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June 28, 2017

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Clips

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Today’s Clips Contents

FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

 It's a strange symmetry for Angels' Huston Street

 For the Angels, Tuesdays have been a magical day this season

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 6)

stifles Angels in dodgers’ 4-0 win

 Whicker: Martin Maldonado is driving force in Angels’ rise

 Angels Notes: Team loves Keynan Middleton’s energy and emotion

 Fryer: Angels might be a .500 team, but they are 100 percent fun

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 13)

 Angels can’t back Chavez, fall to Dodgers

 For Angels, no looking back at halfway point

 Middleton flashes rising confidence on mound

 Meyer gets call as Halos host

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 18)

 Maeda dominates in spot start, Dodgers beat Angels 4-0 June 28, 2017 Page 3 of 20

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

It's a strange symmetry for Angels' Huston Street

By Pedro Moura

The hitters, Huston Street was certain, did not notice it. The Fenway Park fans probably didn’t either, with the Red Sox ahead by three runs late on a weekend night.

But to the man who had not pitched in 11 months, it felt too serendipitous to ignore. The three hitters the Angels’ reliever faced in his first game back — , Dustin Pedroia and — were the last three hitters he faced in his last game last season.

“Those guys,” Street said, “blasted me last year.”

Last July 31, Street attempted to earn a save at Angel Stadium. He recorded two outs and let two Red Sox aboard before Betts singled in a . His season already on tenuous ground, Street gave up back-to- back home runs to Pedroia and Bogaerts, turning a three-run lead into a two-run deficit.

He did not pitch again that season and soon underwent knee surgery.

After his return was delayed nearly three months because of a lat strain, Street entered Friday night in Boston to face the same men and retired them in order, punctuating his inning with a called third strike on Bogaerts.

“That’s redemption,” Street said. “That’s the beauty of the competitive spirit. That’s that first step, whether you want to call it symbolic or metaphorical. I think any competitor would remember the guys who knocked them off the mound and ended their season with a five-spot.”

Street continued: “Let’s be honest. It’s one inning, and guys get out all the time. So, I’m not over-hyping this. I am telling you, though, 1,000%, I was thinking about it on the mound and warming up.”

Tuesday at , Street threw his second scoreless inning since his return.

Middleton’s expression

Rookie right-hander Keynan Middleton’s exuberance after striking out to end Monday’s eighth inning generated talk about what the 23-year-old must still learn as he adjusts to the major leagues.

“I love the emotion,” Angels manager said. “Every young needs to temper and harness that emotion, and Keynan will. He’s a great kid, and he wants to do well. I think there’s an emotional relief with every pitcher that pitches toward the back of the game.

“But you need to harness it, and you need to understand that emotion is something that can be a double-edged sword.” June 28, 2017 Page 4 of 20

Short hops

Mike Trout soft tosses Tuesday, the next step after several days of swinging off of a tee. practice will follow. A return before the July 11 All-Star Game remains a possibility. … Cameron Maybin and did not start Tuesday. Pujols’ day off had been scheduled since the weekend, when Scioscia revealed Pujols would play first base in one of the two games at Dodger Stadium. Maybin, 30, does not have a specific ailment requiring rest, but he had played 15 of the previous 16 nights. … Left-hander Tyler Skaggs (oblique strain) has returned to Southern California from the team’s Arizona spring-training facility. Scioscia said Skaggs would be evaluated Wednesday to discern if he can continue his throwing program.

For the Angels, Tuesdays have been a magical day this season

By Pedro Moura

It began one month ago in St. Petersburg, Fla., when the Angels’ radio play-by-play man, Terry Smith, informed the team’s television analyst, Mark Gubicza, that the Angels were 7-0 on Tuesdays in 2017.

Every Tuesday on Fox Sports West, Gubicza hosts a signature segment, in which he asks players their preferences in specific categories like burgers, candies, or superheroes. So the natural connection was made: The Angels are undefeated on “Gubi Tuesdays”.

As the club continued to garner improbable victories on Tuesdays — the streak was up to a dozen entering Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium — the connection strengthened. When he wakes up on Tuesday each week, Gubicza’s social-media mentions are flooded with fans heralding his segment. He loves the concept.

“First of all, I have zero effect on the game, nor do I think I have any effect on the game, other than the entertainment part of it,” Gubicza said. “Still, it’s kind of fun, though.”

An effervescent, relentlessly positive man, Gubicza has taken to reminding players and coaches of the fun fact, grinning as he does it on the bus or in the dugout hours before a game. And then he waits for their incredulous response.

By Tuesday’s first pitch, at least half of the Angels were familiar with the streak, whether through forces within the team’s traveling party or outside of it. Reliever Blake Parker discovered it on the “SportsCenter” bottom line last week in a Manhattan, N.Y., hotel room, when the television continued to flash it along the ticker.

The Angels’ manager, Mike Scioscia, has referenced it in postgame news conferences, citing Gubicza. On Tuesday, he deferred questions about it to the broadcaster.

