September 22, 2017 Page 1 of 27
Clips
(September 22, 2017)
September 22, 2017 Page 2 of 27
Today’s Clips Contents
FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIME (Page 3)
Francisco Lindor and the Indians deal a big blow to Angels’ playoff hopes
Column: It’s time now for major league teams to expand netting to protect fans as much as possible
FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 6)
Miller: Mike Trout could use a little help as Angels spin out of control
Once again, Angels can’t find a way to beat sizzling Indians
Angels Notes: Andrew Heaney feeling good about progress, but time running short
FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 11)
Halos ‘still in it,’ look to shift momentum
Angels fall to Tribe, slip in Wild Card race
Richards set to stretch out as Halos seek WC
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)
Lindor hits another homer, Indians get 27th win in 28 games
FROM ESPN.COM (Page 17)
Real or not? Brewers fans will remember gut-punch loss to the Cubs
FROM YAHOO! SPORTS (Page 20)
Highlights of Thursday’s MLB games
Angels look to halt Houston starters’ domination
Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians belt Los Angeles Angels
FROM THE WASHINGTON POST (Page 25)
Four MLB teams announce plans for more safety netting after young girls’ injury September 22, 2017 Page 3 of 27
FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Francisco Lindor and the Indians deal a big blow to Angels’ playoff hopes
By Mike DiGiovanna
The Angels have run out of duct tape trying to hold their team together, somehow remaining in playoff contention despite an endless string of injuries that has depleted their roster.
Those postseason hopes were punctured on Thursday by the scorching-hot Cleveland Indians, who rode shortstop Francisco Lindor’s tiebreaking, three-run fifth-inning homer to a 4-1 victory before an announced crowd of 29,863 in Angel Stadium that appeared about half that size.
With a three-game sweep, the American League Central-champion Indians have won 27 of 28 games since Aug. 24, a stretch that included a 22-game win streak that was the second-longest in major league history.
“Man, what have they won, 27 of 28? It’s a joke. It’s unbelievable,” Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun said. “It wasn’t our day. It wasn’t our series. Every hop went their way, and when you’re hot, you’re hot.”
When you’re not, you’re the Angels, who have lost four straight for the first time since mid-April. Faint as it is, the Angels still have a pulse. They trail Minnesota by 2 1/2 games for the second wild-card spot.
But now the days grow short, as Frank Sinatra would sing, and the Angels are in the autumn of the year. Only 10 games remain, and they must find a way out of this mini-funk if they are to reach the wild-card game.
“We can’t look to see what the Twins are doing,” center fielder Mike Trout said. “It doesn’t matter if they win or lose, we have to win.”
A potential road block lies ahead. The Angels open a three-game series at AL West-champion Houston and tough right-hander Justin Verlander on Friday night.
After four games against the lowly White Sox in Chicago next week, they’ll close with three home games against the fading Seattle Mariners.
“We still have to go out and play loose,” Calhoun said, “but there has to be a sense of urgency, for sure.”
That feeling of desperation hit the Angels in the fifth inning of a 1-1 game on Thursday when Yan Gomes led off with a popup to shallow right-center field.
Brandon Phillips ran back from second base. Trout raced in from center but couldn’t find the ball in the sun. Calhoun rushed in from right and made a late call for the ball, which clanged off the heel of his glove for a single. September 22, 2017 Page 4 of 27
Giovanny Urshela lined a single off the glove of leaping shortstop Andrelton Simmons. After Erik Gonzalez bunted into a fielder’s choice, Lindor crushed a 91-mph Parker Bridwell fastball, sending his 32nd homer — and second tiebreaking shot in two days — into the shrubs beyond the center-field wall for a 4-1 lead.
Lindor’s two-run shot snapped a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s 6-5 win.
“There were a lot of things involved — there was wind, there was sun, there was positioning,” manager Mike Scioscia said of Gomes’ hit. “It was kind of in the Bermuda Triangle, and Kole was the guy at the last second who had the best run at it. He went a long way for the ball and couldn’t get to it.”
Said Calhoun: “Nobody was really calling for it. I tried to give it my best effort, but the ball was out there in no-man’s land.”
Thursday’s game started well for the Angels. They took their first lead in six games against the Indians this season when Trout walked with one out in the first and scored on Albert Pujols’ two-out double to left-center off starter Danny Salazar, giving Pujols 98 RBIs on the season.
Had Phillips not been gunned down by Cleveland right fielder Jay Bruce trying to stretch a leadoff single into a double, the Angels would have scored twice.
Two pitches into the second, the lead was gone. Edwin Encarnacion drove a hanging curve from Bridwell into the left-field seats for his 37th homer and a 1-1 tie.
The Angels threatened off reliever Andrew Miller in the seventh when Calhoun walked, Simmons reached on an infield single and Luis Valbuena walked to load the bases with one out.
But Miller, the 6-foot-7 left-hander who has been slowed since early August by right-knee tendinitis, struck out C.J. Cron on three pitches, the second a slider in the dirt and the third an elevated 95-mph fastball. Martin Maldonado then struck out on three pitches, the last an inside slider, and the rally fizzled.
“They’re a terrific club, they’re deep in a lot of areas,” Scioscia said. “When you open up the door for a good team like that, you’re pretty sure they’re going to take advantage, and they did this afternoon.”
Short hops
Former closer Bud Norris will start Saturday in Houston in place of the injured Andrew Heaney, the right-hander’s second start in nine days. Norris gave up one hit in two scoreless innings of a 7-6 win over Texas last Friday night, a game in which the Angels used seven relievers. … Heaney, sidelined since Sept. 9 because of shoulder soreness, played catch Thursday and hopes to throw off a mound this weekend. … Third baseman Yunel Escobar, out since Aug. 8 because of an oblique strain, will travel to Arizona to face live pitching in instructional league games next week in hopes of returning for the final week. … Maldonado caught his major league-leading 131st game Thursday, the most by an Angels catcher since Lance Parrish’s 131 in 1990. September 22, 2017 Page 5 of 27
Column: It’s time now for major league teams to expand netting to protect fans as much as possible
By Helene Elliott
The television is almost always on in baseball clubhouses, though players rarely do more than glance at the screen while they go about their pregame routines. But images on Wednesday from Yankee Stadium, where a young girl was hit in the face with a foul ball, disrupted the Angels’ routines and drew their fearful attention.
“A few of us in here saw it and quickly said a prayer for her. That’s scary stuff,” pitcher Matt Shoemaker said Thursday. “I’m actually glad they didn’t cover it a lot on the news and show that stuff a lot. They showed it once, in passing.” The girl, who has not been identified, was struck by a line drive off the bat of New York Yankees third baseman Todd Frazier and down the third-base line at an estimated 105 miles per hour. Frazier and his teammates were distraught while medical personnel tended to her and transported her to a local hospital; several members of the visiting Minnesota Twins also wore somber expressions when it became clear the girl was badly hurt.
