September 20, 2016 Page 1 of 19 -...

September 20, 2016 of 19

Clips

(September 20, 2016)


Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LA TIMES (Page 3)

Angels lose to Rangers on Ian Desmond walk-off single

Angels mailbag: Reasons for hope as the season ends

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 7)

Another weird game for Angels in 3-2 loss to AL-best Rangers

On deck: Angels at Rangers, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 9)

Win streak ends with loss in Rangers opener

Chacin no worse for wear after liner hits leg

Overturned call leads to Angels run

Scioscia talks passing Weaver on wins list

Wright takes on Texas for the second time in three starts

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 17)

Rangers rally again, magic number 4 after beating Angels 3-2.

Rangers’ Bannister ejected after Angels’ challenge


FROM THE LA TIMES


Associated Press

Ian Desmond had an RBI single with no outs in the ninth inning and the Texas Rangers moved closer to the AL West title with a 3-2 win over the last-place Los Angeles Angelson Monday night.

Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a sharp single to left off Jose Alvarez (1-3) before Carlos Gomez turned an attempted sacrifice into a bunt single. Desmond, an All-Star center fielder, followed with his hit to right that scored Andrus.

Andrus and Nomar Mazara homered for the Rangers, who cut their magic number to four in pursuit of their second consecutive division title. Second-place Seattle was playing at home against Toronto.

It was the Rangers' MLB-best 46th comeback win and their 20th in their last at-bat. They are 35-10 in one-run games.

Closer Sam Dyson (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory after starter Martin Perez went seven innings and Matt Bush worked a perfect eighth.

Alvarez, the sixth Angels pitcher, had gotten out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth following a 38-minute rain delay, two innings after Rangers Manager Jeff Banister was ejected for arguing when a replay challenge overturned an out and led to an Angels run.

Texas loaded the bases right after the resumption. Adrian Beltre singled on the first pitch, Rougned Odor doubled and Jonathan Lucroy was intentionally walked. While there was some confusion for the Angels with their bullpen phone not operating properly, Alvarez came on and got out of it. Pinch-hitter Ryan Rua lined out hard to third base before Jared Hoying hit an infield popout.

Banister was tossed in the sixth. Yunel Escobar was thrown out by several feet trying to stretch his hit into a triple in the sixth, then motioned toward the outfield. Manager Mike Scioscia challenged the ball had become lodged underneath the padding on the wall in right-center field and should have been ruled dead, as per the ground rules for the Rangers ballpark.

The replay showed the ball had indeed become lodged under the padding. Right fielder Mazara had to reach twice to get the ball, but never indicated the ball was stuck, then made a strong throw to second baseman Odor for the relay throw to third.

When umpires put Escobar at second base, Banister immediately came out of the dugout, then was ejected by crew chief and second base umpire Joe West after continuing to argue the call.


Mike Trout followed with a triple into the right-field corner to tie the game 1-1.

Jefry Marte was hit by a pitch to start the seventh and scored on a two-out double by Carlos Perez.

Texas got back even on Andrus' sixth homer, a two-out solo shot in the seventh that just cleared the 8-foot wall in center.

Mazara had lined a solo shot over the left-field fence to start the fifth.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Starting pitcher Jhouyls Chacin was struck on the left shin by a hard comebacker in the fourth. The ball ricocheted to first baseman C.J. Cron for the second out in the inning. Chacin remained on the ground for several minutes, then made a few warmup tosses before staying in the game. Chacin allowed one run over five innings while throwing 91 pitches, 29 after getting hit.

Rangers: Andrus was struck directly on his right (throwing) elbow by Chacin's pickoff attempt when diving back into second while a baserunner in the third inning.

UP NEXT

Angels: Rookie right-hander Daniel Wright (0-3, 7.04 ERA) is still seeking his first MLB victory. He made his MLB debut with Cincinnati earlier this season.

Rangers: Texas has won seven of the last 10 games started by A.J. Griffin (7-4, 4.78 ERA). The right-hander's Texas debut was a win at the Angels on April 8.

