing was a scoreless one -- six one-hit innings against the Orioles.

Things to know about this game

• Albert Pujols' next home run will move him past Jimmie Foxx into sole possession of 17th place on the all-time list after the Angels first baseman tied Foxx with career homer No. 534 on Tuesday, his sixth long ball in six days.

• Rays outfielder Mikie Mahtook, called up from Triple-A Durham after Monday's series opener, started Tuesday's game in center and could continue to see playing time with the Rays facing four straight left- handed starters, including Santiago on Wednesday.

FROM THE LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS

Angels manager Mike Scioscia enjoying watching Mike Trout and Albert Pujols make history

By Robert Morales

The sky appears to be the limit for Angels center fielder Mike Trout. First baseman Albert Pujols has already reached the sky as he is destined for the Hall of Fame. Yet, he has yet to reach the heights he will.

June 3, 2015 Page 18 of 26

Trout earlier this season became the youngest player to steal 100 bases and hit 100 home runs at 23 years and 253 days old. Pujols on Monday hit two home runs to bring his career mark to 533, just one shy of No. 17 Jimmie Foxx (534) and three shy of No. 16 Mickey Mantle (536) on the all-time list.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia has a job to do, so he can’t get too caught up in that hoopla. But he does allow himself time to take it all in.

“Well, I think outside of when you let yourself kind of look around the peripheral out of the day-to-day focus of managing, it’s an exciting time to watch a guy like Mike Trout and see what he’s doing and the names that he’s being compared with early in his career, the way he matches up,” Scioscia said Tuesday prior to his team taking on the Tampa Bay Rays at Angel Stadium.

“And then what Albert’s doing, every time he hits a home run, there’s another baseball immortal that he’s in the same sentence with. It’s fun, it’s exciting.”

Pujols, 35, homered in four of the previous five games before Tuesday. He hit just .208 in April but .271 in May. Including the three hits he had Monday, he raised his average to .254.

“Albert, he’s a special player and when he finds it, he usually keeps it for a long time,” Scioscia said. “He’s a guy that takes pressure off a lot of other guys in the lineup because he’ll break open a game early and we’ve seen that this (past) week.”

Pujols said he’s not doing a thing differently.

“I haven’t changed anything,” he said after Monday’s victory. “I’ve been taking the same approach I’ve been taking for the 16 years that I’ve been a professional.”

IMPRESSIVE HOMER

Any home run that travels 427 feet is noteworthy. But Trout’s three-run blast in the third inning Monday that went that far was even more so because it came on a pitch at the knees on an 0-2 count. To be able to do what he did with that pitch from Alex Colome was eye-popping.

“I had been a little jumpy my first couple of at-bats and I just tried to simplify the swing, just try to use my hands and I got a pitch, a slider and I (saw) it pretty good and put a barrel on it,” Trout said, explaining the at-bat.

Trout had actually only had one at-bat prior to the home run, not two. He struck out in that first at-bat in the first inning.

TROUT AT DH

Trout was the designated hitter in Tuesday’s game instead of in center field. Scioscia assured reporters that Trout is fine.

“Just (to) get him off his feet,” Scioscia said. “It’s just really maintenance.”

June 3, 2015 Page 19 of 26

THIS AND THAT

Former Angels relief pitcher Ernesto Frieri was designated for assignment by the Rays after Monday’s game. He had a 4.63 ERA in 22 appearances. ... After Wednesday’s series finale, the Angels will have Thursday off and then hit the road for three games against the and three against the Rays.

Albert Pujols hits No. 534, but Angels shut down by Rays’ Chris Archer in 6-1 loss

By Robert Morales

The Angels took a five-game winning streak into their game Tuesday night against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. Being that it began when the Angels were just 23-24, it could be the team’s confidence is at a season high.

“I don’t know about the highest it’s been all year,” manager Mike Scioscia before Game 2 of the three- game series. “We’ve gone through some stretches where we did some things well, but right now it’s encouraging because we’re past the kind of cutting-your-baby-teeth part of the season and we get into the meat of it, and you want to be playing well and right now we are.”

As the saying goes, you can’t win them all.

