Pujols Comes to Rescue for the Angels
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LATIMES.COM/SPORTS S WEDNESDAY, MAY17, 2017 D5 BASEBALL Pujols comes to rescue for the Angels most peculiar of infield sin- He drives home gles, the ball seeming demag- netized from any Angels de- winning run in 11th fender. inning after bullpen In so doing, Hernandez squandered right-hander JC blows lead in ninth. Ramirez’s seventh start of 2017. He lasted seven innings, ANGELS 7 didn’t walk anyone, and lim- CHICAGO 6 (11 INN.) ited the White Sox to five hits. Ramirez permitted a By Pedro Moura first-inning single and then nothing until the fifth, when For the first six weeks of everything began to veer 2017, the Angels pieced to- toward Simmons, the short- gether an effective bullpen stop. First was a grounder he from the unlikeliest of turned into an out, then a sources. With their estab- Garcia blooper that tipped lished relievers injured, they off his glove. The next inning, turned a lifelong starter into Leury Garcia blooped anoth- their closer, watched a er baseball past Simmons’ waiver-wire veteran literally glove just before Yolmer strike everyone out for a Sanchez deposited a two-run while, and plucked a dimin- homer into the bleachers. ished pitcher from Atlanta’s Next, Cabrera drilled an- triple-A affiliate and, some- other ball in between second how, rode him successfully. and third. Simmons cor- On Tuesday night at An- ralled it, finally, and exhaled gel Stadium, their luck ran twice. out. But no matter: Albert Pujols missed the 597th Pujols saved the day. He sup- homer of his career by a few plied a walk-off single in the feet in the first inning and 11 th inning to deliver the An- again in the ninth, when it Paul Buck European Pressphoto Agency gels back to .500 with a 7-6 vic- would have meant a walk-off. ANGELS SHORTSTOP Andrelton Simmons tags out the White Sox’s Yolmer Sanchez on a steal attempt. tory over the Chicago White In the third, he took a shorter Sox. route to success, punishing a ANGELS REPORT Andrelton Simmons ball down the left-field line to started the rally with a single score runners from first and and took second on a passed second. Maybin is the latest option in the leadoff role ball. Danny Espinosa tried to Because of its carom and bunt him over but failed. Ben because of his 37-year-old who wears his socks high to lot of bad counts. But it did symptoms within his shoul- Revere looped a single into legs, it went only as a single. By Pedro Moura delineate the bottom of the lead to some walks.” der, but referred to his previ- center, and Cameron Maybin Still, the hit carried him into strike zone to umpires. ous problems and compen- lucked into a bloop double to 11 th place on MLB’s all-time Stage 2 of the Angels’ op- Aright-handed hitter, Rehab delayed satory issues that have de- tie the score. The White Sox RBI list, in between Carl Yas- eration to replace Yunel Maybin has hit better Right-hander Andrew veloped. shortstop, Tim Anderson, trzemski and Mel Ott. Escobar atop their lineup against right-handed pitch- Bailey said he was encour- After ascending to the slipped while running to it. The Angels added a run in commenced Tuesday night, ing over his career. This sea- aged by news he received Angels’ temporary closer After Mike Trout was in- the fourth, on two singles and when left fielder Cameron son, his batting average is Monday from Dr. David role in September, he signed tentionally walked, Pujols awalk, and two more in the Maybin debuted as their better against lefties, but Altchek. At a visit in New aone-year contract worth drove a baseball deep enough seventh, on a double and leadoff hitter against a left- he’s walked far more often York, nothing new was found $1 million in November. to center to end it via the sac- three walks, one of them in- hander and right fielder against right-handed pitch- inside the reliever’s surgi- rifice fly. For good measure, tentional. Kole Calhoun batted fifth. ing. cally repaired and again in- Short hops Chicago’s center fielder Pinch-hitter Luis Val- “We want to certainly “The one thing Cam has flamed shoulder. Right-hander Mike could not catch it. buena walked on four pitches give it a look,” manager Mike been doing is getting on But, once close to return- Morin (neck tightness) will It was a poorly played to force in a run, and Jefry Scioscia said. “Cam’s defi- base,” Scioscia said. “His ing, Bailey does not yet know throw to hitters Thursday at game