“It’s a sad situation. I saw it on TV. It breaks my heart,” Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols said. “For me to have five kids, you think right away, ‘That could be my kid.’”
Reaction around baseball was swift and promising Thursday. The San Diego Padres, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners announced plans to expand the netting at their stadiums for 2018 and Commissioner Rob Manfred, who called the incident “extremely upsetting for everyone in our game,” said that Major League Baseballwould redouble its efforts to expand the scope of netting in ballparks.
In 2015 MLB “encouraged” teams to extend netting to protect seats between the near ends of both dugouts and within 70 feet of home plate but did not mandate it. Some teams have extended the netting to the far edge of the dugouts, and the New York Mets at mid-season extended theirs beyond that. The Dodgers and Angels expanded their netting before the 2016 season, but the Angels' netting doesn't quite reach the near end of the dugouts.
Angels spokesman Tim Mead said the team has been compliant with MLB guidelines and said additional extension of the netting isn’t imminent “at this point.” The Dodgers did not respond to two inquiries regarding potentially expanding their netting. Netting commonly extends to the foul poles in Japanese baseball.
It’s time for every MLB team to lengthen the netting beyond the dugouts. No safety measure will safeguard every spectator, but if the technology exists to add a level of protection, it’s foolish not to use it. Some fans fumed when the NHL, reacting to the death of 13-year-old Columbus Blue Jackets fan Brittanie Cecil two days after she was struck in the head by a deflected puck, ordered teams to install September 22, 2017 Page 6 of 27
protective screens behind each goal. But the netting soon became an accepted part of the scenery. That can happen in baseball too. “I think they’ll get used to it, just like anything else,” Pujols said.
The Yankees, citing medical privacy laws, haven’t updated the girl’s status. Her injury wasn’t a matter of her not paying attention or, according to accounts, of a companion neglecting to protect her. “They’re projectiles, and even fans that are paying attention get, I think, surprised by the velocity of these balls and bats, unfortunately, that break, or you lose your handle,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Thursday before his team’s 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
If professional athletes can’t elude a baseball flying at 100 mph — Shoemaker has a scar on the right side of his head from emergency brain surgery he required after being struck by a line drive last September — it’s unrealistic to expect fans to avoid a baseball hurtling toward them.
Adding netting makes sense. “I don’t think it would be something that’s too difficult to do,” Shoemaker said. “Logistically, I don’t know the reasons why we haven’t had it out there yet. It’s definitely better to be safe than sorry. Maybe some fans complained about the line of sight, I would guess, as an argument. But people sit behind the plate all the time and it’s fine. If that’s the way to fix it, then maybe so be it.”
Pujols recalled being devastated when, while playing with the St. Louis Cardinals, a ball he hit foul struck a little boy in the head. Hitting a peer bothered him no less: He was so shaken after he hit Padres pitcher Chris Young in the face with a liner in 2008 that then-Cardinals manager Tony La Russa removed him from the game.
“Your head is not in the game anymore,” Pujols said. “I’m sure Todd was thinking about that the whole game.”
Shoemaker has two children, 2½ and almost 1. He makes sure they’re in the Angels’ family section, which is elevated and tucked beneath an overhang, or in the room reserved for players’ family members. He wants his kids — and every child — to love baseball as much he does, but he wants them to be safe.
MLB must help ensure that. “It’s a fun experience for them,” Shoemaker said, “but it scares me internally when I see little kids sitting right behind the dugout with no net. That’s scary. What happened was unfortunate but hopefully she’s OK.”
FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Miller: Mike Trout could use a little help as Angels spin out of control
By Jeff Miller
ANAHEIM — It is the team’s official website, of course, and if anyone is going to shine a positive light on all this it has to be mlb.com/angels, right? September 22, 2017 Page 7 of 27
Sure enough, there the headline was Wednesday night, after another loss, another blown opportunity, another step toward the ultimate free-fall:
“Halos keep pace despite dropping nail-biter”
Though technically accurate, I’m not sure that it’s within the true spirit of a playoff chase to favorably characterize losing all the time as a way to “keep pace.”
While not suggesting ground has been gained, the phrase does hint at moving forward, something the Angels are doing these days only chronologically.
You know – tick, tick, tick. Like a clock. Or perhaps that’s a bomb about to explode.
Because, just a few hours later, on Thursday afternoon, the Angels lost to Cleveland again, 4-1, which was not shocking since everyone these days is losing to the Indians.
No, this result was not shocking in the least bit, the Angels, in particular, having dropped 11 in a row to Cleveland.
The defeat was damaging, however, another precious game falling off the schedule as the Angels attempt to survive themselves just long enough to catch a Minnesota team also in desperate need of spinning things positively.
At some point in the next 10 days, one of these two clubs almost certainly will clinch the American League’s second wild-card spot.
But then, maybe they’ll both suffer simultaneous double pulled hamstrings, the sight of the Angels and Twins limping to the finish line en masse a fitting visual for a late-season “dash” that otherwise remains quite unsightly.
Minnesota entered Thursday having lost three in a row and 5 of 6 before winning at Detroit.
The Angels now have lost four straight and 9 of 13, slipping 2½ games behind in this wearied stagger toward the AL’s final postseason spot.
“We need to focus on our nine innings, what we need to do on the field,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Don’t get distracted by numbers, this and that, and where teams are and who’s playing who. We’ll figure that out after our game.”
After this game, the figuring was pretty simple. In frantic need of victories, the Angels instead were just swept, the Indians shutting them down in the finale by using six pitchers – none of whom worked as many as three innings.
In that regard, this looked a little like a spring training game, the Angels playing right along by resembling a team in failed search of its midseason form.
They had five hits, two of which came from Mike Trout. September 22, 2017 Page 8 of 27
They drew five walks, two of which were earned by Mike Trout.
Their only run was scored by – that’s right – Mike Trout, who never did make an out on a day when all the other Angels combined to hit .111 with 11 strikeouts.
So far in a career steamrolling straight toward Cooperstown, the 26-year-old Trout has appeared in three playoff games and lost them all.
He is rightly recognized as a player who can do everything. The problem for Trout and the Angels is that he can’t do everything all at once. He needs some help.
Unless baseball starts to allow the Angels to use ghost runners every time Trout reaches base, someone else is going to have to come through at some point.
Albert Pujols did double in Trout with two outs in the first inning Thursday. But, after that, the Angels went 1 for 9 with runners on and left the bases loaded in the seventh.
“We gotta win games,” Trout said. “We can’t look at what the Twins are doing. We gotta win games. It doesn’t matter if they win or lose. We gotta win.”
The lack of recent victories is proving confusing even to those people working closest to the Angels.
Upon entering the stadium Thursday, I heard an usher remark with amazement that the team was within 1½ games of a playoff berth.