The Rays broke open a one-run game with three runs in the sixth inning and went on to defeat the Angels 6-1 before 28,771 at Angel Stadium.

C.J. Wilson and the Angels were trailing just 2-1 entering the sixth. But Wilson hit a batter and walked two to load the bases, and Tampa Bay capitalized with a two-run single to right by Jake Elmore and an RBI single by right by Asdrubal Cabrera for a 5-1 lead.

Right fielder Kole Calhoun made a diving try of Elmore’s hit, but couldn’t come up with it.

The way the Rays’ hard-throwing right-hander Chris Archer was throwing, that inning for all intents and purposes sealed the Angels’ fate. Archer struck out a franchise-tying 15 and became the first pitcher in Rays history to have at least 12 strikeouts in back-to-back starts. James Shields struck out 15 for the Rays in 2012.

Archer (6-4) picked up the victory. He pitched eight innings and allowed just one run and six hits — one of them an eighth-inning double by Erick Aybar lost in the lights — and did not walk a batter. He lowed his ERA to 2.01.

The Angels (28-25) fell five games behind first-place Houston in the AL West. The Rays (27-26) began the night a game behind the Yankees in the AL East and the Yankees were losing late.

Archer wasn’t too good to slow down the locomotive that has been Albert Pujols of late. Having hit five home runs in his past five games coming in — he had two Monday — Pujols belted one over the left- field fence with one out in the bottom of the fourth to get the Angels within 2-1. June 3, 2015 Page 20 of 26

It was career home run No. 534 for Pujols, who is now tied with Jimmie Foxx for 17th-place all-time.

Pujols, the only Angels player not struck out by Archer, took Archer to the center-field wall in the eighth with a runner on, but Mikie Mahtook made the catch for the final out of the inning.

Archer had 10 strikeouts through five innings. His fastball was heating up to 97 miles per hour. He struck out the side in the second and third innings and by that time he had seven strikeouts. He had 12 strikeouts in eight innings pitched in his previous start against Seattle on May 27.

Archer struck out Mike Trout three times.

Wilson had pitched well until the sixth, having given up just a two-run home run in the first inning to Logan Forsythe that went just inside the left-field foul pole. Wilson (3-4) took the loss. He allowed five earned runs on four hits, striking out seven, walking three and hitting a batter. His ERA rose from 3.18 to 3.55.

The defensive play of the game came in the Rays’ half of the sixth. With Brandon Guyer on first after being hit by a pitch, Joey Butler ripped one into the hole at shortstop. Aybar went quickly to his right to a quick slide, got up and whipped a throw to Johnny Giavotella for a force on Guyer.

Angels left-hander Edgar Ibarra made his major-league debut after nine-plus innings in the minor leagues. He pitched two scoreless innings.

Tampa Bay added an insurance run in the ninth on an RBI single by Rene Rivera.

The series finale will pit Nathan Karns (3-2, 3.32 ERA) of the Rays against the Angels’ Hector Santiago (4- 3, 2.18) on Wednesday. First pitch is 7:05 p.m.

FROM FOX SPORTS WEST

Pujols moves up HR list with 534th, says it's 'very special'

By Jill Painter Lopez

Every one of the 500 home runs Albert Pujols hit to join that prestigious club is important to him. You can tell in the jewelry he wears around his neck every day.

The 35-year-old Pujols has a silver chain with a tag that reads "500 home run club," and has the silhouette of a batter over a star. He wears it on the outside of his shirt.

The 34 that followed, the latest coming Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, are vastly important well.You can't see it in his celebration, but that satisfaction and pride and joy is there.

June 3, 2015 Page 21 of 26

When Rays pitcher Chris Archer dominated the Angels lineup to the tune of 15 strikeouts, Pujols hit home run No. 534, a shot to left field in the fourth inning. He was the only batter in the starting lineup who didn't strike out at least once.

He tied Jimmie Foxx with 534 career home runs to move into a tie for 17th on the all-time career home run list.