Angels mailbag: Reasons for hope as the season ends

Pedro Moura

What is up, fans of the Angels? Let’s get right into this week’s mailbag. With the season two weeks from conclusion, the club is 65-84 and on pace to win 71 games. They would pick seventh in the 2017 MLB draft if the season ended at this moment. This is the place to ask anything you want about the Angels, with questions submitted through my email ([email protected]) and Twitter accounts (@pedromoura).

Humans have been playing baseball for about a century and a half. All men have been allowed to play for about half that time. One of the best to ever play the sport — potentially the best to ever play — is an Angel. That seems like a pretty good, rational reason.


Baseball teams can turn their fortunes around quicker than we think. Look at Houston, which went from one of the worst teams in baseball history in 2013 to a 2015 championship contender. No, the Angels’ organization is not positioned the way the Astros’ once was. But it could happen with drastic, immediate improvement and some luck.

Hello Pedro!

Do you have any idea when they stopped referring to a batter coming up after the batter on deck as the batter 'in the hole'? I've found a lot of web sites that describe where it comes from, but none indicating why it's no longer used.

Haven't heard it used in a long time. Could be because it has a slightly negative tone to it?

Best regards,

Charles Johnson

Long Beach

I do recall that phrase being used regularly when I was watching baseball on television as a child. I definitely do not hear it as often now, but I thought that was mostly a product of my changing habits: Ninety percent of the baseball I watch is in person. Your question made me curious, though, and some people I polled who still watch on TV said they hear it occasionally. I don’t think there’s been an outright recall, or anything.

I do know that Vin Scully has said during broadcasts the phrase was supposed to be “in the hold.” That makes sense, because it’s a shipping term, as is “on deck,” which has obviously stuck. The story goes that it was misheard over time.

Stadium development generally takes a long time, except in the case of the Atlanta Braves, who are somehow going to have a new ballpark next opening day, not four years after the idea was first floated.

So I will say a playoff victory comes first.

I entirely understand the desire to learn about the draft in advance, because the choice the team makes with the first pick will be significant for the future of the franchise, but it is simply too early to add any value to this discussion. The man the Angels hired to lead their effort to canvas the country for that pick, Matt Swanson, comes well-regarded. He has nine months to find a future impact player, and that chase will be covered by The Times.

Pedro,


Did I read correctly that if the Angels decide to sign a free agent, their Top 10 pick in the MLB draft is protected?

Thanks

Jon

That is correct, although there exists one potential impediment, in that MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement is due to expire in December, and executives expect something to be worked out before that could adjust the entire framework of the compensation system, as did the last CBA negotiation. But, as of now, yes.

I have been lucky to attend some wonderful baseball games, most of them while working. My favorite moment I’ve witnessed at a ballpark was Yoenis Cespedes’ throw from the left-field foul pole at Angel Stadium to nail Howie Kendrick at home plate a couple years ago. I can still see the arc of the ball in my mind. Second would be Juan Uribe’s game-winning home run in the 2013 National League division series at Dodger Stadium, where he did jazz hands as he watched the baseball depart the ballpark and the whole place trembled.

The best game was probably Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter at Dodger Stadium on June 18, 2014. That was a week after Cespedes’ throw. It was a good week for ball.

The first ballgame I attended was on April 23, 1999 at Dodger Stadium, theCardinals against the Dodgers. Fernando Tatis hit two grand slams in a single inning against Chan-Ho Park. That set the tone for my life following this sport, I suppose.

I don’t know of any large group of people that all individually get along. Do you?

I have not seen Angels owner Arte Moreno at many games this season, no. But it is possible he is still coming sometimes. I know he was shown in his suite during one of the team’s nationally televised games in July or August. Moreno has declined repeated requests for an interview with The Times.

I don’t think I would be a good general manager. Anyway, the industry deemed Billy Eppler qualified for the job he holds, and he has done nothing in his near-year with the team to indicate otherwise. That is not to say he has not made mistakes. He has. But so has every other GM in the sport, including Billy Beane, who you cited. The Josh Donaldson trade he made two off-seasons ago was probably the second-worst in recent years, after, of course, the Diamondbacks’ inexplicable decision to acquire Shelby Miller.