all around. Marte ripped a single into nitely been more comfort- walk rate is great. If he can when he can pitch again. the club’s spring-training With starter-turned- center for another. Running able against lefties so far this do that, be a table-setter, “It’s just frustrating to complex in Arizona. He’s the closer Bud Norris unavail- from second, Pujols was year. Kole’s not really been that’s really valuable for us.” ramp up a throwing pro- injured reliever closest to a able after pitching on three thrown out at home by10 feet. as comfortable as we know Hits work, too. Maybin gram, feel really good, start return. Right-hander Hus- consecutive days for the first After Ramirez departed, he can be against lefties. So doubled three times and sin- throwing bullpens, and once ton Street (lat strain) is time, manager Mike Scioscia Blake Parker handled the we’re just gonna flip them gled twice Tuesday against you have that intent and ef- next. Eligible to be activated turned to David Hernandez, eighth inning easily, and Yus- around and see.” the Chicago White Sox, more fort, you get those symp- June1, he continues to throw the triple-A castoff. He blew a meiro Petit the 10 th and 11 th, Maybin, 30, entered than doubling his hit total toms again,” he said. “I know at the Arizona facility. three-run ninth-inning lead, yielding a solo home run in Tuesday hitting .180 with a from his previous 40 plate what’s going on. I have to unable to retire a batter. the latter inning. In between, serviceable .305 on-base per- appearances. “At times keep getting after it and will [email protected] Melky Cabrera and Jose there was Hernandez’s blip. centage but an unseemly early, he was very patient, to start throwing in a few Twitter: @pedromoura Abreu singled, Avisail Garcia .243 slugging percentage. No the point of almost being weeks.” Times staff writer Mike doubled to the wall, and [email protected] Angel had worked walks at a passive, at the plate,” Scios- Bailey, 32, said he could DiGiovanna contributed to Todd Frazier tied it with the Twitter: @pedromoura higher rate than Maybin, cia said. “That got him in a not describe the specific this report. Dodgers’ DODGERS REPORT offense is Plans for day off missing don’t work out show a little more patience at in action By Andy McCullough the plate. Seager said he is still searching for his most com- [Dodgers, from D1] SAN FRANCISCO — fortable swing. deficiencies throughout its Corey Seager reached into “There’s been some times roster, a flawed group that his locker and grabbed acan when you just don’t feel good,” has still beaten the Dodgers of Fanta. He took a gulp and he said. “I’ve had some low six times in nine tries in 2017. grinned. His evening, he said, parts, already, that you hope On Monday, the Dodgers called for little else. to not have. It’s just been a went silent against fading Dodgers manager Dave constant battle to try to figure veteran Matt Cain. On Tues- Roberts intended to give the it out.” Despite his dissatis- day, they could not solve left- day off to both Seager and faction, Seager has hit six ho- handed starter Ty Blach rookie Cody Bellinger on mers and posted an .851 OPS. (1-2). Roberts turned to a Tuesday against San Fran- slew of reserves. In the midst cisco. Bellinger had not re- Dayton demoted of a 17-day stretch without a ceived time off since he de- By sending down reliever day off, Roberts rested Corey buted. Seager had played in 38 Grant Dayton in order to ac- Seager and Cody Bellinger. of 39 games. tivate Rich Hill off the disa- The bottom five hitters in the “It was just a way for me to bled list, the Dodgers entered order went 0 for18. get both of these guys a day Tuesday’s game carrying “I thought we had a good Ben Margot Associated Press off,” Roberts said. Luis Avilan as the only left- chance against Blach,” Rob- DODGERS RELIEVER Luis Avilan, right, is lifted in the sixth inning after giving It didn’t quite work out hander in the bullpen. erts said. “We couldn’t put up a run-scoring single to San Francisco shortstop Brandon Crawford. that way, though. Bellinger Roberts prefers to have hits together.” entered the game during the two, but he indicated the team Bellinger came off the that broke atop the head of less streak in the fourth. He pitch over the center-field sixth inning, playing right could live with one for the time bench in the sixth, shortly af- outfielder Denard Span. The stroked a single and ad- fence. field, and Seager pinch-hit in being.