"It's very special, obviously," Pujols said. "I never thought in my life when I got to the big leagues that I was going to have half of the home runs I've hit. I thank the Lord for giving me the God-given talent to play this game and to give me the strength and the power. I know the last four years have been tough with injuries and going through the things I've gone through, but I never give up. I work hard every day and to give the best I can to the teammates and the fans."

Pujols had the only bat that was working Tuesday as the Angels' five-game winning streak came to an end with a 6-1 loss to Tampa at Angel Stadium.

Pujols is on a tear and is leading the way as the Angels have emerged from their offensive slump. He's hit six home runs in his last six games, and he moved into the team lead in home runs for the Angels with 14. Mike Trout has 13.

After the game, Pujols talked extensively about his career. He doesn't like to focus on where he is on the career list and answer questions each time he passes a Hall of Famer, but he appreciates it.

"... You guys focus on the individual accomplishment," Pujols said. "To me, it's about helping this ballclub to win. One day, I can look back when I retire and say, 'Wow, what a career.' It's hard for me to stay focused on that. I know the guys in front of me. People bring it up all the time. It's a blessing and great accomplishment. I have to acknowledge that. At the same time, I have to block that out and come here and flip the page and be ready to play and hopefully try to win this series."

His teammates know what a big deal every time one of Pujols' shots leave the ballpark. They show more exhuberance than Pujols does, but that doesn't mean Pujols appreciates it any less. Some don't let you see them sweat. Pujols doesn't let you see him rejoice.

"It's different for everybody. Some people jump up and down," catcher Chris Iannetta said. "Some people smile. You can tell there's an energy about him. He's truly savoring the moment, whatever that may be. He's a competitor. When you see competitors succeed, they get an adrenalin rush in various ways. You'll see it manifest in different people in different ways. With Albert, it's pretty subdued on the outside, but if you're around him enough you can tell. You can definitely tell he's feeling it right now."

Pujols has 14 home runs and 27 RBI for the Angels (28-24). He's batting .254 in 50 games, only three games fewer than Trout. Pujols has battled tweaks to his hamstring and groin, most recently, so sometimes manager Mike Scioscia has made him the designated hitter and given him a break from playing first base.

Last year, when Pujols reached 500 home runs, he said it took him two months to thank everyone he wanted to reach out to, from childhood friends to former teammates. There's been so many players who have been instrumental in his career.

June 3, 2015 Page 22 of 26

"I think if I started dropping names we're going to be here forever," Pujols said with a chuckle. "But a few guys like Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Placido Polanco, who is my best friend, I mean I talked to him the other day about hitting ... There's a Hall of Fame manager like Tony La Russa, who really since Day One he throws at me and asked me a little question.

"And I obviously made a rookie mistake. He asked me if I prefer to hit .300 or 30 homers and obviously I went for the 30 homers and he was like, 'um, rookie mistake.' And I realize later on, if you can hit .300 in this league you'll be able to drive more runs and put the ball more in play and your homers are going to be there."

Pujols never gets a break from being a star, even though Trout's star is shining so brightly from the other side of the clubhouse. Trout is the reigning AL MVP, but he's also considered to be the new face of baseball.

That means things are changing for Pujols. Twice on this 10-game homestand, Trout has been intentionally walked to get to Pujols.

It's an interesting situation or predicament, however one wants to look at it, for Pujols.

On Monday, Pujols was asked how much fun it is to watch Trout, and he said how it's fun to watch everybody on the team and that "this is not the Mike Trout show." He went on to talk about how much he loves Trout, his work ethic.

And really, right now it's the Albert Pujols show, at least at the plate. He's hitting for power and has added to that home run total every day for the last six days.

Pujols called Trout his "shadow" and said he's always asking him questions. The two are friends and Pujols believes Trout will be in the 500 club conversation one day. This season, Trout became the youngest player to reach 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases at 23 years old.

"Yeah, it's great to have a great career but at the end of the day, what's the legacy that you leave behind to a young player like Trout who's probably going to be in the Hall of Fame, too, when he's done," Pujols said. "Ten years, 15 years from now you'll be talking to him about reaching 500, probably 600 home runs if he can stay healthy. .. .However I can help, that's my job as a veteran guy to help those guys out, the same way so many guys, great players, have done for my career and continue to do."