In theory, trading Trout would be an answer worth exploring, but in practice it can never happen because of the financial implications. As far as drafting better players, of course that’s the goal and the plan, but is not nearly that simple. I guess the one thing I can say worth mentioning is that I would take big risks on prospects. The Angels are not going to find their


way out of this mess with safe selections. Too many competitors are too far ahead of them already. They must catch up.

This is a question from a couple weeks back, but I thought I’d address it here. Lincecum is not coming back up this season, but I do expect him to get another opportunity next spring with some team. It might have to be in the bullpen, though. Only a few organizations were interested in him as a starter this year, and his performance in nine starts did not help.

FROM OC REGISTER

Another weird game for Angels in 3-2 loss to AL-best Rangers By STEPHEN HAWKINS / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ARLINGTON, Texas – Another strange game for the Angels.

After a delay because of a swarm of bees at home the day before, the Angels started their final road trip with a 3-2 loss to AL West-leading Texas, which won in its last at-bat Monday night. That was after a late rain delay in a game that also had malfunctioning phones in the Angels bullpen and the ejection of the Rangers manager when an apparent Angels out became a double.

“The last few games for us have been kind of weird,” center fielder Mike Trout said. “It was a crazy day today. It’s a tough one to lose.”

Angels reliever Jose Alvarez (1-3) had gotten out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth after the 38-minute delay caused by a popup shower. But the lefty gave up three consecutive hits to start the ninth, with Elvis Andrus leading off with a sharp single and moving up on a bunt single by Carlos Gomez before Ian Desmond’s game-ending RBI single.

Right after play resumed in the eighth, Texas loaded the bases, and Manager Mike Scioscia became clearly annoyed because the phones weren’t operating properly. He had to confer with umpires and come out of the dugout to signal the bullpen to start warming up. Eventually, Alvarez became the sixth pitcher and got the final two outs to end the Rangers threat.

“We couldn’t get some information to those guys. So we have to bring some smoke signals next time, I guess,” Scioscia said.

There was also the wild play in the sixth when Yunel Escobar was thrown out by several feet trying to stretch his hit into a triple, then motioned toward the outfield. Scioscia challenged


that the ball had become lodged underneath the padding on the wall in right-center field and should have been ruled dead, as per the ground rules for the Rangers ballpark.

“We thought that someone put their hands up like it was out of play. I think that’s what (Escobar) saw,” Scioscia said. “He kind of stutter-stepped and slowed down.”

Texas manager Jeff Banister was ejected when he came out to get an explanation and kept questioning crew chief and second base umpire Joe West after Escobar was put at second base. The replay showed right fielder Mazara played the ball and never indicated it was wedged under the padding.

“From the infield you can’t tell if it’s stuck. … But when we went to replay, they said it stuck. So it’s plain and simple a ground-rule double,” West told a pool reporter after the game.

Trout followed with a triple into the right-field corner to tie the score, 1-1. The Angels went ahead in the seventh when Jefry Marte was hit by a pitch and scored on a two-out double by Carlos Perez.

But Andrus homered in the seventh, a ball that barely cleared the 8-foot wall in center, to tie the score, 2-2.

When Andrus scored the winning run, the Rangers had their MLB-best 46th come-from-behind victory – the 20th in their last at-bat.

“That has been our DNA this year,” Andrus said. “We didn’t give up until the last out, until the last pitch, and it’s contagious.”

Making his team- and career-high 31st start, Rangers left-hander Martin Perez needed only 28 pitches to cover the first three innings against an Angels lineup that featured nine right-handed hitters.

Pujols had the lone hit in the first five innings, a two-out laser to center field for a single.

Angels starting pitcher Jhouyls Chacin was struck on the left shin by a hard comebacker in the fourth. The ball ricocheted to first baseman C.J. Cron for the second out in the inning. Chacin remained on the ground for several minutes, then made a few warmup tosses before staying in the game. Chacin allowed one run over five innings while throwing 91 pitches, 29 after getting hit.

“Jhoulys pitched a good game. I think he had a real good slider going. Good command of his fastball, had real good movement on it,” Scioscia said. “When he got hit in the leg it took something out of him. After five innings that was about it.”


On deck: Angels at Rangers, Tuesday, 5 p.m.

