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Clips

(August 31, 2016)

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)  Second base still an issue for Angels, who get two homers from Cron in victory over Reds  Mike Trout may be the Angels’ star, but Albert Pujols provides big hits and true grit

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)  C.J. Cron homers twice, Jered Weaver is solid as Angels top Reds for fourth straight win  Angels notes: Matt Shoemaker credits ‘new mental approach’ for return to 2014 form  Angels honor Olympic champion U.S. women’s water polo team  On deck: Reds at Angels, Wednesday, 4 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10)  Healthy again, Cron producing for Angels  Cron goes deep twice as Angels edge Reds  Angels peg Friday for Escobar’s return  Nolasco seeks 1st win with Angels against Reds

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 15)  Cron’s 2 homers lead Angels over Reds 4-2

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (Page 17)  Mike Trout is better than ever. So why aren’t enough people paying attention?

FROM FOX SPORTS (Page 21)  Reds-Angels Preview August 31, 2016 Page 3 of 23

FROM THE LA TIMES Second base still an issue for Angels, who get two homers from Cron in victory over Reds Mike DiGiovanna

If left field is a black hole for the Angels, a position that has produced a major league-worst .582 on-base-plus-slugging percentage this season, then second base has become a gray area.

The spot that Howie Kendrick manned so effectively for nine years through 2014 was thrown into a state of flux when Johnny Giavotella, who played second for most of the past two seasons, was designated for assignment Aug. 20 and eventually demoted to triple A.

Cliff Pennington has started 14 games at second in August. Gregorio Petit, who filled in admirably for injured shortstop Andrelton Simmons in May and June, has started five games there this month. And Kaleb Cowart, a third baseman by trade, started at second on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

None of the three has emerged as a favorite for the starting job next season, leaving the Angels in the same position this winter that they were in after trading Kendrick to the Dodgers before 2015: They have no idea who will play second in 2017.

“We’re trying to find a blend of the defensive component with a player who can do some things on the offensive side,” Manager Mike Scioscia said before Tuesday night’s 4-2 win over the in Angel Stadium. “We want to make that a position of strength for us.”

Giavotella wasn’t the answer. He had grit, delivered some clutch hits and entertained with his belly-flop-like slides into third, which earned him the nickname, “The Flying Cannoli.” But he hit only .260 with a .287 on-base percentage, six homers and 31 runs batted in and was barely average defensively.

Scioscia said Pennington and Petit “have given us enough offense with terrific defense,” but Pennington is hitting only .210 with three homers and nine RBIs in 50 games. Petit has been a better hitter, with a .263 average, .317 OBP, two homers and 15 RBIs in 70 games.

Cowart, a first-round pick in 2010, has the most offensive upside of the three, but he played only 14 games at second at Salt Lake before being called up in mid-August and isn’t nearly as comfortable there as he is at third.

“It’s going pretty good so far,” Cowart said. “The double-play turn feels pretty good, and I’m learning the cuts and relays. It’s a different side of the diamond, but it’s still in the dirt, so it’s not completely new.” August 31, 2016 Page 4 of 23

The Angels could look to upgrade at second this winter through a trade or free agency. The top two free-agent options are the New York Mets’ Neil Walker, whom the Angels tried to acquire from Pittsburgh last winter, and Colorado’s Daniel Descalso.

Walker, 30, is batting .282 with an .823 OPS, 23 homers and 55 RBIs in 113 games but has a back issue that will require regular rest in September. Descalso, 29, is hitting .270 with a .775 OPS, three homers and 29 RBIs in 75 games.

Power ball

C.J. Cron lined a two-run homer to center field in the first inning and lofted a solo shot over the high wall in right-center in the third to lead the Angels to their sixth win in seven games.

It was the seventh career multi-homer game and fourth this season for Cron, who missed five weeks of July and August because of a broken bone in his left hand. Mike Trout hit two doubles, a single and scored twice, and Simmons had three hits, including an RBI single for an insurance run in the eighth.

Jered Weaver (10-11) gave uptwo runs and eight hits, including Eugenio Suarez’s two-run homer in the seventh, in 6 1/3 innings to earn the win, and relievers Mike Morin, Jose Alvarez, J.C. Ramirez and Fernando Salas covered the final eight outs.

Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen, a former Cal State Fullerton right-hander who hit an emotional against the Dodgers on Aug. 19, just two days after the death of his father, Clif, gave up a run in two innings.

Angels catcher Jett Bandy gunned down Jose Peraza with a perfect throw to second in the third and has thrown out 18 of 42 (42.9%) would-be base-stealers this season.

Field of dreams

While Tim Tebow has been criticized by some who believe his showcase before a few dozen scouts at USC on Tuesday was more of a publicity stunt, Scioscia has no problem with the former star quarterback pursuing a career.

“I definitely give him credit for wanting to pursue something he thinks he can do,” Scioscia said. “I think everyone should go for their dream. I still have it in mind to be on the 4 X 400-meter relay team in the Olympics, and if I get that opportunity, I’m going to try that … you think I have a shot?”