And if he ever wants to pause and reflect about the significance of all those home runs he's hit, away from the dugout celebrations by his teammates, he can look down at his chest and see that "500 home run club" chain. And realize how special it's all been and continues to be.

It's 534 and counting.

June 3, 2015 Page 23 of 26

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Albert Pujols ties Jimmie Foxx on all-time HR list

Albert Pujols of the hit career home run No. 534 on Tuesday, tying Jimmie Foxx for 17th place on the all-time list and moving two behind Mickey Mantle.

Pujols connected on a 418-foot solo shot to left field off Rays starter Chris Archer in the fourth inning off the Angels' 6-1 loss. And he did it in his 8,134th big league at-bat -- the exact same number that Foxx finished his career with.

It was Pujols' sixth homer in as many games. It also was the 1,118th extra-base hit for the three-time NL MVP, edging him past Foxx and into sole possession of 16th place in that department and putting him within one of George Brett.

"Every time he hits a home run, there's another immortal he's in the same sentence with," Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters. "It's fun. It's exciting."

Pujols leads the Angels and is fourth in the American League with 14 home runs this season.

"When he gets going, he's in a class of his own," Scioscia told reporters. "He's on everything."

Archer ties Rays record with 15 Ks in 6-1 win over Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Chris Archer was in the zone in more ways than one, toying with the Los Angeles Angels' hitters with his fastball and slider to a point where they didn't know what to swing at. And when they did, they usually missed.

Archer tied a franchise record with 15 strikeouts over eight innings, overcoming another milestone home run by Albert Pujols and leading the Rays to a 6-1 victory Tuesday night. He didn't realize what he had done until teammate Evan Longoria approached him after he had been taken out of the game.

"I had no clue," the 26-year-old right-hander said of his strikeout total. "Longo told me after I finished the eighth: 'Congrats on tying the franchise record.' I knew that I struck out quite a few people, but my focus was 60 feet, 6 inches away each individual pitch. I'm just happy I can go out there and give the team quality innings and save the bullpen a little bit."

Joc Pederson and Joey Gallo both hit dramatic home runs and top (sort of) Tuesday's power rankings. Archer (6-4) matched the 15 strikeouts James Shields had on Oct. 2, 2012 in a complete-game 1-0 loss to Baltimore. He did not walk a batter, throwing 80 of his 105 pitches for strikes and allowing six hits.

"Getting people out in the big leagues, whether it's a strikeout, popup, ground ball, a missile to the shortstop, it all feels the same," said Archer, who fanned reigning AL MVP Mike Trout three times. "If you're out there counting strikeouts, either you're really desperate for them or you're just so out-of- this-planet good that the game is easy. I was in the moment.

June 3, 2015 Page 24 of 26

"It all stems from fastball command," he added. "They take bad swings at the slider because you're in the zone with the heater so much. And when they're thinking slider, you can go heater."

Archer won his third straight decision, becoming the first Ray with at least 12 strikeouts in consecutive outings. Last Wednesday, he pitched eight innings of two-hit ball in his duel with Seattle's Felix Hernandez and wound up with a no-decision in Tampa Bay's 3-0 loss.

Archer struck out the side on 12 pitches in the second inning. He fanned his first two in the third before Johnny Giavotella singled off the pitcher's leg and continued to second when Jake Elmore -- making his third career start at first base -- dropped the throw from third baseman Longoria on the ricochet. Archer overcame Elmore's error by striking out Erick Aybar.

"He was exceptional. He's definitely one of the best pitchers in the game," Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said. "He throws a mid-90s fastball that can touch 97 and 98 on some of his good days, and his slider speaks for itself. Even his mistakes are really hard to hit."

Pujols tied Jimmie Foxx for 17th place on the career home run list with his 534th, putting him two behind Mickey Mantle. And he did it in his 8,134th big league at-bat -- the exact same number that Foxx finished his career with.

Pujols' solo shot in the fourth inning was his sixth homer in as many games. It also was the 1,118th extra-base hit for the three-time NL MVP, edging him past Foxx and Ted Williams into sole possession of 16th place in that department and putting him within one of George Brett.