“I thought we were like 6½ out,” he said, the comment just one example of how enraptured the Southland is by this alleged push for October.
Regardless of the standings, this game – played at 1 p.m. on a weekday after school had resumed – always was going to be a difficult draw.
The official attendance was 29,863, though the actual number of bodies present was considerably less than that, the hollow atmosphere leading to the following question: What happens if there’s a pennant race and nobody shows up?
Not that I’m blaming anyone for choosing to skip the matinee performance of a team that, at the worst possible moment of the season, is proving unworthy of prime time.
“We can’t focus on who we’re playing or where we’re playing but how we’re playing,” Scioscia said. “We just didn’t get enough done on the offensive side. We had a couple opportunities and just didn’t cash those in.”
No, they didn’t, and I doubt that even the folks at mlb.com/angels have enough spin today to make that truth any more positive.
Once again, Angels can’t find a way to beat sizzling Indians September 22, 2017 Page 9 of 27
By Jeff Fletcher
ANAHEIM — This time of year, with the games meaning this much, the Angels couldn’t simply shrug their shoulders and accept that they ran into a historically hot team.
After the Cleveland Indians beat the Angels, 4-1, on Thursday, completing a three-game sweep and winning for the 27th time in 28 games, the Angels were still shaking their heads, thinking they could have won.
“We made mistakes,” Parker Bridwell said. “They didn’t completely beat us, you know what I mean? We did get swept, but we made mistakes that hurt us, and by mistakes I’m talking pitches.”
Bridwell gave up all four runs on two homers, misplaced pitches to Edwin Encarnacion in the second and to Francisco Lindor for a three-run, tie-breaking homer in the fifth.
Besides that, the Angels cracked the door for the Indians by failing to come up with a catchable fly ball, and they let them off the hook by being unable to convert their scoring opportunities.
The result was seeing their losing streak stretch to four games, their longest skid since April.
At 76-76, the Angels are 2½ games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League wild-card race after the Twins routed the Tigers, 12-1, Thursday night in Detroit. The Angels have 10 games left.
Perhaps the best news for the Angels is that next week the Twins play the Indians three times. Minnesota’s six other games are with the Tigers (62-91).
“They’re a terrific club,” Manager Mike Scioscia said of the Indians. “It’s pretty evident that if we do the things we’re good at on the field, we’re going to set up games to give ourselves a chance to win. We didn’t do enough this series.”
Scioscia always talks about “getting the game on our terms,” which means getting an early lead and holding it. The Angels had not had a single lead in any of their first five games against the Indians. An Albert Pujols RBI single in the first temporarily ended that streak, but then Encarnacion hit a hanging curveball out in the second to tie it.
The game was then decided in the fifth, when the Angels cracked the door. Bridwell got Yan Gomes to hit a lazy fly ball into right center to lead off the inning. Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun and second baseman Brandon Phillips all converged on it, and the ball hit Calhoun’s glove and dropped, for a single.
Trout said he lost it in the sun, and Calhoun had a long run to try to make up the ground to catch it.
Giovanny Urshela then hit a line drive toward left. Andrelton Simmons leaped and got a glove on the ball, but he couldn’t bring it down.
The Indians still had runners at first and second, after a failed sacrifice, when Lindor belted a three-run homer to straightaway center, his second tie-breaking homer in as many games. September 22, 2017 Page 10 of 27
The Angels couldn’t overcome what Lindor produced on one swing, as they were held down by a collection of Indians relievers.
The Indians started Danny Salazar, a starter who lost his job, in order to give the top five starters an extra day of rest. Their best hope was in the seventh, when they managed a surprising rally against left-hander Andrew Miller, one of the Indians’ dominating relievers. Calhoun and Luis Valbuena, ironically a pair of lefties, both drew walks against Miller, sandwiched around Simmons’ infield hit.
With the bases loaded and one out, Miller came back and struck out both C.J. Cron and Martin Maldonado, needing the minimum six pitches.
After that, the Angels managed only a Trout single in the final two innings, before packing up for Houston and the final stretch of crucial games.
“We obviously want to be ahead of (the Twins), but we’re still in it,” Trout said. “We’ve got to keep pushing and try to win games.”
Angels Notes: Andrew Heaney feeling good about progress, but time running short
By Jeff Fletcher
ANAHEIM — Andrew Heaney played catch again on Thursday, as he tries to work back from a shoulder impingement to return to the Angels’ rotation.
“I’m feeling better,” Heaney said. “More and more (optimistic) the more I throw.”
Heaney said it’s a “day to day” question about him throwing off a mound, which he’ll have to do before he can pitch in a game. This late in the season, and having missed less than three weeks so far, Heaney would not need to pitch anywhere else to prepare for returning to the majors, Scioscia said.
In the meantime, Bud Norris will get the ball first in the Angels’ bullpen game on Saturday in Houston, just as he did on Friday night.
Norris retired all six batters in the first two innings, then came out after giving up a single to lead off the third.
“We’re going to use a lot of guys that day,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Bud did a good job getting six outs and into the third inning. We’ll go out with him and see how it goes.”
SAFETY FIRST
The frightening incident at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, when a young girl was hit by a foul ball and hurt seriously enough to be taken to a hospital, renewed discussion about whether clubs should have more netting protecting fans. September 22, 2017 Page 11 of 27
“It’s definitely something that needs to be looked into,” Scioscia said. ”Baseballs travel a lot faster than people realize wen you are watching on TV. They’re projectiles and even fans who are paying attention get surprised by the velocity of the balls and bats that break or you lose your handle.”
The Angels increased the size of the netting behind the plate prior to the 2016 season, but it still does not protect fans sitting behind the dugouts.
ALSO
Yunel Escobar (strained oblique) will head to Arizona to see some live pitching in instructional league in the next few days, Scioscia said. “We’ll see where he is early next week,” he said. …
The four runs Parker Bridwell allowed snapped the Angels’ 10-game streak of their starters allowing two earned runs or fewer, equaling the franchise’s longest such streak since an 11-game streak in 1970. …
The Angels had not been swept at home all season before this series against the Indians. …
By losing all six games to the Indians, the Angels were swept in a season series of at least six games for the first time since they went 0-6 vs. the Baltimore Orioles in 2010.
FROM ANGELS.COM
Halos ‘still in it,’ look to shift momentum
After being swept by Tribe, postseason-seeking Angels keep focus ahead
By Maria Guardado / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- As the regular season continues to dwindle, the Angels' margin for error is becoming increasingly slim. Every mistake has the potential to dent their postseason hopes, as evidenced by Thursday afternoon's 4-1 loss to the Indians, which sealed their three-game sweep at Angel Stadium.
The Halos cracked open the door for the red-hot Indians -- who have won 27 of their past 28 games -- by misplaying a fly ball to help set up Francisco Lindor's tiebreaking three-run home run off Parker Bridwell in the fifth inning, and by squandering a bases-loaded scoring opportunity against Cleveland relief aceAndrew Miller in the seventh.