August 31, 2016 Page 5 of 23

Mike Trout may be the Angels’ star, but Albert Pujols provides big hits and true grit Mike DiGiovanna

Mike Trout may be the best all-around player in baseball, a 25-year-old superstar whose career is already on a Hall of Fame trajectory, but when it comes to matters of heart and soul on his own club, the Angels center fielder defers to Albert Pujols.

Despite playing on a pair of 36-year-old legs that Trout said are “banged up” enough to send most players to the disabled list, Pujols has missed only three of 131 games this season, two of them because of a left-hamstring strain in June.

Injuries have slowed the designated hitter on the basepaths, but not in the batter’s box. Pujols hit his team-leading 26th home run of the season Monday night and drove in two runs in a 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds, giving the slugger 103 RBIs on the season, second-most in the American League.

The homer was the 586th of Pujols’ career, tying him with Frank Robinson for ninth place on baseball’s all-time list. It also gave Pujols 1,200 extra-base hits, making him the seventh player to reach that threshold, and 1,800 RBIs, making him the 21st player to reach that level.

“Albert is battling — I have to give it to him,” said Trout, who homered, doubled and singled Monday night. “He could easily shut it down if he wanted to, but he’s going out there every day and producing. He’s good to have in the clubhouse. He’s a veteran, a Hall of Fame guy, and his presence brings everybody together.”

Trout said Pujols’ grit has rubbed off on a team that is far out of playoff contention — the Angels (57-74) are 20 1/2 games out in the American League West — but doesn’t always act like it.

The Angels have garnered high marks from General Manager Billy Eppler and Manager Mike Scioscia for effort, and they won two of three games against playoff-contending teams in Toronto and Detroit on their last trip.

“Everybody sees it, everybody sees him playing hard every day, and it’s tough for him,” Trout said of Pujols. “He wants to perform, and he is, but he wants to perform healthy.

“I know for me personally, if my legs were banged up, it would be tough to go out there and hit. He’s fighting for this team. We’re all trying to grind through it, and he’s up there as far as being tough.”

August 31, 2016 Page 6 of 23

FROM OC REGISTER C.J. Cron homers twice, Jered Weaver is solid as Angels top Reds for fourth straight win By ROBERT MORALES / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – This is the point in the baseball season when teams out of contention begin looking toward the future, whether it’s analyzing which players on the big-league roster figure into next season’s plans, or eyeballing the development of September call-ups.

The Angels fit into this scenario. With 31 games left going into Tuesday’s game with the Cincinnati Reds, they were 20-1/2 games out of first in the AL West, 14-1/2 out of a wild-card berth.

Still, Angels manager Mike Scioscia is trying to win every game during this process.

“Our philosophy and the way we’re going to approach every day is to go out there and win a game by starting with the first pitch of the game and winning that pitch and winning situations and going out there and playing the game the way we need to play it,” he said.

The Angels (58-74) did that just well enough Tuesday, riding a solid outing from starting pitcher Jered Weaver and two home runs by C.J. Cron to a 4-2 win over the Reds – their fourth in a row – in front of 33,042 at Angel Stadium.

Weaver (10-11) tossed 6-1/3 innings and gave up two runs – on a home run by Eugenio Suarez in the seventh inning – on eight hits. He struck out five and walked none on 88 pitches.

“My command is getting a lot better,” Weaver said. “Great night by C.J., putting some runs on the board there early, and I was able to kind of able to be a little more aggressive. Just one bad pitch, one stupid pitch and it cost me.”

Reds manager Bryan Price was impressed.

“He’s smart,” he said. “He knows how to manage his and he respects his fastball. He’s not throwing as hard as he used to but he can use his off-speed stuff to set up his fastball.”

Mike Morin relieved Weaver with a runner on first and one out in the seventh and retired pinch-hitter Ramon Cabrera and Billy Hamilton.Fernando Salas pitched the ninth for his sixth save, though the Reds did get two runners aboard.

Tim Adleman (2-2) took the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings.

The Angels got an insurance run in the eighth inning on an RBI single by Andrelton Simmons. August 31, 2016 Page 7 of 23

Weaver set the Reds (55-76) down in order in the first inning, then his offense gave him some immediate support. Mike Trout singled with one out, then, after Albert Pujols flied out to center, Cron turned on a 2-and-1 pitch and drove a laser over the center-field fence for a 2-0 lead.

Cron came up again in the bottom of the third inning and hit his second home run of the night, this one to right-center for a 3-0 lead.

The home runs were Nos. 13 and 14 for Cron, who now has four multi-homer games this season. That’s more impressive considering Cron recently missed six weeks with a broken right hand sustained when he was hit by a pitch in a July 8 game at Baltimore.

Cron now has 58 RBI despite missing that significant stretch of games. Cron tries not to focus on that.

“Stuff like that happens,” he said. “You kind of gotta just move on from it and pick up where you left off. I think my first couple of days were a little rusty, but I try to get back in the rhythm and help the team win.”

Scioscia had no problem wondering what might have been had Cron been healthy all season.