By STAFF REPORTS

Where: Globe Life Park, Arlington TV: Fox Sports West, 5 p.m. Did you know? Right-hander Daniel Wright, who the Angels claimed off waivers from Cincinnati on Sept. 4, has allowed seven runs (all earned) and 10 hits in 10 innings (two starts) with the team (6.30 ERA). THE PITCHERS ANGELS RHP DANIEL WRIGHT (0-3, 7.04) Vs. Rangers: 0-0, 7.20 At Globe Life Park: He has never pitched there before. Hates to face: Carlos Gomez, 2 for 3 (.667), 2 HR, 3 RBI Loves to face: Adrian Beltre, 0 for 3 (.000), 1 K RANGERS RHP A.J. GRIFFIN (7-4, 4.78) Vs. Angels: 3-2, 3.77 At Globe Life Park: 5-2, 3.68 Hates to face: Andrelton Simmons, 2 for 5 (.400), 2B Loves to face: Albert Pujols, 2 for 13 (.154)

FROM ANGELS.COM

Win streak ends with loss in Rangers opener

By T.R. Sullivan and Ryan Posner / MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- Ian Desmond singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Monday night at Globe Life Park.

The Rangers' eighth walk-off victory of the season left the Rangers 35-10 in one-run games; it was also their 46th comeback victory, as they were down, 2-1, going into the bottom of the seventh.

"That's the way we've played all year," Desmond said. "Why change now? It's always good to win in any fashion. It was a well-played game."

The victory, coupled with the Mariners' loss to the Blue Jays, allowed the Rangers to reduce their magic number for winning the American League West to three with 11 games left to play. The Angels had a two-game winning streak snapped and have lost 10 of their last 13.


Elvis Andrus led off the ninth with a single off Angels reliever Jose Alvarez. Carlos Gomez then dropped a bunt and beat it out for a base hit. That brought up Desmond, who flared one into right field to send home Andrus with the winning run.

"We played hard and just couldn't get that key hit that might have changed it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We had a couple of our bullpen guys who weren't available. But you've got to give credit to those guys. They went and got it."

Angels starter Jhoulys Chacin allowed one run in five innings, and Martin Perezwent seven for the Rangers and allowed two runs. Nomar Mazara gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead in the fifth with his 19th home run, but the Angels tied it in the sixth on a double by Yunel Escobar and triple by Mike Trout. Los Angeles went ahead in the seventh on an RBI double by Carlos Perez, but Texas tied it in the bottom of the inning on a home run by Andrus.

"This never gets old," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "These are extremely emotional wins. When you walk off ... or come back in that fashion, all the things that compound the emotions, it never gets old."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Chacin wears liner: With one out in the fourth, Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroyhit a line drive that left his bat at 104 mph, per Statcast™, and caught Chacin square in his left shin. Chacin immediately went to the ground, and first basemanC.J. Cron picked up the deflected liner and retired Lucroy. Chacin remained on the ground for a few minutes as he was tended to by trainers, but he was able to stay in the game after throwing a few warmup pitches.

"When he hit me, he hit me pretty well," Chacin said. "As soon as I got up, I put my foot down and I felt like I could still go."

Liner finds Escobar: With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, pinch-hitterRyan Rua sent a Statcast-measured 111-mph line drive toward left field off Alvarez. But third baseman Escobar was able to snag the liner, which was the fifth-hardest ball Rua has hit all season. Jared Hoying then followed with a flyout to end the inning and keep the score tied at 2.

Andrus goes deep: Andrus tied the score in the bottom of the seventh with a home run off Angels reliever Cory Rasmus. It was his sixth home run; the Statcast-estimated distance of 408 feet makes it his longest shot of the season. It was the first home run allowed by Rasmus to a right-handed hitter in 46 at-bats this season.

Moreland ejected: Mitch Moreland was ejected in the fourth inning by home-plate umpire Kerwin Danley after taking a called third strike on a breaking pitch that appeared to be outside. Moreland was walking away from home plate and talking to Danley when he was thrown out of the game. It was his first career ejection.


"It was obviously a pitch I didn't agree with," Moreland said. "I feel like I don't do that often. I let him know I thought it was a bad pitch and as he walked alongside me, he didn't like what I had to say."