"They're good, but any team can be beaten if you're doing the things we need to do," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We didn't do it consistently enough. When you open up the door for a good team like that, you're pretty sure they're going to take advantage of it. I think they did this afternoon."
The Indians scored all four of their runs on a pair of homers off Bridwell, who hung a curveball that Edwin Encarnacion hit out for a solo homer in the second before misplacing a fastball to Lindor in the fifth. September 22, 2017 Page 12 of 27
"We made mistakes," Bridwell said. "They didn't completely beat us. … In September, you've got to be a little more sharp."
The Angels have lost four games in a row for the first time since April, a skid that comes at the worst possible moment for the club. The defeat dropped the Halos 2 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot -- Minnesota beat Detroit on Thursday -- with only 10 games left to go.
"We can't look and see what the Twins are doing," Mike Trout said. "We've got to win games. It doesn't matter if they win or lose -- we've got to win. We're still in it, so we're going to keep pushing and try to win ballgames."
The Angels will now head to Houston for another crucial test, opening a three-game series against the AL West-champion Astros on Friday night. They'll end their final road trip of the season with four games against the last-place White Sox in Chicago before returning home for their final series of the year against the Mariners.
The Twins, meanwhile, are in the midst of a four-game set against the Tigers in Detroit, though they are also set to face the Indians for three games in Cleveland next week. Still, Scioscia, like Trout, reiterated that the Angels need to remain focused on righting their own ship rather than relying on other teams to lose down the stretch.
"The only way to change this momentum is to really focus on how we need to play the game and what we need to do," Scioscia said. "That's what we're going to do when we get on this plane and go to Houston."
Angels fall to Tribe, slip in Wild Card race
By Jordan Bastian and Maria Guardado / MLB.com
ANAHEIM -- For the second consecutive day, Francisco Lindor helped sink the Angels with a tiebreaking home run, launching a three-run, go-ahead shot to complete the Indians' three-game sweep with a 4-1 victory in Thursday afternoon's series finale at Angel Stadium.
The Indians, who have now won 27 of their last 28 games, extended their road winning streak to a franchise-record 14 games and remain one game back of the Dodgers for the best record in the Majors. They join the 1916 Giants for the most wins in a 28-game span since the 1884 Providence Grays, who went on to win 28 out of 29, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
"It's crazy. That stuff doesn't happen in baseball," Indians reliever Dan Otero said. "What's going on right now is a lot of fun, and we want to keep it going. It just makes it fun to come to the ballpark every day. It's a good group of guys, and [manager Terry Francona] keeps it loose."
The Angels, meanwhile, have lost four in a row and nine of their last 13, slipping to 2 1/2 games behind the Twins for the second American League Wild Card spot after Minnesota beat Detroit on Thursday. September 22, 2017 Page 13 of 27
"We've got to win," Angels center fielder Mike Trout said. "We can't look and see what the Twins are doing. We've got to win games. It doesn't matter if they win or lose -- we've got to win."
Lindor snapped a 1-1 tie by crushing his 32nd home run of the season off Angels rookie Parker Bridwell in the fifth inning. Lindor is hitting .348/.427/.743 over the Indians' past 28 games, with 11 homers, 19 extra-base hits, 25 runs and 27 RBIs.
Albert Pujols opened the scoring with an RBI double off Cleveland right-hander Danny Salazar in the first inning, but the Angels were held scoreless after that. Salazar exited after allowing one run on two hits over 2 2/3 innings in an abbreviated start, and Zach McAllister, Otero, Andrew Miller, Nick Goody and Tyler Olsoncombined to pitch 6 1/3 scoreless innings to seal the Indians' 11th straight win over the Angels.
"They did extremely good," Lindor said. "That's what we're built around, our pitching staff. They've been carrying us the whole year. It was huge. It's fun whenever they all get to have a chance in the game. It's pretty cool. I'm glad I'm on this team."
Bridwell yielded four runs on five hits -- including two home runs -- while walking two and striking out one over 5 1/3 innings for the Halos.
"We made mistakes," Bridwell said. "They didn't completely beat us. We did get swept, but we also made mistakes that hurt us, and by mistakes, I'm talking pitches."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Gio's game-ending gem: Olson's first career save -- closer Cody Allen had a scheduled day off -- was punctuated by a highlight-reel defensive gem from third baseman Giovanny Urshela. With two outs, Luis Valbuena slapped a pitch up the third-base line. Urshela ranged to his right, gloved the ball near the bag and made a leaping throw to first baseman Carlos Santana on the fly from foul ground for the final out. The throw distance was 134 feet, per Statcast™.
"Unbelievable," Olson said. "I couldn't help but just laugh, because the plays that guy makes are just unbelievable."
Indians catch some breaks: In the fifth, Trout, Brandon Phillips and Kole Calhoun all converged on a shallow fly ball off the bat of Yan Gomes, but the ball hit off the heel of Calhoun's glove and fell for a leadoff single. Urshela followed by lining a single off the glove of a leaping Andrelton Simmons, putting runners on first and second for the Indians. Bridwell induced a forceout at third from Erik Gonzalez, but he then yielded a three-run homer to Lindor to put the Angels in a 4-1 hole.
"When you open up the door for a good team like that, you're pretty sure they're going to take advantage of it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think they did this afternoon."
Encarnacion ties it: Pujols' RBI double in the first inning gave the Angels their first lead of the season against Cleveland, but it proved short-lived. Less than 10 minutes later, Edwin Encarnacion blasted a September 22, 2017 Page 14 of 27
leadoff homer in the second, tying the game at 1. Encarnacion collected his 37th home run of the season after hammering an 0-1 curveball from Bridwell 368 feet over the left-field fence.
MILLER PASSES TEST The Indians wanted to have Miller work a multi-inning outing on Thursday, but a high-stress, 26-pitch seventh was deemed sufficient for the lefty's latest test. Miller, who is working to regain his form after two second-half stints on the disabled list due to a balky right knee, allowed an infield single and walked two to encounter a bases-loaded jam. He recovered with two strikeouts to escape unscathed. First, Miller blew an elevated 95-mph fastball by C.J. Cron, and then he used a low, inside slider to generate a whiff from Martin Maldonado.
"It was really good for him. I think he needed that," Indians pitching coach Mickey Callaway said. "I think what we saw was Andrew Miller again for two hitters. He got in trouble, and six pitches later, it's two punchouts and he's out of trouble. I think that was really good for him to have to get in that situation and get out of it." More >
WHAT'S NEXT Indians: Right-hander Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.41 ERA) is slated to take the ball for the Tribe in Friday's 10:10 p.m. ET tilt with the Mariners, opening a three-game weekend set at Safeco Field. In his past 12 appearances (11 starts), Bauer has gone 9-1 with a 2.83 ERA and 78 strikeouts against 20 walks in 70 innings.