“It’s tough to do at times, but if you expand his numbers or pro-rate them and look at what he might do, it’s shaping up to have the potential to be a monster season,” Scioscia said. “Over 100 RBIs and 20-plus home runs. So, although he missed a lot of time, he gets his swing going, he can drive the ball out to all parts as he showed tonight and last night.”

Cron, who returned Aug. 20, also homered in Monday’s win over the Reds.

“It’s good to see him in rhythm,” Scioscia said, “because he was an important part of our lineup that was missing.”

Adleman was relieved by Michael Lorenzen, who went to Fullerton High and played college ball at Cal State Fullerton.

Angels notes: Matt Shoemaker credits ‘new mental approach’ for return to 2014 form By ROBERT MORALES / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Right-hander Matt Shoemaker had a terrific 2014 season for the Angels, going 16- 4 with an ERA of 3.04 while finishing second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. He struggled in 2015, however, even spending a few days in the minors before going 7-10 with a 4.46 ERA. August 31, 2016 Page 8 of 23

Shoemaker struggled at the beginning of this season and with an ERA of 9.15 at the end of April, he was again sent to Triple-A Salt Lake for a start. Months later, Shoemaker is back to looking like the pitcher who was so impressive two seasons ago.

Shoemaker pitched seven strong innings in the Angels’ 9-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Monday. He struck out seven, walked none and lowered his ERA to 3.91, the lowest it’s been all season. Sitting in front of his locker Tuesday, Shoemaker smiled when asked what has changed to get him back on track.

“Really, just overall a new mental approach,” he said. “Just kind of had to get back to being aggressive, attacking hitters and just mentally committing to it.”

Shoemaker said mechanical adjustments have helped him “to ride the slope a little better before making the pitch, so that definitely has resulted in better arm positioning.”

And now, Shoemaker is a much happier man when he’s coming to the ballpark on a day he’s slated to start.

“Yeah, sure,” he said. “But you’re still taking the approach that you want to put up zeroes. You want to give the team a chance to win every time you go out there and pitch and just be aggressive.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said there is something else about Shoemaker’s turnaround.

“The biggest thing is it comes down to Matt making his pitches on a more consistent basis,” he said. “Some of it is certainly game plan. He’s made some adjustments as to bringing some of his secondary pitches a bit earlier into a game and keeping hitters off-balance. But all that wouldn’t work if he’s not executing his pitches, and he is.”

“He’s had good life on his fastball in good zones, he’s using the split and the slider. He’s used them all as out pitches in various times during the game.”

Shoemaker, 29, is 9-13 with a team-high 141 .

“The way he’s throwing the ball this year is certainly reminiscent of how he threw it a couple of years ago,” Scioscia said. “And with any run support, his record would be reversed.”

SCIOSCIA ON NAVA

Scioscia was asked about the Monday night trade of left fielder Daniel Nava to the for either cash or a player to be named later. Scioscia said he believes Nava is better than he was with the Angels, with whom he batted just .235 with a home run and 13 RBI in 45 games before being designated for assignment July 30, ending up at Triple-A Salt Lake until Monday. August 31, 2016 Page 9 of 23

“He was banged up with us and maybe didn’t show everything he could do while he was here,” Scioscia said. “But he’s a better player than maybe he’s shown when he was with us and he’ll probably get that opportunity there at Kansas City, whatever at-bats he might get.”

ESCOBAR CLOSE

Third baseman Yunel Escobar went on the seven-day (concussion) list Aug. 20. He’s close to returning.

“He had a great workout today,” Scioscia said. “If there are no setbacks, we expect him to be ready for Friday’s game (at Seattle).”

Escobar fouled a bunt off his face Aug. 19 against the Yankees.

Angels honor Olympic champion U.S. women’s water polo team By STAFF REPORTS

The U.S. women’s water polo team, which repeated as Olympic gold medalists at the Rio Games earlier this month, was honored before Tuesday’s Angels game.

The team included six Orange County products: Courtney Mathewson (Canyon High), Rachel Fattal (Los Alamitos), Kaleigh Gilchrist (Newport Harbor), Maddie Musselman (Corona del Mar) and sisters Aria and Makenzie Fischer (Laguna Beach).

Mathewson, the team’s oldest player at 29, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s game against the Reds. Mathewson, along with Maggie Steffens, Melissa Seidemannn and Kami Craig (USC), were also part of Team USA’s gold-medal squad at the 2012 London Olympics.

Musselman and the Fischers – daughters of Olympic water polo player Erich Fischer – were the young team’s three teenagers.

Aria Fischer, 17, joined the squad in 2014 as a longshot and later withdrew from high school to train more with the powerhouse team.

Makenzie, 19, deferred her freshman season at Stanford.

Fattal deferred her senior season at UCLA and missed graduating with her classmates en route to Thursday’s announcement.

August 31, 2016 Page 10 of 23

On deck: Reds at Angels, Wednesday, 4 p.m. By STAFF REPORTS Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 4 p.m. Did you know? Mike Trout has advanced from first to third on a single more often than any player in baseball (23 times), and he is tied with the Tigers’ Ian Kinsler for the most times scoring from second on a single (17).

THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP RICKY NOLASCO (4-12, 5.24) Vs. Reds: 3-2, 5.49 At Angel Stadium: 1-3, 6.67 Hates to face: Zack Cozart, 5 for 7 (.714), 2B, 3B, HR Loves to face: Brandon Phillips, 6 for 27 (.222), 8 Ks

REDS LHP BRANDON FINNEGAN (8-9, 4.27) Vs. Angels: 0-0, 0.00 ERA (did throw 12/3 innings of scoreless relief against them in 2014 ALDS) At Angel Stadium: 0-0, 0.00 Hates to face: None Loves to face: None

FROM ANGELS.COM Healthy again, Cron producing for Angels By Earl Bloom / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- The Angels can only hope that some day they'll get to see what first baseman C.J. Cron can do over a full season.

Their 2011 first-round pick's first three Major League seasons have been interrupted, the first two by slumps that sent Cron back to Triple-A for some tuneups. This year, when he was at his hottest, Cron suffered a broken left hand when he was struck by a pitch. He missed six weeks.

He's come back from that with a vengeance, launching a pair of home runs Tuesday night to power the Angels to a 4-2 victory over the Reds at Angel Stadium. He also homered in the Angels' series-opening victory Monday night.

"Stuff like that happens, you've just got to move on," said Cron, who is 14-for-40 (.350) since coming off the disabled list Aug. 20. "You've just got to pick up where you left off." August 31, 2016 Page 11 of 23

He hit a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning, then added a bases-empty shot in the third inning, giving him four multi-homer games this season, seven in his career, and providing a 3-0 advantage for Angels starter Jered Weaver (10-11).

"Both were ," Reds starter Tim Adleman said. "The first one was just a mistake out over the plate. The second one I thought it had a little bit of plate, but if he takes it, depth-wise it's a borderline strike. You've got tip your cap to him. He hit a pretty decent pitch on the second one."

Cron said what he did when he came back from the broken hand was "try to remind myself what I've been doing."

"I'm just swinging at good pitches," Cron said, "and when I get them, I'm not missing them like early in the year."

He's also providing a lot of lineup protection for the club's two stars, batting behindMike Trout and Albert Pujols, and making pitchers pay for either walking them, or not walking them and giving them more pitches to hit. The Angels had lost a franchise season-record 11 games in a row, and 14 of out of 16, right before Cron returned from the broken hand.

Tuesday's victory was their fourth in a row, and fifth in the past six game. Weaver, who took a shutout into the seventh, and reached double-figure victories for the 10th time in his 11 Major League seasons, said the early boost from Cron helped.

"It was a great night by C.J., putting some runs on the board early," Weaver said. "I was able to be more aggressive. Any time you get runs early, it helps you be more comfortable out there."

Cron goes deep twice as Angels edge Reds By Earl Bloom and Mark Sheldon / Special to MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- C.J. Cron did the damage and the Angels pitching did the damage control. Cron hit two home runs while Jered Weaver and the bullpen held off the Reds for a 4-2 victory on Tuesday. It was the Angels' fourth straight win while Cincinnati has dropped seven of its last nine games.

All of the Angels early offense came from Cron, who slugged a two-out, two-run homer in the first inning and another two-out solo homer in the third for a 3-0 inning against Reds starter Tim Adleman.

Weaver gave up two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Weaver took a shutout into the top of the seventh inning before he ran out of steam. Eugenio August 31, 2016 Page 12 of 23

Suarez's two-run homer made it a one-run game and Jose Peraza's third hit of his four-hit game was enough to bring a pitching change. More >>

Adleman survived his rocky beginning to turn in a quality start of six innings with three earned runs, seven hits, one walk and four strikeouts. Following short starts from the rotation in the previous two games, the Reds needed a longer start.

"I try to get deep in the game and give them a chance," Adleman said. "I did that tonight but unfortunately, three runs were too many."

Michael Lorenzen followed with a perfect seventh but gave up two hits in the eighth, including Andrelton Simmons' RBI single to short right field over a drawn-in infield that scored Mike Trout with a key insurance run.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Power surge continues: After the Angels hit five home runs in Monday's opener, Cron added two more on Tuesday and now has seven career multi-homer games -- four of them coming this season. His first long ball was on a 2-1 pitch from Adleman and went to straightaway center field an estimated 431 feet. In the third, Cron lifted a 2-2 pitch to right-center field for another no-doubt long ball. He has 25 RBIs in his past 18 games, but they are spread out because a broken hand cost him six weeks in July and August.

"He just had his timing kind of pick up where he left off, before his injury," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's good to see him in rhythm. He's an important part of our lineup that was missing for a while."

Suarez with No. 20: Following a Scott Schebler one-out double, Suarez hit an 0-1 Weaver pitch to left field for a two-run homer, his 20th of the season. It snapped a Reds scoreless streak of 14 innings going back to the first inning of Monday's game. Suarez also became the 10th Reds third baseman in modern history to collect 20 or more home runs in a season.

Weaver hits 87 mph in the seventh: For the second straight start, the veteran Angels right- hander had command of his fastball, and a little more oomph as well.