“I don’t believe in it,” Scioscia has told Gubicza. “But I guess the numbers say I should.”

When he pitched, Gubicza was superstitious. Over a 14-year, 132-win career spent almost exclusively with the , he took to wearing concert T-shirts under his uniform to combat the mid- June 28, 2017 Page 5 of 20

summer humidity. He would start with Aerosmith, and then introduce Rush and Pink Floyd iterations in the later innings, when the sweat built up on his body.

He understands the nature of randomness and that this trend is a fluke unlikely to hold up to continued testing. Only one team has ever won more games on Tuesdays to begin a season: the 1997 Baltimore Orioles, who won 16 consecutive and 94 games overall.

As a then-Cleveland Indian, Angels pitching Charles Nagy knocked those Orioles out of the playoffs. On Tuesday afternoon, Gubicza informed Nagy of this team’s statistic. Nagy made a face, seemingly acknowledging the jinxing potential.

“It is beautiful how everyone says, ‘Well, not now,’ ” Gubicza said. “And then it keeps going.”

Tuesdays in 2017

7-6, at Oakland, April 4 — The club recorded its first victory of the season in dramatic fashion. Danny Espinosa hit the winning in the ninth inning after Matt Shoemaker made his return to the mound from emergency brain surgery.

6-5 (10 innings), vs. Texas, April 11 — The Angels notched their first extra-innings victory since 2015, in another comeback that required a three-run ninth inning. Then-Rangers reliever Sam Dyson coughed it up and has since been traded.

5-2, at Houston, April 18 — The Angels came back again, but earlier, on the strength of an Albert Pujols three-run homer in the fifth inning.

2-1 (11 innings), vs. Oakland, April 25 — After both teams were scoreless through regulation, clubbed a home run in the 10th inning to tie it, and Espinosa scored the winning run with two outs in the 11th.

6-4 (11 innings), at Seattle, May 2 — Pujols doubled in Trout for the winning run, then humorously stole third when Seattle forgot about him. He later scored an insurance run.

7-3, at Oakland, May 9 — In an odd game, the teams hit five home runs, including one by Ben Revere, the major league hitter least likely to hit a home run.

7-6 (11 innings), vs. Chicago White Sox, May 16 — Picked up off the scrap heap in April, David Hernandez stumbled in his attempt to save a three-run ninth-inning lead. But Cameron Maybin logged a five-hit game in his first start as the club’s leadoff hitter and scored the winning run.

4-0, at Tampa Bay, May 23 — Early home runs by Maybin and Trout and a star turn from Shoemaker made for a rare suspense-less victory.

9-3, vs. Atlanta, May 30 — Pujols hit the 599th home run of his career and batted again for his first chance at No. 600 amid an outlandish third inning. The Angels scored all nine of their runs in that frame. June 28, 2017 Page 6 of 20

5-3, at Detroit, June 6 — After the Angels raced out to an early lead, Bud Norris loaded the bases in a tense ninth inning before striking out Alex Avila on a backdoor slider to end the game.

3-2 (11 innings), vs. , June 13 — With the streak in double digits, Eric Young Jr. tied the score with a solo home run in the eighth inning and then drove in the winning run with a walk-off single.

8-3, at New York Yankees, June 20 — Maybin ambushed Yankees reliever Tyler Clippard with the score tied in the seventh inning, and the Angels exploded for five late runs to extend New York’s losing streak to seven games, its longest in a decade.

FROM ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Kenta Maeda stifles Angels in dodgers’ 4-0 win

By J.P. Hoornstra

LOS ANGELES — Kenta Maeda is technically the Dodgers’ sixth starter. One year after finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, Maeda hasn’t pitched as often as he’d like.

And yet, in five June appearances, Maeda has allowed only four runs. The right-hander continued his resurgence in the Dodgers’ 4-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday before the announced crowd of 47,245 at Dodger Stadium.

Making a spot start to give the Dodgers’ other starters an extra day of rest, Maeda (6-3) scattered four hits — all singles — in seven shutout innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six.

Asked how important it was to have a strong game, Maeda smiled broadly.

“Very important,” he said through his interpreter.

Cody Bellinger broke up a scoreless game with an RBI single against Angels reliever Jose Alvarez, a run that was charged to starter Jesse Chavez (5-8). Two batters later, hit a three-run home run to cap a four-run inning. It was Pederson’s first home run against a left-handed pitcher this season.

The Dodgers (52-27) snapped the Angels’ (41-40) winning streak at three games. They have won 17 of their last 19 games overall.

Bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation all month, Maeda’s rise has quietly mirrored his team’s.

On June 9, his first relief appearance in nine years, Maeda allowed one run in four innings to record his first career save.

Nine days later, Maeda started against the . He allowed one run in five innings.

Friday, Maeda threw a scoreless relief inning against the Cincinnati Reds. June 28, 2017 Page 7 of 20

It was all a mere prelude to Tuesday, when Maeda threw 92 pitches without allowing any semblance of hard contact. The one time the Angels squared up a baseball, Kiké Hernandez smothered a grounder by Martin Maldonado ranging to his right, then threw out the Angels’ from his knees.