QUOTABLE "The fans were lively tonight. It's an exciting time around here. Like I said when I first signed here, there is no better time to steal Cowboy fans." -- Desmond

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Adrian Beltre had two more hits, giving him 2,931 for his career. That allowed him to pass Hall of Famer and Texas native Rogers Hornsby for 37th all time.

BANISTER EJECTED AFTER OVERTURNED CALL Banister was ejected in the sixth inning after the Angels were successful on a replay challenge. Escobar was thrown out trying to go to third on a one-out triple, but the Angels challenged that the ball should have been ruled dead because it was lodged under the padding on the right-field wall. The call was overturned, Escobar was awarded a ground-rule double and Banister was thrown out for arguing after the replay review. Escobar then scored on a triple by Trout.

UNDER REVIEW Rangers bench coach Steve Buechele, acting as manager with Banister ejected, looked to keep the team's sixth-inning rally alive after Lucroy struck out swinging andRougned Odor was called out trying to steal second base to end the inning. But the call on the field was confirmed, and the inning came to an end.

Scioscia challenged a Rangers stolen-base attempt after Gomez was ruled safe on a steal of second with two outs in the seventh inning. Scioscia lost his challenge as well, as the call stood after a one-minute and 35-second review.

WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Right-hander Daniel Wright will take the mound for the second game of the series at 5:05 p.m. PT on Tuesday at Globe Life Park. Wright will be making his third start for the Angels since being claimed off waivers from the Reds on Sept. 4.

Rangers: Right-hander A.J. Griffin pitches at 7:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday against the Angels at Globe Life Park. Griffin is 3-3 with a 5.96 ERA in his last eight starts and 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels.


Chacin no worse for wear after liner hits leg

By Ryan Posner / MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- It appears that Angels right-hander Jhoulys Chacin was able to dodge a serious injury after he was unable to dodge a liner off the bat of Jonathan Lucroy in the Angels' 3-2 loss to the Rangers on Monday night.

Lucroy sent a 104-mph line drive, per Statcast™, that hit Chacin squarely on his left shin with one out in the fourth inning. Chacin said the ball didn't hit a bone, though, and instead caught just muscle. Though in pain, he doesn't expect anything serious to come from the incident.

"It feels painful and it's all colorful, but I think I'm going to be fine," Chacin said.

Lucroy's line drive deflected off Chacin and toward first baseman C.J. Cron, who was able to retire Lucroy. Chacin remained on the ground for a few minutes after being hit while looked at by trainers and manager Mike Scioscia.

After a few warmup pitches, Chacin was able to stay in the game.

"When he hit me, he hit me pretty well," Chacin said. "As soon as I got up, I put my foot down and felt like I could still go."

Chacin was able to get out of the fifth unscathed after allowing a leadoff single toAdrian Beltre, who moved to second on Lucroy's line drive. He was not as lucky in the fifth, though, giving up a home run to Nomar Mazara on the very first pitch of the inning. Chacin was able to finish the fifth with only the home run allowed, but he would not return for the sixth.

"When he got hit in the leg, that took something out of him," Scioscia said. "After five innings that was about it for him."

Chacin's exit after the fifth inning was a result of both the bruise on his left leg and the fact that he was at 91 pitches. Being able to go five innings was crucial, as Scioscia did not have full use of his bullpen after using four relievers in Sunday's win over the Blue Jays.

"I just wanted to try and go for one more inning to help the team," said Chacin, who gave up only one run over his five innings. "But I felt that I couldn't go any more [after five innings], so I said, 'I've got to stop here.'"

The outing by Chacin continued a string of impressive performances from Angels starters, who have allowed just one run in their last 18 innings. After seven consecutive starts of allowing four-plus runs, Chacin has a 1.06 ERA in his last three starts.

"He pitched a good game," Scioscia said. "I think he had a really good slider going and good command with his fastball. That had movement on it."


Overturned call leads to Angels run

By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com |

ARLINGTON -- The Angels got the call overturned. Rangers manager Jeff Banister got the ejection.