"The biggest reason is the command of his fastball," Scioscia said. "He was putting it in good spots."

Near comeback: The Reds faced three Angels relievers in the eighth and had a chance to take the lead. With two outs, right-hander JC Ramirez allowed singles toAdam Duvall and Brandon Phillips to put the go-ahead run on first base. But Ramirez was able to strike out Schebler and keep his team ahead. In the ninth against Fernando Salas, Peraza's fourth hit -- a double -- and a two-out walk byBilly Hamilton after a 10-pitch plate appearance put the tying run on first base again. Zack Cozart popped out foul behind first base to end it. August 31, 2016 Page 13 of 23

"Considering we were down 3-0, that wasn't the worst thing in the world that we could do," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "We got ourselves in a position to steal one and we weren't able to get it done."

QUOTABLE "It was one of those games that after we've had 3 2/3 total innings over the previous two starts. It was going to be the priority -- we needed to get innings out of that start. Tim did a great job after a two-run first inning and a solo shot to add on to get 3-0 and really give us a chance to get back into where we were a two-run homer from being right back in the middle of that game. They did a great job of scratching out that final run that made a big difference in how we played the ninth." -- Price on getting length from Adleman

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS In the three games since Anthony DeSclafani's shutout at Arizona on Saturday, Reds opponents have batted .590 (13-for-22) with nine runs scored in the first inning.

UNDER REVIEW In the top of the ninth with two outs, Hamilton hit a ball down left-field that was called foul, in a very close play. The Reds challenged the ruling from umpire Jeff Nelson, believing the ball might have touched the line -- which would have given Hamilton an RBI hit. After quick review, the call was confirmed.

WHAT'S NEXT Reds: For Wednesday's 7:05 p.m. ET series finale, the Reds will start Brandon Finnegan, who has been pitching the best he has all season. Finnegan struck out a career-high 12 batters over six innings vs. the D-backs on Friday and has been tough to hit in his last two starts. Opponents are 4-for-43 (.093) over those 13 innings of work.

Angels: Right-hander Ricky Nolasco makes his sixth start for the Angels since being acquired from the Twins, as the teams close out their first series at Angel Stadium since 2002 on Wednesday. Nolasco is 0-4 with a 5.70 ERA for the Angels, 4-12, 5.24 overall this season. The longtime National Leaguer has enjoyed modest success vs. Cincinnati, going 3-2, 5.49 in 11 career starts. Game time is 4:05 p.m. PT.

Angels peg Friday for Escobar’s return By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com |

ANAHEIM -- Manager Mike Scioscia said third baseman Yunel Escobar would likely return the Angels lineup on Friday night in Seattle.

Escobar, struck in the face in the face by his own foul bunt Aug. 19, went on the disabled list the next day. He was cleared for baseball activities Monday. August 31, 2016 Page 14 of 23

"He had a great workout today," Scioscia said Tuesday before the Angels played the Reds. "If there's no setback, we expect him to be ready for Friday's game."

Kaleb Cowart and red-hot Jefry Marte have been manning third base in Escobar's absence, with Kole Calhoun moving up the leadoff spot the third baseman has filled in 108 of the team's first 129 games.

Escobar leads the Angels in batting at .320, and is fourth in the American League.

Worth noting

Cowart has impressed his manager with his defense, and versatility. He's started five games at third and three at second since his Aug. 20 call-up from Triple-A Salt Lake.

"His defense plays anywhere -- he could even play center field," Scioscia said. "To move him to second [next season] would not be a stretch."

Primarily a third baseman since the Angels drafted him in the first round in 2010, Cowart trained at shortstop in Triple-A this year, played first base in the Triple-A All-Star Game, and has played first, second and third in his Majors stints this season and last.

Scioscia said he could be Andrelton Simmons' backup moving forward at shortstop. Cowart has a powerful arm -- most teams wanted to draft him as a pitcher -- and has clocked 97 mph with his fastball. But Scioscia, famous for never using a position player to pitch in his 17 seasons at the Angels helm, shrugged off suggestions Cowart could help the Angels on the mound.

Nolasco seeks 1st win with Angels against Reds By Earl Bloom / Special to MLB.com |

Veteran right-hander Ricky Nolasco, still seeking his first Angels victory in his sixth start, and young Reds left-hander Brandon Finnegan will be on the mound Wednesday night at Angel Stadium as the two teams conclude their first series in Anaheim since 2002.

Nolasco, acquired by the Angels on Aug. 1 in a four-player deal that sent left-hander Hector Santiago to the Twins, is 4-12 overall, with a 5.24 ERA. Nolasco is 0-4 with a 5.70 ERA after five starts for the Angels.

This is his second Southern California homecoming. Nolasco was 8-3 with a 3.52 ERA in 16 games for the Dodgers in 2013, before moving on to Minnesota in free agency.

Finnegan (8-9, 4.27 ERA) will be making his 27th appearance, and start, of the season. He had a career-high 12 strikeouts Friday against Arizona, and has made 14 quality starts. August 31, 2016 Page 15 of 23

Things to know about this game

• In 11 career starts vs. the Reds, Nolasco is 3-2 with a 5.49 ERA. It's the first time he's faced Cincinnati since May 14, 2003.