“Attacking hitters, not wasting pitches — that’s something I’ve been trying to carry over as a starter,” Maeda said through his interpreter. “It’s something that is a positive from that experience” of pitching in relief.

Maeda has also added a cut fastball to his repertoire, effectively giving him six pitches to choose from as needed. All of them were working Tuesday, Maeda said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Maeda will start again, though he didn’t know when. With Brandon McCarthy on the 10-day disabled list, Maeda might not miss a turn.

And why should he? Maeda’s earned-run average has fallen every month – 6.58 in April, 3.63 in May, and 1.71 in June – despite having no semblance of a routine.

“A lot of times, major league players feel that they have to have a certain routine to have success,” Roberts said. “Talking to (Dodgers pitching coach) Rick Honeycutt, when he made the move from a starter to the ’pen, and what it did for his career, he realized what he didn’t need to get ready to make an outing. … Kenta has shown – I think himself – that there’s different ways to prepare and still have success at the major league level.”

For a while, it looked as if Maeda’s best might not be enough.

Chavez took a no-hitter into the fourth inning, spoiled when Eric Young Jr. lost a ball in the lights in center field. ’s routine pop-up was officially recorded as a double.

Chavez allowed only one other hit, a double by , over 5⅓ innings. He walked four batters and struck out five.

Utley’s double kicked off the Dodgers’ rally in the sixth inning. He tagged up and went to third base on a sacrifice fly. With runners on first and third and one out, Angels manager Mike Scioscia called on Alvarez to face Bellinger.

“It was more of a matchup and also (Chavez) is getting to a point where he’s getting stretched a bit and we wanted to give some hitters a different look,” Scioscia said. “But outside of the walks, I thought (Chavez) pitched a good game.”

Chavez, the former Dodger, was charged with two runs, both of whom scored with Alvarez on the mound.

Alvarez has allowed runs in each of his last two appearances. His ERA has risen from 4.43 at the beginning of June to 5.79.

Both teams played without some of their star hitters. Scioscia gave Cameron Maybin and Albert Pujols a day off. The Dodgers rested , and . June 28, 2017 Page 8 of 20

For a night, the gap in roster depth between the rivals was exposed. The Angels batted only three times with runners in scoring position and went 0 for 3.

Young led off the game with a single and stole second base. At least he appeared to. Umpire Tom Woodring called Young out on the tag. Young immediately signaled to the Angels’ dugout to review the play and didn’t leave the base.

Ultimately, Scioscia chose not to challenge the call, forcing Young to jog back belatedly in defeat.

That was the Angels’ best chance against Maeda for a while. They didn’t get another runner until Young bunted for a hit in the fourth inning. But with runners on first and second and one out, Luis Valbuena swung and missed at a fastball, and Andrelton Simmons grounded out to end the inning.

“There weren’t too many good swings that they got off on him,” Roberts said of Maeda. “To be efficient, give us seven innings – it’s what we needed to start a new winning streak.”

Whicker: Martin Maldonado is driving force in Angels’ rise

By Mark Whicker

LOS ANGELES — Bengie Molina was like the driver you used when you first broke 80. OK, 90.

He brought his own kind of precious mettle.

He was Mike Scioscia’s world championship catcher, 15 years ago. He was a glowering cement block who rode his , drove in occasional but crucial ruins, and approached his craft as soberly as a mine worker.

Molina left and nobody was ever good enough again. For Scioscia, his catcher comfort zone is as wide as a MINI Cooper.

Then Martin Maldonado walked into the Angels’ world. He looked familiar.

He was the backup in Milwaukee, where managed. Roenicke is one of the Angels’ coaches again, as he was in 2002, Upon Roenicke’s recommendation, the Angels traded young catcher Jett Bandy for Maldonado.

Suddenly, the Angels began playing clean baseball. They came into Wednesday’s game two games over .500 and, incredibly, one game out of the second wild-card playoff spot in the . They’ve done this without Mike Trout for nearly a month, and are 15-12 without him, and haven’t had Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs, , Huston Street or Andrew Bailey. They just went 6-3 against the Yankees and Red Sox. On Monday they became the first team in 18 games to hold the Dodgers without a home run, and handed them their fifth shutout.

“When it comes to our pitchers, Martin is as big a reason (for their success) as anything else we’re talking about,” Scioscia said. June 28, 2017 Page 9 of 20

The Angels scramble for a rotation. But their bullpen ranks third in the American League in WHIP. The defensive changes that General Manager Billy Eppler initiated are working. They aren’t bragging, but they’re breathing.

Maldonado is 30. His career was getting overripe. He had never played more than 79 games in a big-league season. Now he has started 63 games, five more than any other catcher in MLB.

He was Jonathan Lucroy’s backup in Milwaukee, but Roenicke often had Maldonado catch pitchers who needed fixing.

“You have to learn how each guy will respond to you,” Maldonado said. “It probably took about a month before I learned who I needed to get on, and who I needed to give a pat on the back.”

