Clips (June 3, 2015)
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June 3, 2015 Page 1 of 26 Clips (June 3, 2015) June 3, 2015 Page 2 of 26 Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Angels struggle to connect with Chris Archer in 6-1 loss Albert Pujols 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 Jimmie Foxx 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 home 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 pitcher 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 hitting streak 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 Barry Bonds 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. June 3, 2015 Page 4 of 26 "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 catcher 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), Harmon Killebrew (573), Rafael Palmeiro (569), Reggie Jackson (563), Manny Ramirez (555), Mike Schmidt (548) and Mickey Mantle (536). Pujols is 97 home runs from catching Willie Mays 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 third baseman his entire professional career. But with his bat struggling and the Inland Empire 66ers 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. June 3, 2015 Page 6 of 26 Becoming a switch-hitting utility infielder, however, is something that could rekindle hopes of getting Cowart to the majors.