• Although Finnegan began his career with the Royals, this is his first appearance against the Angels. It will be his third career start against an American League team.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Cron’s 2 homers lead Angels over Reds 4-2

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Cron isn't missing many pitches anymore.

Cron hit two home runs to help the beat the Cincinnati Reds 4-2 on Tuesday night.

Mike Trout went 3 for 4 with two doubles and he scored on Cron's home run in the first inning and on Andrelton Simmons' bloop single in the eighth.

Cron homered in the third inning to give the Angels a 3-0 lead. It was his fourth multi-home run game this season and brought his total to 14.

"He's found his timing," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He had figured some things out before he was hit in the hand and he's carried the form. He's swinging really well."

Cron was hit in the hand by a fastball in Baltimore and underwent surgery on July 12. After missing 35 games, the Angels first baseman picked things up right where he left off.

"I try to remember what exactly I'm doing so I can just get it in my mind and try to stay with it if something like that happens," Cron said. "I'm just swinging at good pitches and when I get the good ones I'm not missing them like I sometimes did earlier in the year. That's a big plus."

Jered Weaver (10-11) limited the Reds to two earned runs and eight hits, walked none and struck out five.

"I think he pitched with his fastball -- much like he did in Toronto -- with good command," Scioscia said. "Weave can get that fastball going on both sides of the plate. He spins the ball so well and changes speeds so well and then everything opens up for him." August 31, 2016 Page 16 of 23

Nearing his 34th birthday, Weaver's fastball doesn't have the velocity it used to. But Weaver was pleased with his command and the location of his off-speed pitches.

"I threw an 87 up there in the seventh," Weaver said. "So watch out."

Weaver pitched into the seventh inning for the first time since July 17, but ran into trouble after getting the first out. Eugenio Suarez hit a two-run homer to make it 3-2 and Jose Peraza hit a line drive single to right field. Mike Morin relieved and retired the next two batters to strand Peraza.

The Reds had runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth innings but J.C. Ramirez got Scott Schebler to strike out on a checked swing in the eighth and Fernando Salas got Zack Cozart to pop out to first base for his sixth save.

"We got ourselves in a situation to have the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth inning off their closer," manager Bryan Price said. "Considering we were down 3-0, that wasn't the worst thing in the world we could do. We got ourselves in a situation to steal one and we just couldn't get it done."

Cincinnati left nine runners on base.

Tim Adleman (2-2), who allowed both home runs to Cron, lost his first major league decision since May 6, giving up three earned runs in six innings with four strikeouts and a walk.

"I thought he did a terrific job," Price said. "He went after (Cron) in that last at-bat. He wasn't going to give in to him and give him anything he could hit. He made good pitches, got him to expand the zone and got that little chopper back to the mound that last time."

Adleman was relieved by Anaheim native Michael Lorenzen, who went to nearby Fullerton Union High School and played college ball at Cal State Fullerton.

Lorenzen put two on in the eighth before Simmons dropped a single into shallow right field to score Trout from third. It was the only run Lorenzen allowed in two innings in his first appearance at his hometown ballpark.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: Pereza was in the starting lineup one night after leaving the game with a facial contusion. Peraza was cleared of a concussion following Monday night's game after an errant pickoff throw by Matt Shoemaker missed Cron's glove at first base and struck Peraza in his face.

Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar worked out with the team Tuesday and barring any setbacks, is on track to be activated Friday in Seattle. Escobar was placed on the 7-day concussion list on Aug. 20. August 31, 2016 Page 17 of 23

UP NEXT

Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan will close out Cincinnati's final interleague series of the season. Finnegan is 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in the months of August and has won five of his last eight starts.

Angels: RHP Ricky Nolasco is still looking for his first win with the Angels since being traded from Minnesota on Aug. 1. Nolasco is 3-2 with a 5.49 ERA in 11 starts against Cincinnati.

FROM SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Mike Trout is better than ever. So why aren’t enough people paying attention? By Tom Verducci

Angels centerfielder Mike Trout has no peers in baseball today. He is, by one measure, the best young hitter born in almost the last 100 years. As impressive as that fact is, it's not as meaningful as these: He keeps getting better, rarely misses a game, plays with abiding joy and hustle and is one of the most accommodating and gracious superstar players with fans.

Yet relative to other elite athletes, Trout has a ridiculously small cultural footprint. As Ben McGrath asked in The New Yorker, “When was the last time baseball’s reigning king was a cultural nonentity?” That question came two years ago, and it remains pertinent.

This is not Trout’s problem. It is not baseball’s “marketing” problem. It is our problem. We now live in a world in which we conflate infamy and fame, in which the word “notoriety” has lost its centuries-old implication of disrepute. The “disgraced” swimmer Ryan Lochte will probably be pitching cough drops and dancing on a television screen near you sometime soon. Failed NFL quarterback Tim Tebow announces he will hold a baseball workout and the sports media goes into spasms of glee. Our attention is guided by an internal decibel meter; those who self-promote the loudest win our gaze.