In fact, the Angels drafted Maldonado in the 27th round in 2007, and catching instructor Orlando Mercado took a liking to him, but he was released in 2010.

Like Molina, Maldonado had to watch his weight, and there was no indication he would hit. But he could always throw. In the minor leagues Maldonado threw out 42 percent on attempts, and his major league figure was 36 percent coming into 2017.

Here he’s at 38 percent, but the Angels also like the fact that the opposition has dared try it only 34 times.

“It makes you happy to do that,” Maldonado said, “but the most important thing is how the pitchers hold onto their runners. It doesn’t matter how quickly I get rid of the ball unless they do that.”

Catching instructor Steve Soliz said Maldonado spends more hours on the game plan than anyone since Molina. He also lauds Maldonado’s knack for “going to the mound when things go bad, calming things down.”

“You don’t really know everything about unless you see them in the dugout every day,” Scioscia said. “The biggest thing to me is that his head is so strong out there. He’s transmitted a game plan to our pitchers. Everybody except us thinks they’re overachieving.”

Scioscia grew up in a Dodgers organization that strongly believed the catchers basically rode the ballgame, like jockeys. Today, with all the defensive shifts that put such a premium on a pitcher’s command, the catcher should be even more of a helmsman. Instead, high school and college coaches call all the pitches, and the catcher usually has to hit to win.

Maldonado goes beyond all that, but the prolonged playing time has helped his offense. His .759 OPS is a career high, and he has eight home runs and a league-leading 11 hit-by-pitches already.

Maldonado is from , as were Molina and brothers Yadier and Jose, along with incoming Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez, Jorge Posada and . Maldonado’s father caught in Puerto Rico, as did his brother, and the family is familiar with the Molinas. June 28, 2017 Page 10 of 20

Maldonado also signed up for barber school after one winter league season and was the clubhouse stylist for the Brewers.

“I was a catcher, all the way up,” he said. “My father taught me everything, but the main thing he always told me was to never be satisfied.”

Scioscia still isn’t. “We’ve got a long road ahead,” he said.

At least he likes his main driver.

Angels Notes: Team loves Keynan Middleton’s energy and emotion

By Elliott Teaford

Keynan Middleton lost his poise in the eighth inning Monday at Dodger Stadium.

This time, it was OK.

In fact, it was better than OK.

The Angels loved it.

Middleton struck out sizzling Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger to complete a 1-2-3 eighth inning, preserving a three-run lead in what became a 4-0 victory. Middleton let out a scream and pumped his fist in celebration as he bounded off the mound and headed for the dugout.

“He was pumped,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “I love the emotion.”

Middleton, 23, isn’t the first young pitcher to celebrate a big strikeout, and he won’t be the last.

“Every young pitcher needs to temper it and harness it, and Keynan will,” Scioscia said. “He’s a great kid and he wants to do well. I think there’s an emotional release with every pitcher who pitches toward the back end of the game. … You see it with guys who get big outs.”

Middleton has recorded some big outs of late, striking out Bellinger on Monday after fanning of the Yankees twice last week in New York. Bellinger had a National League-leading 24 home runs going into Tuesday; Judge led the majors with 26.

Overall, Middleton was 2-0 going into Tuesday, with a 3.13 ERA in 23 innings over 26 appearances after the Angels recalled him from Triple-A Salt Lake on May 5. He had 24 strikeouts and 10 walks while pitching mostly in middle relief. He had yet to record his first major league save.

Middleton displayed a remarkable arm last year, after a promotion to Salt Lake. His pitches had the kind of velocity and movement that makes knowledgeable baseball people take notice. What might have been lacking was a major league level of poise on the mound.

That part remains a work in progress, according to Scioscia. June 28, 2017 Page 11 of 20

“He’s developing it,” Scioscia said. “When he came to spring training, I think some of it was overwhelming. He came in with high expectations and did not throw the ball well this spring at all. He was searching for all things that he’s gotten to now. This is the way he was throwing the ball last August in Triple-A. I think he’s developed that confidence, which is helping him stay on track.

“You can see his arm is legit.”

His celebrations aren’t bad, either.

“We love the energy and we love the emotion,” Scioscia said.

PLANNED DAYS OFF

Neither Albert Pujols nor center fielder Cameron Maybin was in the Angels’ lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Dodgers. Neither was injured. Each was given a day off, scheduled well ahead of time, Scioscia said.

Pujols wasn’t going to play first in consecutive games after playing the field Monday for only the fifth time this season. He’s expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday as the Angels’ designated hitter when the Freeway Series shifts to Angel Stadium.

Maybin was given a day to “recharge,” Scioscia said. Maybin has assumed one of baseball’s most demanding positions in the wake of a thumb injury to superstar center fielder Mike Trout, who sat out for the 28th game Tuesday and could be several weeks away from a return to the lineup.

SKAGGS UPDATE

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs is scheduled to be re-evaluated Wednesday, when the Angels return to Angel Stadium. The exam is expected to help determine whether he’ll continue his throwing program or need further time to rehab an oblique injury that sent him to the disabled list April 29.