C.J. Wilson (3-4) gave up five runs, four hits and three walks in six innings and struck out seven. The left- hander, coming off a 12-2 win over Detroit last Thursday, hasn't won consecutive starts since last September.

Logan Forsythe opened the scoring in the first, driving a 1-0 pitch into the lower seats in the left field corner with two outs after a single by Joey Butler. Forsythe has hit exactly six home runs in each of his last four seasons, none with more than one man on base.

The Rays did not get another hit until the sixth, when Elmore drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single after Wilson plunked Brandon Guyer to open the inning and issued two two-out walks. Cabrera capped the rally with an RBI single that increased Tampa Bay's lead to 5-1.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: RHP Kirby Yates, sidelined because of a strained right pectoral muscle, is expected to pitch one inning in a rehab outing with Single-A Charlotte on Thursday after throwing an inning in an expended string training game on Monday. ... LHP Matt Moore is on tap to throw 50 pitches Wednesday for Charlotte in a rehab game while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

UP NEXT

Rays: Rookie RHP Nathan Karns (3-2) pitched six innings of one-hit ball last Friday at Baltimore and left with a 1-0 lead, but had to settle for a no-decision.

June 3, 2015 Page 25 of 26

Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (4-3) is 2-0 in his last five starts at home, allowing three earned runs in 31 innings.

Rays-Angels Preview

Hector Santiago and Nathan Karns were pitching in Triple-A at this time last year hoping to get another shot to prove they belonged in a major league rotation.

No one is arguing that fact now.

They'll oppose each other Wednesday night in Anaheim when Santiago's Los Angeles Angels conclude a three-game set against Karns and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Santiago's struggles followed him to the minors in 2014 after being demoted in mid-May. He finished the year with the Angels (28-25) after returning June 10, going 6-9 with a 3.75 ERA in 24 starts and six relief appearances before signing a one-year, $2.29 million contract in the offseason to avoid arbitration.

That appears to be a bargain.

Santiago (4-3, 2.18 ERA) had his best outing of the season Friday, giving up three hits and striking out seven in 7 1/3 innings of a 2-0 win over Detroit. He's 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA over his last five and has the lowest ERA of anyone in the Angels' rotation.

"That's about as strong an effort as we've seen from Hector," manager Mike Scioscia said. "That's a great outing to pitch that deep against that lineup, especially with all the tough right-handed hitters they have."

The left-hander improved to 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA over his last five home starts, but Karns enters this matchup 1-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three road outings after giving up one hit in six scoreless innings of Tampa Bay's 2-1 loss to Baltimore on Friday.

Karns (3-2, 3.32), who made three starts with Washington in 2013 and two with the Rays last season after coming over in an offseason trade, has given up two runs or fewer in eight of nine outings since allowing six to the Orioles in his first start April 7.

The right-hander went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA in five May starts but wasn't happy when he was pulled after throwing 87 pitches Friday.

"I want to go out there even if I have like 120 pitches," Karns said. "That's just (being) a starter. We want to go as long as we can, and we kind of take pride in that."

Karns has never faced the Angels, who had a five-game winning streak snapped with Tuesday's 6-1 defeat. Chris Archer fanned a franchise record-tying 15 in eight innings, allowing only a fourth-inning homer to Albert Pujols.

June 3, 2015 Page 26 of 26

It marked the 534th career homer for Pujols, who tied Jimmie Foxx for 17th all-time. He has six homers in as many games -- including two in Monday's 7-3 victory -- while batting .391 in that stretch.

The Rays (27-26) have won three of four following a six-game skid. Logan Forsythe went 2 for 14 over his previous four before hitting a two-run homer in the first inning Tuesday.

Evan Longoria went hitless, though, and is 2 for 20 over his last six following a 10-game hitting streak. He's 3 for 3 with a double against Santiago, who hasn't faced the Rays since allowing four runs in relief April 27, 2013, while with the .

This marks the second of four straight that Tampa Bay will be facing a left-handed starter. The Rays are hitting .254 against lefties compared to .240 versus righties.