Angels: The Halos will head to Houston and open their final road trip of the season Friday against the Astros at 5:10 p.m. PT at Minute Maid Park. Right-hander Garrett Richards (0-2, 2.00 ERA) will start the opener and make his fourth start since returning from the disabled list.
Richards set to stretch out as Halos seek WC
By Maria Guardado / MLB.com
The Astros and Angels will meet for their last series of the season on Friday night with plenty still on the line for both clubs as they make their final pushes toward the postseason. After clinching the division title, Houston has its sights set on catching Cleveland (2 1/2 games back) for the best record in the American League, while the Halos, who are 2 1/2 games behind, look to catch the Twins for the second AL Wild Card spot.
Astros ace Justin Verlander will oppose Angels right-hander Garrett Richards in Friday's opener at Minute Maid Park.
Acquired from the Tigers in a blockbuster trade on Aug. 31, Verlander has dominated since joining Houston, going 3-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three starts. The 34-year-old faced the Angels at Angel Stadium on Sept. 12 and allowed just one hit over eight scoreless innings.
"We're trying to catch the Indians for the best record in the American League," Verlander said. "They're not making it easy on anybody and just keep winning, so we've got to continue to do the same. Every September 22, 2017 Page 15 of 27
game counts. I think my mechanics and everything have been pretty good. My last few starts are really to try to go out there and maintain that feel and just attack and help get us a win."
Richards is set to make his fourth start since returning from the disabled list. He is coming off a loss to the Rangers on Sunday, when he allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings. Richards, who missed five months with an irritated nerve in his right biceps, has been kept on a strict pitch count since rejoining the Halos' rotation, but he said that he feels fully stretched out after throwing 74 pitches on Sunday.
"In my mind, I'm ready for 100 pitches," Richards said. "That's how I feel right now."
Things to know about this game • Opponents are batting just .154 with a .250 slugging percentage since the All-Star break against Verlander's four-seam fastball, which during that time has averaged 95.5 mph with a spin rate of 2,539 rpm that is the highest among regular MLB starters, according to Statcast. Since Verlander joined the Astros, hitters have gone 5-for-36 (.139) against it with 14 strikeouts.
• In 13 career appearances against the Astros, Richards is 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA. Friday will mark the 29- year-old's first start in Houston since July 29, 2015.
• Angels slugger Albert Pujols' 56 regular-season home runs vs. the Astros are the most by an individual all-time against Houston.
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lindor hits another homer, Indians get 27th win in 28 games
By Steve Dilbeck / Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — It’s time for the 2017 Cleveland Indians to be introduced to the one and only . 1884 Providence Grays.
They share some unlikely history, the two teams, which played a mere 141 years apart, are the only two clubs to have ever won 27 out of 28 games.
The Indians joined the Grays on Thursday when Francisco Lindor’s three-run homer led Cleveland to a 4- 1 victory and three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels.
The Grays ended up winning 28 of 29, leaving the Indians one game shy of matching the record.
“We want to keep it going,” Cleveland reliever Dan Otero said. “I mean, it’s crazy. That stuff doesn’t happen in baseball.”
It may have looked a little too familiar to the Angels, who lost to the Indians for the 11th consecutive time. September 22, 2017 Page 16 of 27
“They’re good, but any team can be beaten if you’re doing the things you need to do,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “We didn’t do it consistently enough.”
It was a damaging series for the Angels, who have lost four of their last five overall in a struggling effort to overtake the Minnesota Twins for the final AL wild-card berth.
After hitting a two-run homer Wednesday night, Lindor came back with a game-winning, three-run homer in the fifth Thursday off Parker Bridwell (8-3) to break up a 1-1 game. It was his 32nd home run.
The Indians started right-hander Danny Salazar, largely in an effort to see if he can be a viable postseason reliever. He went 2 2/3 innings, allowing the one run, two hits and three walks.
Five Cleveland relievers did not allow a run. The victory went to Zack McAllister (2-2) who threw 1 1/3 innings. Tyler Olson worked a scoreless ninth for his first career save.
“That’s what we’re built around - the pitching staff,” Lindor said. “They’ve been carrying us the whole year. It’s fun whenever they all get a chance in the game. I’m glad I’m on this team.”
The Angels took their only lead against the Indians this season in the first when Mike Trout walked and scored on a double by Albert Pujols.
Edwin Encarnacion hit his 37th home run to lead off the second and tie it.
BEST RECORD
The victory left the Indians 96-57, still one game behind the Dodgers for the best overall record and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
“We just focus on what we have in front of our feet,” Lindor said. “We really don’t pay attention to any other teams.”
TOUGH HITS
Lindor’s home run was drilled into the trees beyond the center field wall, but the two hits that preceded it barely fell.
Yan Gomes led off the fifth with a high pop-up that fell between three defenders and nicked off the glove of right fielder Kole Calhoun.
“There were a lot of things involved,” Scioscia said. “There was wind, there was sun. It was kind of in the Bermuda Triangle.”
Giovanny Urshela followed with a hit that just went off the glove of leaping shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
“He gave everything he had to catch that ball,” Scioscia said. “It had a little rise to it and just ticked off the end of his glove.” September 22, 2017 Page 17 of 27
TRAINER’S ROOM
Indians: 2B Jose Ramirez was given the day off. Manager Terry Francona wanted to rest one of his middle infielders and Ramirez has been nursing a sore hamstring. ... Francona said OF Lonnie Chisenhall (calf) would have joined the team in Seattle on Friday if he was ready to start, but will continue rehabbing in Cleveland.
Angels: LHP Andrew Heaney (shoulder) is still playing catch, but his return to the mound remains undetermined. He last started Sept. 9 but went only 2 1/3 innings. ... 3B Yunel Escobar (oblique) is scheduled to begin facing live hitting at the team’s training complex in Arizona on Monday.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (16-9, 4.41 ERA), who remarkably had suffered Cleveland’s only loss in its last 28 games, is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series in Seattle. He is 8-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his last 11 games.
Angels: RHP Garrett Richards (0-2, 2.00) will look to win his first game in his fifth start of the season in the opener of a three-game series in Houston. In 13 games (10 starts) against the Astros he is 5-4 with a 3.58 ERA.
FROM ESPN.COM
Real or not? Brewers fans will remember gut-punch loss to the Cubs
By David Schoenfield
If the Milwaukee Brewers end up missing the playoffs by one game, their fans are going to spend all winter having nightmares about Thursday's ninth inning.
It was a great game at Miller Park against the Chicago Cubs, a game that had that postseason feel, with tension and deeper breaths between pitches and players hanging over the dugout railing and Brewers fans cheering loudly -- half enthusiastically, half nervous energy.