Skaggs’ rehab start Saturday in the Arizona League was scrubbed because of soreness.

Fryer: Angels might be a .500 team, but they are 100 percent fun

By Steve Fryer

What in the wide, wide world of sports is going on here …

 The Angels won’t be contenders for the American League West championship. But this might be the most- fun-to-watch .500 team in club history.

 It’s an entertaining team, with a lot to like: baserunning that is aggressive and borderline psychotic, timely hits coming from all over the , unexpected fine outings from the mishmash starting rotation, strong fielding at most positions and a bullpen that has developed into one of the deeper units in the game. June 28, 2017 Page 12 of 20

 Through Monday the Angels were 27th among the 30 MLB teams in , so they’ve chosen other methods. They were leading the majors with 74 steals. The Angels’ .985 was fifth in the majors and their 35 steals allowed were the fifth-lowest.

 The Angels are underdogs in almost every game, the players know it and have shoulder chips from it. Massive credit goes to Angels general manager Billy Eppler and his staff for finding guys to fill the starting rotation and bullpen, and to Manager Mike Scioscia and pitching coach Charles Nagy for blending it together.

 Eppler trades that have been one-sided to the Angels’ advantage: getting Andrelton Simmons from the Braves for Aybar and pitchers Chris Ellis and Sean Newcomb, trading catcher Jett Bandy to Milwaukee for catcher Martin Maldonado (a first-half team MVP candidate) and getting Cameron Maybin (also a first-half MVP candidate) from Detroit for pitcher Victor Alcantara.

 Simmons, yet another first-half MVP guy, might be the best-fielding shortstop in Angels history – the competition there starts with the slick and rangy Jim Fregosi and includes Erick Aybar, Gary DiSarcina and Dick Schofield. Calm down, you legion of fans – gritty guy and all, but defensively not in that group. Simmons has the best arm of the bunch, and maybe gets to balls Fregosi could not.

 Angels Danny Espinosa is the same player he was with the Washington Nationals. He is a fine fielder who strikes out too much — with 82 strikeouts through Monday, he is chasing the club single- season record of 184 shared by Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout. Yet he has a knack for the key RBI (his 29 RBI, fifth on the team, all have seemed to come at crucial moments).

 The Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig, meanwhile, has been batting in the bottom third of the order, but his 14 home runs and 41 RBI through Monday were second on the team behind Cody Bellinger’s 24 homers and 55 RBI.

 As of Tuesday afternoon, tickets for the Dodgers-at-Angels games started at $45 for Wednesday and $50 for Thursday. is the Dodgers’ scheduled Thursday.

 Tim Tebow was promoted from the ’ low-A South Atlantic League team, the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies, to their St. Lucie affiliate in the Florida State League. With the Fireflies Tebow batted .222 with three home runs and 23 RBI in 212 at bats.

 Tebow’s promotion is a marketing move. Fireflies attendance has increased 40 percent over last season to a league-leading 5,230 per game. They played sold-out games on the road.

 Tebow is a marketable athlete, and for the right reasons. He is a hard-working leader and a gentleman. While it is a longshot that Tebow, who turns 30 in August, will reach the majors, it’s smart that the Mets moved him up to St. Lucie, to increase ticket sales not just for their team but for other teams in that league.

 Why did the Washington Nationals sign 35-year-old ex-Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez to a minor-league deal? Because the Nationals’ relief pitchers have a 4.98 ERA, 29th among the MLB’s 30 teams. Also, the June 28, 2017 Page 13 of 20

Nationals would have to play Rodriquez only a portion of the league minimum salary prorated to how much of the season Rodriguez is on their roster.

 Rodriguez had 44 saves for the Detroit Tigers last season. That’s the fourth-highest total of his 16-year career (he had save totals of 62, 47 and 45 with the Angels). In 25 1/3 innings with the Tigers this season, Rodriguez had a 7.82 ERA with nine home runs allowed.

 Rodriquez’ 437 career saves are fourth in history, behind (652), Anaheim’s Savanna High alum (601) and another ex-Angel, Lee Smith (478).

 NHL MVP Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers has one year remaining on his contract. The 20-year- old center will be paid $832,500, after which he becomes a restricted free agent. Beginning Saturday, the Oilers can and will pursue a multi-year, salary-cap friendly contract extension with him.

 This is Irrelevant Week, or more like Irrelevant Weekend. Mr. Irrelevant Chad Kelly can only be here Friday through Sunday, but Team Irrelevant is going to make the most of it. Kelly, a young quarterback from Ole Miss, is Mr. Irrelevant XLII by being the final pick, taken by the Denver Broncos, in the 2017 NFL draft.

 Here is the Irrelevant Week schedule to which all are invited: Lowsman Banquet, Friday, 6:30 p.m. at the Balboa Bay Resort; Irrelevant Beach Bash, Saturday 10 a.m.-noon, on the beach at Newport at the end of 30th street; and the “Welcome to Newport Beach” party, Saturday at 1 p.m. at Balboa Bay Resort. Go to IrrelevantWeek.com for details.