The Rangers ended up going home happy after a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Monday night at Globe Life Park, reducing their magic number to three to clinch the American League West (with some help from the Blue Jays, who defeated the Mariners).

But the scene in the sixth inning was almost as chaotic as the Rangers' celebration after Ian Desmond's single drove home Elvis Andrus with the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

The crux of the argument was whether a double by Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar got lodged beneath the padding of the wall in right-center or if he should have been out when he tried to stretch his hit into a triple.

"I have an outfielder who felt the ball was not lodged," Banister said. "If you look at the video, the ball is still spinning. That's not a lodged ball."

There was one out when Escobar's line drive rolled to the wall and came to rest underneath. After chasing down the ball, Nomar Mazara fumbled it as he tried to pick it up but was successful the second time.

Escobar was coasting into second base, but then saw Mazara have trouble with the baseball. Escobar tried to go to third base and was thrown out easily on the relay from second baseman Rougned Odor.

Escobar pointed out to the umpires that the ball should have been dead, even though Mazara never put his hands above his head. Fielders can do that when they feel a ball is unplayable, whether it is stuck under a fence, a bullpen bench or other obstacles. The practice is common on balls hit into the ivy at Wrigley Field.

"It's tough to see from our dugout exactly what happened," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We thought it was out of play. I think that's what [Escobar] saw. He kind of stutter-stepped and slowed down. What happened was, the ball got wedged under the fence, and whenever that happens it's a dead ball."

Scioscia asked for a review, and it was granted by crew chief Joe West, who was serving as the second-base umpire. The call was overturned, and Escobar was sent back to second. He ended up scoring on a triple by Mike Trout.


"The ball wasn't going to be caught," West said. "The umpires are scrambling to get in position [for] possible plays. The ball goes out there and sticks. From the infield, you can't tell if it's stuck. If we had gone out, even being 100 feet from it, we may not have been able to tell it was stuck. But when we went to replay, they said it was stuck."

According to Globe Life Park ground rules, a ball lodged in the padding of the outfield wall results in a double.

Banister went out to argue and was ejected, as skippers are not allowed to dispute a call determined by replay.

"You can not argue relay," Banister said. "I know that. From my vantage point, the ball rolled under. I had an outfielder that wanted to play the ball, and the padding cost him. The runner looked like he was going to stay at second, he saw Mazara drop the ball and decided to go to third and got thrown out."

It was the second ejection for Banister this season and the seventh of his career.

"They made the call, I wanted an explanation," Banister said. "I know you can't argue. I also feel the umpires we have at the Major League level are the best there are."

Scioscia talks passing Weaver on wins list


ARLINGTON -- Angels manager Mike Scioscia has watched Mike Trout and Albert Pujols frequently break records, seemingly on a daily basis. But with the Angels' win over the Blue Jays on Sunday, Scioscia made some history of his own.

Scioscia passed former Orioles manager Earl Weaver with career managerial win No. 1,481 and now stands alone at No. 23 on the all-time list. He needs 10 more to tie Hall of Famer Clark Griffith.

"I think it means that we've had some really good players here, for someone to have this position long enough to put up that many wins," said Scioscia, who's managed the Angels since 2000. "We've done a lot of things right over the years, and we're going to get back to that."

By passing Weaver, Scioscia has the second-most wins by an American League manager with one team. He has a ways to go to catch Connie Mack, the all-time leader, who won 3,582 games with the Philadelphia Athletics.

"No, that ain't happening," Scioscia, 57, said. "As Tommy Lasorda once said, 'I just hope to live that long.'"


Wins have been harder to come by this year, as the Angels are looking to avoid their first 90-loss season since 2000. Scioscia is confident that the team will regain its winning ways in the near future.

"It really hinges on if your organization is moving in the right direction," he said. "Hopefully, we continue to do that."

He is certainly encouraged by the rotation's recent success. The Angels entered Monday's game with the second-lowest number of innings from their starting pitchers, with just one-third of an inning more than the A's.

However, Angels starters haven't allowed a run in their last 13 innings, spanning three games. Scioscia pointed to the last few starts from right-handers Alex Meyer,Ricky Nolasco and Jered Weaver as encouraging signs heading toward next season.