With a slim chance at chasing down the Cubs in the NL Central -- a four-game series sweep would mean the Brewers move into first place -- the series opener was essentially a must-win game for Milwaukee. Win and they would be 2.5 games back with nine left and have a puncher's chance; lose and they're 4.5 back.
With an overworked bullpen, the Brewers needed a strong effort from Zach Davies, and he delivered, departing after seven innings with a 2-2 tie. The Brewers scored the go-ahead run in the eighth as Domingo Santana doubled, swiped third against a sleepy Justin Wilson, and then scored as Eric Thameslined a single over the drawn-in second baseman.
Then came the ninth inning. September 22, 2017 Page 18 of 27
Corey Knebel and Anthony Swarzak were unavailable after pitching three days in a row. Josh Hader had pitched twice in three days and thrown 42 pitches. So Craig Counsell had to dig deep into his bullpen. He called on Jeremy Jeffress, the former Brewers closer reacquired at the trade deadline, who had thrown 30 pitches Wednesday.
The inning started with Ian Happ beating out an infield hit. Here's the play. Note what went wrong:
1. Neil Walker -- who had played 64 innings at first in his career -- ranged well off first base to field the ball. But look at second baseman Eric Sogard. He was in position to make the play.
2. Jeffress hesitated just a bit coming off the mound. If he gets to first a blink quicker, Happ is out.
3. Happ chugged it down the line. This kid is a terrific athlete.
Still, you have to get the out there. Javier Baez would later tie the game with a two-out, two-strike little grounder up the middle. Just like Knebel's errant toss to first hurt them in Wednesday's loss to the Pirates, infield defense was once again painful.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Brewers loaded the bases with one out against Wade Davis. Joe Maddon went to five infielders. Santana struck out on a fastball up and out of the strike zone. Orlando Arcia worked the count to 3-1, took a cutter down the middle and then bounced back to the mound. The Brewers would strand 12 runners. They fanned 11 times (they have the second-most 10-strikeout games in the majors with 78).
You knew what was coming next. Hello, Kris Bryant:
Bryant had actually been terrible in the big moments all season, hitting .162 in late & close situations before this game. I guess he was due. The Brewers fell to 4-10 in extra-inning games. How many similar moments were there in some of those losses? We don't talk enough about the little things that can decide a baseball game. On this night, they did.
One final note. I'm not going to pound Counsell for not using his best relievers. Nobody pitches four days in a row anymore -- it has happened only nine times all season (Edwin Diaz and Jerry Blevins did it twice, plus Jose Alvarez, Peter Moylan, Hansel Robles, Fernando Salas and Nick Vincent). Knebel had thrown 44 pitches over his three outings. Here's how many those others had thrown in their first three outings:
Alvarez: 26 Blevins: 22 Blevins: 22 Diaz: 42 Diaz: 51 Moylan: 34 Robles: 36 September 22, 2017 Page 19 of 27
Salas: 15 Vincent: 37
Mariners manager Scott Servais used Diaz twice for a fourth day despite similar pitch totals to Knebel. He's also the most comparable pitcher to Knebel, a hard-throwing closer. If there was ever a game to use Knebel for a fourth straight game, this would have been it. (To be fair, Jeffress wasn't hit.)
Anyway, the NL Central race is just about over, but the wild card is still in the play. The Brewers remain a game behind the Rockies. I predict Knebel, Swarzak and Hader will be available if needed Friday.
Wild-card winner of the night. You know how this is going to end, America. Baseball writers, you might as well reserve your World Series hotel rooms in St. Louis right now. The Rockies lost 3-0 to the Padres, the Brewers lost, and the Cardinals are now just 1.5 behind the Rockies for the second wild card.
Wild-card loser of the night. The Angels lost 4-1 to the Indians in an afternoon game, and then the Twins pounded the hapless Tigers 12-1. So the Angels dropped 2.5 behind the Twins and have actually been caught by the Rangers, who completed a three-game sweep of the Mariners. Hmm. Cardinals- Rangers World Series?
Indians win again. I just mentioned that. Francisco Lindor hit a three-run homer in the game, his 32nd, and they've won 27 of 28 games, which is an incredible thing to type. Here's another to look at it:
Lindor's surge during this streak -- he has hit .349 with 11 home runs and 27 RBIs -- is earning him some MVP talk. I'm going to disagree. The entire season counts. Jose Ramirez has an OBP 30 points higher and slugging percentage 64 points higher with good defensive metrics while playing two positions. Ramirez is still the best MVP candidate on the Indians, although Lindor has maybe climbed into the top five or six overall.
Jose Bautista's Blue Jays career might be winding down. The Royals beat the Jays 1-0 as Jason Vargas and four relievers combined on a two-hitter. Bautista hit cleanup, as he has been doing since late August but went 0-for-4.
At one point, the fans in right field starting chanting his name, as if their collective will alone could summon some greatness from Bautista. Back in spring training, the popular story was Bautista was poised for a big season, ready to prove everyone who ignored him in free agency had made a mistake. He was forced to take a one-year deal from Toronto.
Instead, he has had a miserable season, hitting .203/.309/.369. Injuries aren't an excuse, as he has played 148 of the Jays' 153 games. Manager John Gibbons moved him from second or third in the lineup to leadoff back in late June in an attempt to get going, and then to cleanup. Bautista never did get going. Of 148 qualified hitters, Bautista ranks 139th in wOBA. Once one of the most feared hitters in the game, he has been one of the worst in 2017. September 22, 2017 Page 20 of 27
As Dave Cameron wrote a couple days ago on FanGraphs, this could be it for Bautista. He turns 37 in October, will be coming off a bad season and has limited defensive value, and nobody wanted him last offseason. There's certainly the sense that at the minimum his Blue Jays career is coming to an end:
The Blue Jays wrap up their home schedule this weekend against the Yankees before finishing with a road trip to Boston and New York. Let's hope he gives Blue Jays fans one final home run.
FROM YAHOO! SPORTS
Highlights of Thursday’s MLB games
By Reuters
(The Sports Xchange) - Highlights of Thursday's Major League Baseball games:
Cubs 5, Brewers 3 (10 innings)
Kris Bryant's two-run homer in the 10th inning led Chicago past Milwaukee 5-3 at Miller Park, boosting the Cubs' lead over the Brewers to 4 1/2 games in the National League Central.
Javier Baez tied the game for Chicago with a ninth-inning single, and the Brewers squandered a bases- loaded, one-out opportunity in the bottom of the ninth.
The late collapse spoiled an outstanding effort from Zach Davies, who held the Cubs to two runs on seven hits and two walks (one intentional) in seven innings.
Chicago's Jake Arrieta worked five innings in his first start since Sept. 4. He missed his previous two turns in the rotation because of a strained hamstring but was cleared earlier this week.
Kyle Schwarber gave Chicago an early lead, taking Davies deep to left with one out in the second for his 29th home run of the season. The Cubs added another run in the third on Anthony Rizzo's RBI single.