 Irrelevant Week is centered on fun and on charity. SPIN – Serving People in Need – is sending 125 families to the beach party and furnishing them with bus passes and gas passes to get them there, and KidWorks, a student learning center near Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, is sending a group, too. All of those assisted by SPIN and KidWorks at the beach party get a BBQ lunch and beach towels to keep.

 I see more beach balls at baseball games than at the beach.

FROM ANGELS.COM

Angels can’t back Chavez, fall to Dodgers

By Ken Gurnick and Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- Kenta Maeda fired seven scoreless innings and Joc Pederson slugged a three-run homer in a four-run sixth inning as the Dodgers beat the Angels Tuesday night, 4-0, for a split of the Dodger Stadium portion of the Freeway Series, which continues Wednesday night in Anaheim.

Maeda, making a spot start after being sent to the bullpen, allowed four hits, struck out six without a walk and improved his record to 6-3. This was Maeda's best startsince taking a shutout into in the ninth inning against Pittsburgh on May 10. He's 5-1 in his last eight starts. June 28, 2017 Page 14 of 20

"The last few outings, he's been aggressive and filling the strike zone," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Maeda. "With his mix, putting hitters on the defensive, there just weren't many good swings they got off him."

With Brandon McCarthy on the disabled list and encountering control issues again, Maeda will probably make a few more starts after outdueling former teammate Jesse Chavez (5-8).

"He was getting to the corners pretty good, he changed speeds well," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Maeda. "I think he used all of his pitches and kept us off-balance. We didn't have too many good looks at him, and he pitched a good seven innings for them."

The Dodgers broke a scoreless tie in the sixth. Chase Utley legged out a double to left-center, Logan Forsythe walked and Chris Taylor flied to center with Utley tagging to third. Left-hander Jose Alvarez was brought in to face Cody Bellinger, who defeated the shift by punching an RBI single to left.

"Left on left and we needed a base hit there to keep the line moving," Roberts said of Bellinger's 56th RBI in his 59th game. "Cody is not just the guy that can slug. He can barrel hit, hit it flat for a base hit when he needs to, take a walk when he needs to. There's a lot of things he can do to help us win and tonight it wasn't the homer, it was the base hit to left."

After bounced out, Pederson homered to dead center, his seventh of the season, fifth since returning June 13 from a concussion caused by a collision with Yasiel Puig and first off a lefty.

"Maybe it knocked some sense into me, I don't know," Pederson joked of the collision. But he also noted that while on a brief rehab assignment, hitting instructor spotted a flaw and the result is a better swing.

"He definitely found something in my swing that I was doing last year and wasn't doing this year, and it's definitely paying off," said Pederson. "It sort of clicked right away and things have been going well with it. Just getting back to something I wasn't doing before, I was hitting a lot of balls really hard on the ground and he showed me something I wasn't doing that was causing it."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Picking up a teammate I: With two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, Angels outfielder Eric Young Jr. lost sight of Taylor's apparent routine fly ball to center field and it dropped 30 feet in front of Young for a gift double. Chavez pitched around and walked Bellinger to bring up Barnes, who struck out on a 3- 2 pitch to end the threat. Taylor's double was the only Dodgers hit in the first five innings.

"Tough sky at center field," Scioscia said of the play. "We couldn't even see the ball [from the dugout]. Sometimes the ball blends right in with the background."

Picking up a teammate, Part II: With two outs in the top of the fifth inning, Cliff Pennington hit a rocket one-hopper that caromed off second baseman Utley for a double. That came after a spectacular diving stop and throw from his knees by shortstop Enrique Hernandez to rob Martin Maldonado of a hit. But Maeda struck out Chavez for the third out to keep the game scoreless. June 28, 2017 Page 15 of 20

QUOTABLE "That was as good a play as you're going to see this year. Difficulty, athleticism, arm strength to make it over there. A lot of players on our club get a lot of praise. But to have him fill in for an MVP candidate and play that type of defense … it doesn't go undervalued for us." -- Roberts on Corey Seager's fill-in at shortstop, Hernandez, diving to stop Martin Maldonado's bid for a hit and throwing him out from his knees on the outfield grass

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS At 19-6 in June, the Dodgers have the best record in MLB this month.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: The Halos will start Alex Meyer (3-4, 4.20 ERA) on Wednesday night as the Freeway Series turns to Angel Stadium. In five starts at home, Meyer is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PT.

Dodgers: The Freeway Series shifts to Anaheim on Wednesday and Hyun-Jin Ryu gets the 7:10 p.m. PT start for the Dodgers. Ryu has won only three of 12 starts in his comeback season with 14 homers allowed in 67 innings.

For Angels, no looking back at halfway point

Bullpen, aggressive baserunning key to club remaining above .500

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- With their 81st game of the season under their belt, the Angels have completed half of their season and stand at 41-40 following a 4-0 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday night. The club has played much of its season with a pitching staff hampered by injuries to both starters and relievers alike.