When it comes to national appeal, Trout was born at the wrong time. He is a great baseball player and a solid citizen at a time when those attributes don’t get you retweets or discussed on talk radio.

The low profile of a generational great will be an issue again in the coming month. Trout is the best player having the best season in the American League. But he is unlikely to win the Most Valuable Player award because his team is dreadful and he doesn’t have the narratives associated with guys like Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (5'6"!), Red Sox centerfielder Mookie Betts (a fresh face in a big market!) and Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (he could win back-to-back MVPs!), all of whom have the advantage of playing on teams in the pennant race. Whatever Trout does in September will get little notice. August 31, 2016 Page 18 of 23

In the next month you will hear so much more about Robert Griffin III, the Browns quarterback with a career record of 14–21 who has thrown 40 touchdowns in four years, than you will about the best young hitter since Ted Williams.

So it’s time to make time for Trout, before we miss his greatness. As odd as it would be in other eras, I'm compelled to point out the wonder of the best player in baseball.

Trout is better than the next best player by a margin greater than that of any other athlete in any major sport. Every so often, like the tides, stories will wash up about a player on a hot streak who is “in the conversation” about best player in baseball. Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado and others all have received this forced treatment from the media, eager as we are to wear the halo of having picked the next great stock. But one thing never changes: Trout is the gold standard.

The other day I was talking to Angels manager Mike Scioscia about his 25-year-old superstar. I told Scioscia I never had seen Trout take a game or an at-bat off, but I also recognized that Scioscia has seen all of Trout’s 731 games and all 3,427 of his plate appearances, so I deferred to his opinion.

“Never seen him take a pitch off,” Scioscia said. “Never. Not one. Mike is so driven. No matter what the score is, no matter what the standings are, he will always give you his best at-bat. He wants the best out of himself on every pitch, and he wants to run down everything in centerfield.”

Los Angeles has had a winning record for exactly one game this year—back when it improved to 5–4 by beating the A's on April 12. It is an awful team made worse by injuries and a thin farm system. You could not know any of that by watching Trout play on any night.

I asked bench coach Dino Ebel, another veteran Angels staffer, when was the last time he saw Trout frustrated?

“Never,” he said.

“Okay, wait. He’s had games where he’s struck out three times. Everybody gets frustrated.”

“Maybe he does, but I can tell you I’ve never seen it. Actually, it’s the opposite. If he strikes out the third time he’ll come back [to the dugout], give that little smile and go, ‘Okay. I’ve got it. Wait 'til I see him next time.’ I can’t tell you how many times it’s happened, where a pitcher gets Mike, he’ll go back in [the clubhouse] and look at the video and go, ‘I’ve got him.’ And you know what? Usually he does. He plays with such confidence every single day.” August 31, 2016 Page 19 of 23

Scioscia has been in for 40 years. I asked him if he’d ever seen anybody this good.

“He was mostly in the other league so I didn’t get a chance to see him all the time, but Ken Griffey Jr. comes to mind,” said Scioscia, who was playing and working for the Dodgers when Griffey was in his prime with the Mariners in the 1990s. “He could do it all, like Mike.”

Griffey was elected to the Hall of Fame this year with 99.3% of the vote, the highest percentage in the history of the balloting. And yet at the same point in their careers, Trout is better than Griffey, and it’s not that close.

We have to go even further back in history to find anybody who was this good this young. The best and fastest method to do so is to use OPS+, or adjusted on-base plus slugging percentage, which adjusts for a player’s league and park. Here are the best hitters through their age-24 season, according to baseball-reference.com:

1. Ted Williams: 190 2. Ty Cobb: 176 3. Lou Gehrig: 171 4. Mike Trout: 170 5. Stan Musial: 169

Trout is in the company of some of the greatest ghosts in Cooperstown—guys who were born in 1918, 1886, 1903 and 1920, respectively. Among that group, only Cobb is in Trout’s class when defense and base running are factored in.

Impressively, the best keeps getting better. Here are six ways Trout keeps improving:

1. He has become more aggressive on first pitches.

In the minor leagues Trout would not swing until he had a strike. He wanted to see what the pitcher was throwing, and he wanted to force himself to be disciplined. He rarely swung at first pitches in the majors, leading to pitchers pounding the zone with a free first pitch to put him in an 0-and-1 hole. He told me that if he fouled off the next pitch, he was 0-and-2 before he knew it too often.

Finally this year, he stopped giving pitchers free strikes. He has almost doubled his swings on first pitches, from 10% last year to 18% this year. Take a look at the stunning results.

2. He has become even better at hitting the ball to the opposite field.

3. He is the best low-ball hitter in baseball. August 31, 2016 Page 20 of 23

Pitchers are taught to limit damage by keeping their pitches below the knees. On such pitches within the width of the plate, Trout is hitting .329 (26 for 79).

4. He has closed the hole in his swing on high pitches.

Pitchers used to have a safe zone against Trout by pounding the top of the strike zone and above. No more: On pitches there this year, Trout is hitting .290 (20 for 69).