Twins 12, Tigers 1
Joe Mauer highlighted a group of four players with two RBIs apiece as Minnesota increased its lead in the battle for the second American League wild-card spot with a victory over Detroit.
Byron Buxton, Max Kepler and Jason Castro also had two-RBI nights for the Twins, who are 2 1/2 games ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.
Adalberto Mejia was pulled one out shy of lasting long enough to get credit for the victory, which went to Dillon Gee (3-2) for his 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.
Indians 4, Angels 1
Francisco Lindor hit a decisive three-run homer in the fifth inning as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep of Los Angeles. September 22, 2017 Page 21 of 27
It was the Indians' fifth win in a row, 27th win in 28 games and their 15th straight victory on the road.
The major league record for consecutive road wins is 21, held by the 1983-84 Detroit Tigers (four wins to finish the 1983 season and 17 to start 1984).
Cleveland increased its lead over Houston to 2 1/2 games for the American League's best record and remained one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best mark in baseball.
Padres 3, Rockies 0
Rookie Christian Villanueva homered for the second game in a row and Clayton Richardpitched 7 1/3 effective innings as San Diego shut out Colorado.
Villanueva, who was called up Monday, homered in the fifth inning and added a RBI single in the sixth. Richard (8-14), after signing a two-year contract extension on Wednesday, beat the Rockies for the second time in four starts this year.
Rangers 4, Mariners 2
Cole Hamels was nearly untouchable for eight innings and Carlos Gomez returned to the starting lineup with a two-run double as Texas completed a three-game sweep of Seattle.
The Rangers won their fourth straight and are tied with the Los Angeles Angels, 2 1/2 games behind Minnesota in the chase for the second American League wild card spot. Hamels (11-4) gave up one run on three hits and two walks, striking out eight.
Dodgers 5, Phillies 4
Andre Ethier belted a pinch-hit homer in the seventh inning, and Cody Bellinger added an RBI groundout in the same frame as Los Angeles held on to snap a four-game losing streak.
The Dodgers' magic number to clinch their fifth straight National League West title is one. Los Angeles is three wins shy of its first 100-win season since 1974.
Walker Buehler (1-0) earned his first career victory with a scoreless seventh inning.
White Sox 3, Astros 1
Chris Volstad pitched effectively in emergency relief, and six additional relievers chipped in as Chicago averted a series sweep with a victory over Houston.
Volstad (1-0), summoned when starter Carson Fulmer left because of a blister after facing only three batters, worked 4 1/3 solid innings, surrendering only a leadoff home run to Houston catcher Brian McCann in the third inning.
Cardinals 8, Reds 5 September 22, 2017 Page 22 of 27
Dexter Fowler doubled twice and drove in two runs, and Yadier Molina also had two RBIs to help St Louis complete a three-game sweep of Cincinnati.
Carlos Martinez (12-11) got the win on his 26th birthday, allowing four runs on nine hits over 6 1/3 innings with a walk and six strikeouts.
Scott Schebler homered twice for the Reds, who have lost three straight since sweeping Pittsburgh over the weekend.
Braves 3, Nationals 2
R.A. Dickey allowed two runs over eight innings while snapping a five-game losing streak to Washington in Atlanta's victory.
Dickey (10-10) had allowed 17 runs (16 earned) over 14 1/3 innings in his previous three September starts.
Arodys Vizcaino struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning for his 12th save after walking in three runs in the eighth inning Wednesday.
Orioles 3, Rays 1
Rookie Gabriel Ynoa allowed one run over a season-high eight innings, and Manny Machado hit his 33rd homer as Baltimore took the series opener from Tampa Bay.
Ynoa, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sept. 3, gave up five hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Ynoa (2-2) kept the Rays off-balance with his sinker, slider and fastball.
Royals 1, Blue Jays 0
Jason Vargas pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, and Melky Cabrera had three hits and an RBI as Kansas City defeated Toronto.
Vargas (17-10) held the Blue Jays to two hits and three walks while striking out seven.
The left-hander has won three straight starts. He is tied with Boston's Chris Sale and Cleveland's Corey Kluber for the most wins in the American League.
Angels look to halt Houston starters’ domination
By Sports Network
HOUSTON -- While Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel failed to keep an impressive streak going for the rotation, what Houston starters have done recently qualifies as a positive development.
Before Keuchel allowed two runs over six innings in a 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, Houston starters had recorded the decision in six consecutive wins. September 22, 2017 Page 23 of 27
The Astros will aim to bounce back Friday when they open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels.
Including Keuchel's loss Thursday, the rotation has allowed just nine earned runs on 26 hits and 13 walks with 42 strikeouts over the past 42 innings, good for a 1.93 ERA during that stretch.
Houston starters are trending in the right direction at the most opportune time with the postseason upcoming.
"A lot of that comes with the health, too," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "There were times this year where we weren't rolling the same five guys or six guys out in a row, and these guys come out and stay in games long enough.
"I remember the stretch in the season where the starter wouldn't get through five innings. I remember the part early on where we had a really strong top end of the rotation and we scuffled in the back, and then it flipped when the top of our rotation got hurt. Rolling out a good starting pitcher every game is key for a winning ballclub."
Right-hander Justin Verlander (3-0, 0.86 ERA with Houston; 13-8, 3.50 ERA for overall) will make his fourth start for the Astros (93-59) in the opener against the Angels.
Verlander is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA over two starts against Los Angeles this season and 7-8 with a 3.55 ERA over 18 starts in his career. While pitching for the Astros on Sept. 12, Verlander tossed eight shutout innings in Anaheim, allowing just one hit.
The Angels will counter with right-hander Garrett Richards (0-2, 2.00 ERA).
The injury-plagued Richards has made just four starts in 2017 and 10 total over the past two seasons. He took a 1-0 loss against the Astros on Sept. 12 despite allowing just a run on four hits and no walks over five innings.
For his career, Skaggs is 5-4 with a 3.58 over 13 appearances (10 starts) against Houston.
The Angels (76-76) will arrive in Houston reeling from four consecutive losses and facing a 2 1/2-game deficit behind the Twins in pursuit of the second American League wild card. The Texas Rangers are also 2 1/2 games back of Minnesota.
The Twins had lost five of six games before beating the Detroit Tigers 12-1 on Thursday.
After losing the past three games to the visiting Cleveland Indians, including a 4-1 setback on Thursday, the Angels now need help.
"That's neither here nor there, that's a distraction," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We know we do (have to rely on other teams), but we have to focus on our nine innings, what we need to do on the field, don't be distracted by numbers and this and that and where teams are and who's playing who. We'll figure that out after our game. September 22, 2017 Page 24 of 27
"What we need to do is go out there and start to get games on our terms, and part of it's on the offensive side and we've struggled a little bit. The only way we can change the momentum is to focus on how we need to play the game and what we need to do. That's what we're going to do when we get on this plane to Houston and hopefully pick it up (Friday)."