Nonetheless, as manager Mike Scioscia says, the Angels have kept their heads above water and have hovered within at least two games of the .500 mark since April 25. They finished Tuesday one game back of an American League Wild Card spot.

"[Playing] .500 baseball is nothing to really throw a parade about," Scioscia said Monday. "But it's a start, and hopefully, we'll continue to get better."

For all their imperfections, there have been positives, starting with the bullpen. Entering Tuesday's contest, the unit had allowed just 21.1 percent of its inherited runners to score, the lowest mark in the American League and second-lowest in the Major Leagues. The group's collective 2.99 ERA in the month of June ranked second the American League entering Tuesday night, as well.

"We have a bullpen that's been terrific," Scioscia said following Tuesday's loss. "I think any team that has a bullpen that's formed the way ours is has a chance to keep their head above water and stay in a race, and that's what we are right now." June 28, 2017 Page 16 of 20

Offensively, the Halos' 74 stolen bases are tops in Major Leagues, a tribute to Scioscia taking advantage of the speed available on the roster.

"We're going to try and take every opportunity we can," Scioscia said. "There's been some ebbs and flows to that, but I think we have some more team speed this year than we've had in the last couple years. If the opportunity's there, we're going to try and take advantage of it, but it's something you can't force."

As players have settled in and broken out of early season slumps, the offensive production has returned in spurts, and for some, in stretches.

Right fielder Kole Calhoun has raised his batting average 42 points since the calendar flipped to May. Center fielder Cameron Maybin, who's swiped an American League-leading 24 bases, has turned into a key offensive piece in the absence of Mike Trout, primarily from the leadoff spot, where he's wielded a .342 batting average since moving to the top of the order.

The Angels have gone a surprising 15-13 since losing Trout, who began a stint on the 10-day disabled list on May 29 while nursing a torn UCL in his left thumb. Trout's 3.4 , according to Baseball Reference, is tied for second-most in the American League.

"I think it's a cycle that would've happened whether Mike was injured or not," Scioscia said. "We had a lot of guys struggle early in the season."

Of course, there are tangible issues, too. The Angels' starting rotation is still mostly on the mend. Contributions from the likes of who's available, namely JC Ramirez and Alex Meyer, have kept the Halos in contention, though Scioscia says there's room for depth to be added and improvements to be made.

But for now, the Major League's longest-tenured skipper is focused on what he can control presently, something his players have echoed. They say daily improvement is necessary for the group to produce a successful season.

"I expect us to get better," Scioscia said. "There's no sense in looking back, no sense in looking at what's not here. We're confident in the fact that we're going to improve where we have to improve to reach our goal. We're not looking too far ahead, and hopefully do a little better job."

Middleton flashes rising confidence on mound

'He's got a special arm,' Scioscia says of rookie reliever

By Kaelen Jones / MLB.com

LOS ANGELES -- Keynan Middleton is just scratching the surface, but the potential is unquestionably tangible, from his pitching arsenal to his uninhibited passion for the game. June 28, 2017 Page 17 of 20

The Angels' rookie reliever tossed a perfect eighth inning in Monday's 4-0 win over the Dodgers, finishing his night with a strikeout of Cody Bellinger and an emphatic display of emotion -- clapping a fist into his glove as he exited the mound.

"Last night was a learning curve for me, trying to keep my emotions in check," Middleton said. "I'm learning every day."

"I think he feels this is where he belongs," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We love the energy, we love the emotion, and there will be some baby steps he's gotta take to harness it, but he's doing a great job of that."

The outing marked Middleton's fourth straight appearance without allowing a run, a stretch only bested by his nine-game scoreless streak from May 19 to June 14.

Since the right-hander was called up on May 5, he's fired 24 strikeouts against 10 walks and 16 hits, logging a 3.13 ERA in 26 appearances this season.

Middleton can touch 100 mph with his fastball and throws a tough slider that can clock in the low 90s.

He says he's still trying to prove himself to be a reliable option out of the bullpen.

"[I'm learning to] just trust my stuff and attack the zone," Middleton said. "I have good enough stuff, so I don't have to try and hit corners and things like that. I just attack hitters, and that works for me."

That trust has enabled Middleton to come through in big spots against some of the hottest hitters in the Major Leagues this season. When Bellinger whiffed on an 89.9 slider Monday, he joined Yankees slugger Aaron Judge -- who struck out twice against Middleton -- as some of the most notable stars who've been punched out by the 23-year-old flamethrower.

Scioscia said Middleton has begun to find his form after struggling to do so during Spring Training.

"He's got a special arm," Scioscia said Monday. "Really electric stuff, and I think he's starting to get the confidence that he belongs in the Major Leagues, and he's really throwing the ball well."

Worth noting

• Mike Trout hit soft toss Tuesday, and he is on schedule in his rehab, per Scioscia. The next stage in Trout's progression includes hitting live batting practice.