"It's encouraging, because we've seen guys that were looking forward to seeing where they're going to be next year because they have a chance to help us," Scioscia said. "The heartbeat of the club is your rotation. We need to get a little more consistent, a little deeper there, and hopefully we start to see it."

Worth noting • Catcher Jett Bandy is feeling better after a sore back kept him out of the lineup on Sunday. He will be available in an emergency situation for Monday's game.

• Geovany Soto, on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right knee, has had a delay in his rehab after twisting his ankle last week walking down the steps in the dugout. Scioscia is hopeful that Soto will be able to catch again this season.

• Tyler Skaggs is expected to play catch on Tuesday as he continues to deal with a mild flexor-pronator strain. He has not thrown since injuring the forearm on Sept. 14. Scioscia did not have a timetable for his return, though.

Wright takes on Texas for the second time in three starts


The Rangers' A.J. Griffin will take the mound against fellow right-hander Daniel Wright of the Angels on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park as Texas inches closer to clinching a second straight American League West title.

The Rangers have a 9 1/2-game lead over the Astros and Mariners in the division; their magic number to clinch is 3.


Griffin is coming off one of his best starts of the season, having gone seven innings and allowing two runs against the Astros on Tuesday. It was his longest start since coming off the 60-day disabled list on June 25. He will likely have three more starts this season, including Tuesday's, to make a claim for a spot in the postseason rotation.

He's not looking at it that way, though.

"I treat every start the same way [when it comes to] preparation," Griffin said. "I try to go out and mix up my pitches and keep the other team off balance."

Wright will be facing the Rangers for the second time in three starts. He made his Angels debut against them on Sept. 10, allowing four runs over five innings. He was charged with a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday after giving up three runs in five innings.

"It's always a little bit of a comforting factor, knowing what you're going against," Wright said of facing the Rangers. "But that means they've also seen you. I've just got to go in and try to make better pitches than I did last time."

Three things to know about this game

• Griffin is 3-2 with a 3.77 ERA in eight career starts against the Angels, but he has a 6.55 ERA in two starts against them this season.

• Mike Trout has 23 career at-bats against Griffin, the most of any player in the Majors. Trout has hit .263 with two home runs and three RBIs in those at-bats.

• Carlos Gomez homered twice and drove in three runs off Wright on Sept. 10.

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rangers rally again, magic number 4 after beating Angels 3-2

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Elvis Andrus and the Texas Rangers always believe they're going to win. Now they're getting ever closer to another AL West title.

Andrus scored the winning run on All-Star center fielder Ian Desmond's RBI single with no outs in the ninth inning as the Rangers beat the last-place Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Monday night for their MLB-best 46th come-from-behind victory.

"That has been our DNA this year. We didn't give up until the last out, until the last pitch, and it's contagious," said Andrus, who also had a tying solo homer in the seventh.


Andrus led off the ninth with a sharp single to left off Jose Alvarez (1-3) before Carlos Gomez turned an attempted sacrifice into a bunt single. Desmond's single gave the Rangers (89-62) their 20th last at-bat victory and they improved to 35-10 in one-run games.

Nomar Mazara also homered for the Rangers, whose magic number is three to win their second consecutive division title. After Seattle lost and Houston won later Monday, the Mariners and Astros were tied for second place, 9 1/2 games behind Texas in the AL West.

"Play it straight, just trying to play the same way we've been playing all year," Desmond said about being close to clinching. "It's been working. No need to change it now."

Closer Sam Dyson (3-2) worked a scoreless ninth for the victory after starter Martin Perez went seven innings and Matt Bush worked a perfect eighth.

Alvarez, the sixth Angels pitcher, had gotten out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth following a 38-minute rain delay, two innings after Rangers manager Jeff Banister was ejected for arguing when a replay challenge overturned an out and led to an Angels run.

Yunel Escobar was thrown out by several feet trying to stretch his hit into a triple in the sixth, then motioned toward the outfield. Manager Mike Scioscia challenged the ball had become lodged underneath the padding on the wall in right-center field and should have been ruled dead, as per the ground rules for the Rangers ballpark.

"We thought that someone put their hands up like it was out of play. I think that's what (Escobar) saw," Scioscia said. "He kind of stutter-stepped and slowed down."