The Astros' motivation for the remainder of the regular season involves the race for the top record in the AL and home-field advantage in the playoffs. Houston sits 2 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the league's top spot.
Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians belt Los Angeles Angels
By Joe Haakenson, The Sports Xchange
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It does not seem to matter who they are playing, where they are playing or even who is in the lineup. The Cleveland Indians just keep winning.
Indians manager Terry Francona gave regular starters Jose Ramirez, Jason Kipnis and Austin Jackson a day off and his starting pitcher Danny Salazar lasted only 2 2/3 innings.
But the Indians won again, completing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 4-1 win Thursday afternoon at Angel Stadium.
Francona had considered giving shortstop Francisco Lindor a day off as well, knowing he had started 149 of the club's 152 games before Thursday. But Lindor got the call and responded with a decisive three-run home run in the fifth inning that lifted Cleveland to its fifth consecutive win.
It also was the Indians' 27th win in 28 games, and their 15th straight victory on the road. The major league record for consecutive road wins is 21, held by the 1983-84 Detroit Tigers (four wins to finish the 1983 season and 17 to start 1984).
Having wrapped up the American League Central crown, the Indians have their eyes on catching the Dodgers for the best record in the majors and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and World Series. The Dodgers also won Thursday and remain one game up on the Indians.
The loss for the Angels was their fourth in a row and another blow to their playoff hopes. It's their longest losing streak since they lost six in a row in April and, more importantly, they fell two games behind the Minnesota Twins in the race for the second wild card, pending the result of the Twins' game against Detroit Thursday night.
The Angels, like they did in the previous two games of the series, had their opportunities. Down 4-1 and facing Indians reliever Andrew Miller in the seventh, Los Angeles loaded the bases on two walks and a single with one out.
But Miller struck out C.J. Cron and Martin Maldonado to get out of the inning. September 22, 2017 Page 25 of 27
Things started out promising for the Angels, as they took an early lead. Mike Trout walked with one out in the first inning against Salazar and scored on Albert Pujols' two-out double.
The Indians tied the game in the second on a solo homer by Edwin Encarnacion, his 37th of the season, off Angels starter Parker Bridwell.
The game remained tied at 1-1 until the fifth, when Lindor's homer turned the game in the Indians' favor. But the inning was set up by a couple of balls that hit the gloves of Angel defenders before falling in for hits.
Leading off the inning, catcher Yan Gomes hit a pop up to shallow right-center. Center fielder Trout, second baseman Brandon Phillips and right fielder Kole Calhoun converged, with Calhoun trying to make the catch but the ball bounced off the heel of his glove and fell in.
Giovanny Urshela then hit a line drive that shortstop Andrelton Simmons tried to catch with a leap, but the ball deflected off the top of his glove and landed in left field for a single.
After Erik Gonzalez hit into a force play on a failed sacrifice attempt, Lindor made sure it didn't matter, crushing a 91-mph fastball from Bridwell over the fence in center.
Bridwell (8-3) got the loss after giving up four runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings. Following Salazar, the Indians used five relievers to finish the game, Tyler Olson pitching the ninth for his first save.
Zach McAllister (2-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings to get the win, giving up no runs, no hits and one walk.
NOTES: The Indians rested regular starters 2B Jose Ramirez, CF Jason Kipnis and LF Austin Jackson, with 2B Erik Gonzales, CF Greg Allen and LF Abraham Almonte starting in their places. ... Angels DH Albert Pujols' RBI double in the first inning increased his season RBI total to 98. With two more RBIs he will join Alex Rodriguez as the only players in major league history to have 14 100-RBI seasons. Pujols also had 99 RBIs in 2011 with St. Louis and 95 in 2015 with the Angels. No player has had 15 100-RBI seasons.
FROM THE WASHINGTON POST
Four MLB teams announce plans for more safety netting after young girls’ injury
By Des Bieler
In the wake of the incident Wednesday in which a young girl was injured by a foul ball at Yankee Stadium, four MLB teams Thursday announced plans to extend the protective netting at their ballparks. They will join the 10 major league teams that have already done so, and some other teams said they were looking into it.
Saying that their “ongoing commitment to providing the best ballpark experience includes maintaining the safety and security of our fans,” the Cincinnati Reds announced they would extend their netting to the ends of each dugout, starting in the 2018 season. Most teams currently have netting that protects September 22, 2017 Page 26 of 27
the seats behind and near home plate but ends at each dugout, as MLB recommends but does not mandate for its 30 franchises.
The San Diego Padres also said they would install netting to the end of each dugout in time for the 2018 season, following “several months of planning.” The Colorado Rockies and Seattle Mariners were less specific about what they would do with their netting, but both pledged to expand it at their ballparks.
“This is an issue that we’ve been concerned about for some time,” Mariners president Kevin Mather said. “We still have some details to work out, but the bottom line is expanded netting at Safeco Field is going to happen.”
In the game between the Yankees and Minnesota Twins, players on the field were clearly upset, with some shedding tears, as medical personnel attended to the girl. Witnesses said the toddler was hit in the face by a ball off the bat of New York’s Todd Frazier, and she was taken to a hospital, where she remains in unspecified condition.
After the game, a still-emotional Frazier said that he thought “every stadium should have” extended netting, which the Yankees lack. “All parks should have it all the way down,” the Yankees’ CC Sabathia added.
While the Yankees said in August that they were “seriously exploring extending the netting before the 2018 season to the outside of the Yankees’ dugout and the outside of the visitors’ dugout,” the Mets had already added the protection in July. Officials with White Sox, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers said Thursday that their teams would explore the issue of expanded netting.
“Right now, there’s constant evaluation and ballpark operations works very closely with the Commissioner’s Office to get their recommendations,” Tigers vice president of communications Ron Colangelo told the Detroit Free Press. “Obviously, we’re looking at ways that we can enhance fan safety.”
Blue Jays Manager John Gibbons said he was “surprised there’s not more injuries” on balls hit sharply into the stands. “There always seems to be some close calls,” he added (via TSN). “I mean, there was a broken bat that went in the stands here the other night. If that catches somebody wrong, it could pierce them.
“I would be in favor of [more netting]. No doubt.”
A spokesman for the Los Angeles Angels told the Los Angeles Times that the team is in compliance with MLB guidelines and has no immediate plans to extend its netting. The Times’s Helene Elliott noted that netting “commonly extends to the foul poles in Japanese baseball.”
“The events at yesterday’s game involving a young girl were extremely upsetting for everyone in our game,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Thursday. “Over the past few seasons, MLB has worked with our clubs to expand the amount of netting in our ballparks. September 22, 2017 Page 27 of 27
“In light of yesterday’s event, we will redouble our efforts on this important issue.”