The Angels entered Tuesday's game 15-12 since losing Trout, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a torn UCL in his left thumb on May 29.

• Left-handed pitcher Tyler Skaggs, who's been on the disabled list with a strained right oblique since April 29, played catch Monday and is back with the Angels, per Scioscia.

Scioscia said Skaggs would be "evaluated again [Wednesday] to see if he's going to continue on his throwing program." June 28, 2017 Page 18 of 20

Meyer gets call as Halos host Freeway Series

By Joshua Thornton / MLB.com

The Freeway Series moves to Anaheim on Wednesday night, with Angels righty Alex Meyer looking to shake off his last start opposite the Dodgers lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Meyer allowed five earned runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Red Sox last Friday, snapping his streak of seven consecutive starts allowing three or fewer runs. Meyer is 3-4 on the year, sporting a 4.20 ERA in 10 starts.

Meyer, however, has put together strong performances at Angel Stadium. In five starts at home, Meyer is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA over 26 2/3 innings.

Ryu will look to get back on track after he allowed two home runs and five hits against the Mets in his last start. The lefty owns a 3-6 record with a 4.30 ERA and has given up 14 home runs this season.

Things to know about this game

• Ryu last pitched at Angel Stadium on Aug. 7, 2014, allowing just two hits in seven scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 7-0 victory, striking out four against one walk on 100 pitches.

• Meyer has never faced the Dodgers, but in three career Interleague games (one start), he is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA.

• Ryu has allowed just a .167 slugging percentage with his curveball and slider this season. Among starters who have ended at least 50 at-bats with breaking balls, only has done better.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Maeda dominates in spot start, Dodgers beat Angels 4-0

Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Kenta Maeda has gone from the rotation to the bullpen to spot starting this month.

Maeda, like many baseball players, was built on routine, but his job has become anything but predictable with the .

No matter. This role seems to suit him just fine.

Maeda pitched four-hit ball over seven innings in a spot start, Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer and the Dodgers beat the Angels 4-0 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. June 28, 2017 Page 19 of 20

Maeda (6-3) was moved to the bullpen earlier this month, but filled in Tuesday to give the rotation an extra day of rest. He dominated the Dodgers' crosstown rival, striking out six with no walks on 92 pitches. His ERA dropped to 4.15.

He'll get another spot start before the All-Star break, too. Why not, with results like this?

"I think there's definitely a sense of urgency overall," Maeda said through an interpreter. "I didn't start off the year on a good note. Regardless of if I'm in the bullpen or starting, there's definitely a sense of urgency that I feel to produce results."

Maeda was 2-2 with a 6.58 ERA in April. He's allowed just four runs in 21 innings in June.

Angels starter Jesse Chavez (5-8) was pulled in the sixth after working into a jam, and Cody Bellinger greeted reliever Jose Alvarez with an RBI single. Bellinger leads the Dodgers with 56 RBI.

Pederson hit his seventh home run two batters later.

"(Alvarez) made some good pitches to Bellinger and (Austin) Barnes, but just left a slider in the middle of the plate to Pederson and he hit it out of the park," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Dodgers, who ended a 10-game winning streak Monday with a 4-0 loss against the Angels, have won 17 of their past 19 games and lead the National League with a 52-27 record.

Pederson has been hitting well since his return from a concussion he got in an outfield collision with Yasiel Puig.

"Maybe it knocked some sense into me," Pederson joked. "Shawn Wooten (the hitting coach at Triple-A Oklahoma City) found something in my swing that I was not doing that I was doing last year. It's paying off. ... Things have been going well with it."

Chavez was charged with two runs over 5 1/3 innings. He didn't allow a hit until his 12th batter, and that was a miscue by Eric Young Jr., who seemingly lost the ball in center field and let it drop. Chavez allowed two hits, struck out five and walked four.

Outfielder Trayce Thompson was back in the Dodgers' lineup for the first time since his recent call-up, and he made his mark with a diving catch. He was 0 for 3, but one of those was a flyball to the warning track.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: OF Mike Trout (thumb) hit soft toss and is expected to take live batting practice soon. ... LHP Tyler Skaggs (oblique muscle) will be evaluated again Wednesday to see if he can continue on a throwing program.

Dodgers: OF Puig (knee, hamstring) had flare-up, so he was given the day off, but was available to come off the bench. ... SS Corey Seager (hamstring) took some swings and did agility drills effectively. He didn't start, but was available to pinch hit. ... LHP Julio Urias had left shoulder surgery. He's expected to miss June 28, 2017 Page 20 of 20

12 to 14 months, but manager Dave Roberts said Dr. Neal ElAttrache was more optimistic about his recovery after the surgery.

UP NEXT

Angels: RHP Alex Meyer (3-4, 4.20 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA at Angel Stadium, where the Freeway Series moves on Wednesday. He has struggled on the road and pitched just 3 1/3 innings in a 9-4 loss at Boston in his last start.

Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6, 4.30) will make his sixth start since moving back into the rotation from the bullpen. Ryu allowed two runs in each of his last two starts.

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