Banister was ejected when he came out to get an explanation and kept questioning crew chief and second base umpire Joe West after Escobar was put at second base. The replay showed right fielder Mazara played the ball and never indicated it was wedged under the padding.

"From the infield you can't tell if it's stuck. ... But when we went to replay, they said it stuck. So it's plain and simple a ground-rule double," West told a pool reporter after the game.

"I had an outfielder who felt like the ball was not lodged. If you look at the video, the ball was still spinning," Banister said. "In my estimation, that is not a lodged baseball. But that's not my call."

Mike Trout followed with a triple into the right-field corner to tie the game 1-1. The Angels then went ahead in the seventh when Jefry Martewas hit by a pitch and scored on a two-out double by Carlos Perez.

Texas got even on Andrus' sixth homer, a two-out solo shot in the seventh that just cleared the 8-foot wall in center.


ANOTHER EJECTION

Rangers 1B Mitch Moreland was ejected after taking a called third strike to end the fourth inning, on a pitch that appeared to be well outside. While he had some words with home plate umpire Kerwin Danley as he walked back to the dugout, there were no demonstrative actions by Moreland before his first ejection in his 764 career games.

SHORT HOPS

Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre had two hits, giving him 2,931 for his career. He passed Rogers Hornsby for 37th on the career list, and is one behind Willie Keeler. ... Mazara's 19 homers are the most by a Rangers rookie since 2003.

RANGERS ROTATION

Derek Holland will pitch Wednesday for the Rangers, and Cole Hamelsand Yu Darvish will both get extra rest before pitching this weekend in Oakland after an off day Thursday. That also lines them up to start the first two postseason games for Texas.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Angels: Starting pitcher Jhouyls Chacin was struck on the left shin by a hard comebacker in the fourth. The ball ricocheted to first baseman C.J. Cron for the second out in the inning. Chacin remained on the ground for several minutes, then made a few warmup tosses before staying in the game. Chacin allowed one run over five innings while throwing 91 pitches, 29 after getting hit.

Rangers: Andrus was struck directly on his right (throwing) elbow by Chacin's pickoff attempt when diving back into second while a baserunner in the third inning.

UP NEXT

Angels: Rookie right-hander Daniel Wright (0-3, 7.04 ERA) is still seeking his first MLB victory. He made his MLB debut with Cincinnati earlier this season.

Rangers: Texas has won seven of the last 10 games started by A.J. Griffin(7-4, 4.78 ERA). The right-hander's Texas debut was a win at the Angels on April 8.



ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rangers manager Jeff Banister was ejected Monday night after the Los Angeles Angels won a replay challenge on a play that became a ground-rule double after Yunel Escobar was thrown out trying to turn the hit into a triple.

After being out by several feet sliding into third base in the sixth inning, Escobar motioned toward the outfield. Manager Mike Scioscia then challenged that the ball had become lodged underneath the padding on the wall in right-center field and should have been ruled dead, as per the ground rules for the Rangers' ballpark.

"We thought that someone put their hands up like it was out of play. I think that's what [Escobar] saw,'' Scioscia said. "He kind of stutter-stepped and slowed down.''

The replay showed that the ball had lodged under the padding. Right fielder Nomar Mazara had to reach twice to get the ball but never indicated that the ball was stuck.

When umpires put Escobar at second base, Banister immediately came out of the dugout and was ejected by crew chief and second base umpire Joe West when he continued to argue the call.

"From the infield, you can't tell if it's stuck. ... But when we went to replay, they said it stuck. So it's plain and simple a ground-rule double,'' West told a pool reporter after the game.

"I had an outfielder who felt like the ball was not lodged. If you look at the video, the ball was still spinning,'' Banister said. "In my estimation, that is not a lodged baseball. But that's not my call.''

Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland was ejected after taking a called third strike to end the fourth inning. The pitch appeared to Moreland to be outside. Although the first baseman had some words with home plate umpire Kerwin Danley as he walked back to the dugout, there were no demonstrative actions before the ejection.

After Moreland realized he had been tossed from the game, he turned and started to argue before Banister got between his player and the umpire.

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