5. He has improved his throwing.

One knock on Trout when he first came up was that he had a below-average arm. So he worked regularly in over the past few years to improve his arm strength. With just seven career assists entering last year, Trout has had seven assists in each of the past two years.

6. He remains the best base runner in baseball.

He has advanced from first to third on a single more often than anybody in baseball (23 times), and he is tied with the Tigers' Ian Kinsler for the most times scoring from second on a single (17). With 21 steals in 25 attempts, Trout also has his most stolen bases in three years.

I get the usual knocks on why Trout isn’t more of a cultural icon. He plays for a bad team (that has little hope of being good any time soon), and he has been to the postseason just once, when the Angels were swept in the 2014 ALDS by Kansas City.

Griffey never played in a World Series. Like Trout, by the time he was 25 he had also been to the postseason just once: 1995, when Seattle beat the Yankees in the ALDS before getting bounced by the Indians in the ALCS. By then, however, Griffey had a much bigger cultural imprint than Trout does at the same age. By '95, Griffey already boasted the first of his four branded video games, had acted in a major TV sitcom (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) and a major motion picture (Little Big League), been featured in a primetime animated comedy (The Simpsons) and was about to become the first baseball player in history with his own shoe (courtesy of Nike).

Griffey wasn’t so popular because of his team's success or market size or because he was notorious. He was culturally relevant for very reason that Trout isn’t today: He was simply a great baseball player without attendant controversy. What happened in between? Sure, baseball became more of a regional sport than a national one, but there’s also a little thing called the Internet that came along and changed the volume and tone of public discourse. The term “hot takes” didn’t exist when Griffey was running down fly balls and swatting majestic home runs in his 20s. August 31, 2016 Page 21 of 23

There was a great video from before the Angels played the Tigers at Comerica Park on Sunday, showing the excited and then tearful reaction of a young boy, who was wearing a Trout jersey, after Trout signed a baseball for him. While the scene was extraordinary and moving—yes, baseball players, this is how much you can mean to children—the action of Trout accommodating fans was entirely ordinary. He does it every day with a smile. He might be the most gracious superstar in public since Cal Ripken Jr.

Last night, while you probably weren’t watching, Trout banged out three more hits, including a home run, and scored two more runs in the Angels' 9–2 in over the Reds in Anaheim. He leads the league in Wins Above Replacement, on-base percentage, walks, times on base and OPS+, and he is second in OPS, third in runs and fourth in stolen bases. With his home run last night, Trout just did something that’s never been done before in baseball history: five seasons with 25 homers and 100 runs through his age-24 season. To be this good this young ... well, we have a 100-year player in our midst. Is anybody paying attention?

FROM FOX SPORTS Reds-Angels Preview STATS LLC

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two years ago, Brandon Finnegan introduced himself to major-league baseball as a reliever during the Kansas City Royals' run to the World Series. On Wednesday, Finnegan will seek to build on his recent success as a starter when his Cincinnati Redsface the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.

Opposing him will be right-hander Ricky Nolasco, who has yet to win a game since the sent him to the Angels at the trading deadline.

Finnegan enters the game following two stellar performances. Against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 20, the left-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before finishing with eight strikeouts while permitting just two walks and one hit in an 11-1 rout.

Reds manager Bryan Price told MLB.com that Finnegan was "as sharp as I've seen him this year."

Then on Friday night against the , Finnegan amassed a career-high 12 strikeouts in six innings while conceding just two runs, two walks and three hits for his fifth quality start in six appearances. In three of those starts, the left-hander pitched shutout baseball. August 31, 2016 Page 22 of 23

Friday night's performance provided a distinct contrast from Finnegan's last start against Arizona on July 24, when he allowed six runs on seven hits in five innings of a 9-8 loss.

"Last time I faced these guys, I didn't have a change-up," he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "They were definitely gearing for a fastball matchup. That's why they were missing the change-up so much."

But since that loss, Finnegan won three of four decisions.

Finnegan made seven relief appearances in the playoffs for Kansas City after being recalled from Double-A Northwest Arkansas in September 2014. He became first player in major-league history to pitch in a World Series and a College World Series in the same year, when he played for TCU. The Reds acquired Finnegan in a four-player trade for right-hander Johnny Cueto five days before last year's trading deadline.

"This kid has got all the guts in the world, and he throws strikes," Art Stewart, the Royals' long- time scouting director, told the New York Times in 2014.

Nolasco, on the other hand, lost his last four starts, five successive decisions overall and eight of his past nine since June 13. The right-hander has not earned a victory since July 9. Three weeks later, the Angels acquired him from the Twins in a four-player trade for left-hander Hector Santiago.

Yet in his past two starts, Nolasco showed signs of ending his funk. On Aug. 20, the right-hander did not issue a walk and retired 12 consecutive between the second and sixth innings of a 5-1 loss.

Then on Friday night, Nolasco pitched five shutout innings before the scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally for a 4-2 win. J.D. Martinez had a run-scoring double and Justin Upton hit a two-run home run.

"I was able to make pitches and get out of those few innings before," Nolasco told the Orange County Register. "But it the sixth it was two hanging sliders that were the difference in the game. It came down to two pitches, and they didn't miss them."