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Angels Trade Gold Glove Winning Catcher To Astros For Lefty Prospect, Cash

ANAHEIM (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels on Thursday traded slick-fielding catcher Martin Maldonado to the Houston Astros for lefty prospect Patrick Sandoval and $250,000 in international signing bonus pool money. Maldonado’s contributions behind the plate helped the Angels’ starters post a 3.77 ERA, which ranked fifth in the American League despite numerous injuries and significant inexperience in their rotation. A Gold Glove winner last season, Maldonado is also hitting .223 with 32 RBIs in 78 games. “Martin has been a huge part of what we know has been a terrific year on the mound,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “There’s no doubt that Martin had the respect of everybody, not only the coaching staff but the players, and contributed greatly to where we needed to be on the defensive side.” Maldonado, who is owed $1,362,903 from his $3.9 million salary, is eligible for free agency after the World Series. He understood that a trade was possible given the Angels trailed Houston by 15½ games in the AL and began the day 10½ games back of Seattle for the second wild-card berth. “I’m going to be a free agent. We haven’t played the way we want to play, and today is business. They got to do whatever is best for the team,” Maldonado said. Maldonado said he was initially caught by surprise when he was informed of the trade, but welcomed the opportunity to join the defending World Series champions. “Playing against those guys, it’s a team that they never give up,” Maldonado said. “They compete from the first pitch to the 27th out, so I’m looking forward to learn more as soon as I get there about those pitchers and those guys.” The Astros designated catcher Tim Federowicz for assignment. Federowicz is hitting .206 with two RBIs in 10 games this season. (@Copyright 2018. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

July 27, 2018 0 comment

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Angels Kick Some Astros, 14-5

written by EvelyneHighett

ANAHEIM (AP) — Mike Trout drove in a teammate for the first time in more than a month, homering to cap a seven-run burst in seventh inning for the Los Angeles Angels in a 14-5 rout of the Houston Astros on Sunday. Trout hit his 26th home run, a drive off Chris Devenski that followed Andrelton Simmons’ single. Trout’s only RBIs since June 19 had been solo homers off Baltimore’s David Hess on June 29 and against the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Ross Stripling on July 7. Trout’s single in the first ending streaks of 16 plate appearances and 11 at-bats without a hit. David Fletcher had a two-run single in the big inning, Kole Calhoun greeted Devenski with a three-run homer and Ian Kinsler hit a solo homer in the eighth off J.D. Davis, an outfielder and corner infielder. A pitcher at Cal State-Fullerton, Davis had two mound appearances for the Astros in lopsided losses last year. After scoring one run over the previous 24 innings, the Angels set a season high for runs and stopped a three-game losing streak. Andrew Heaney (6-6) won his fourth consecutive home start, allowing one run, four hits and two walks in six innings. Lance McCullers Jr. (10-5) gave up five runs, six hits and five walks in 4 1/3 innings. He became the first Astros pitcher to walk five or more in consecutive starts since Erik Bedard in July 2013. Houston had not allowed double-digit runs since a 13-12, 10-inning win over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series and gave up its most runs since a 14-6 defeat at Detroit on July 29, 2016. Davis put the Astros ahead with an RBI single in the second, but Kinsler hit an RBI double in the bottom half that scored Shohei Ohtani and then came home on Luis Valbuena’s single. Justin Upton had a two-run homer in the third. Simmons hit a run-scoring, double-play grounder in the fourth, then singled in a run for a 6-1 lead in the sixth. Alex Bregman hit a two-run double in the seventh. TRAINER’S ROOM Astros: SS Carlos Correa (back) has resumed baseball activities following a setback in his recovery, manager AJ Hinch said. Angels: RHP Jim Johnson was activated off the DL after missing 32 games because of a strained muscle in his back. RHP Taylor Cole was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. UP NEXT Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole (10-2, 2.52 ERA) is 6-1 with a 2.53 ERA in 10 road starts this year going into Tuesday’s outing at Colorado. Angels: RHP Jaime Barria (5-6, 3.55) is 0-5 in six starts and winless since June 1 heading into Monday’s start against the Chicago White Sox. (@Copyright 2018. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Angels Kick Some Astros, 14-5

July 23, 2018 0 comment

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Justin Verlander Helps Astros Blank The Angels, 7-0

written by MeriditSchreine

ANAHEIM (AP) — George Springer hit a grand slam while the Astros batted around in the sixth inning, and Justin Verlander ended his six-start winless streak with 11 strikeouts over six dominant innings in Houston’s 7-0 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night. Verlander (10-5) yielded five hits while getting ample support in his third win over Los Angeles already this season. He has thrown 23 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three starts at Angel Stadium, including a five-hit shutout on May 16. Four batters after Josh Reddick homered to lead off the sixth, Springer delivered his fifth career grand slam on a full count against reliever Noe Ramirez. Springer had driven in only five runs in his previous 24 games, but everything clicked for the defending World Series champions in their fourth win in five games, extending the second-best start in franchise history to 66-35. Verlander hadn’t won since June 14 despite setting career bests for strikeouts, ERA and opponents’ batting average before the break. The All-Star right-hander walked two and allowed just one runner to reach third base. Shohei Ohtani had two doubles as the Angels (49-50) dropped below .500 for the first time since the season opener. Los Angeles has scored one run in the first 18 innings after the break in what’s looking like yet another lost season for a big-budget franchise that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2009. Nick Tropeano (3-5) pitched five innings of two-hit ball in his return from injury, but Los Angeles committed three errors and again struggled at the plate against an Astros ace. Ohtani’s fourth-inning double was the Halos’ only extra-base hit off Verlander. The Japanese rookie doubled again in the ninth. Mike Trout went 0 for 2 with two walks, leaving him hitless in three consecutive games for only the second time in two months. Tropeano walked four and recorded five strikeouts in his first start since June 10. The former Astros prospect missed the past 31 games with right shoulder inflammation. Houston went ahead in the third when rookie Kyle Tucker singled and eventually scored on Yuli Gurriel’s sacrifice fly. Marwin Gonzalez then scored in the fourth on Tony Kemp’s double after reaching base on a rare error by Andrelton Simmons, the Angels’ Gold Glove shortstop. SHOHEI THROWS Ohtani played catch in the outfield for the third straight day as he continues a deliberate throwing progression. The two-way sensation hasn’t pitched since June 6 due to a sprained elbow ligament, but the Halos are hopeful he’ll be back on the mound this season. UP NEXT Astros: Lance McCullers Jr. (10-4, 3.77 ERA) hopes to return to his dominant June form after one mediocre start before the break. He has 119 strikeouts in 112 1/3 innings. Angels: Andrew Heaney (5-6, 3.78 ERA) will match his career high with his 18th start already this season. He pitched eight innings of four-hit ball in May to beat the Astros for the first time. (@Copyright 2018. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Justin Verlander Helps Astros Blank The Angels, 7-0

July 22, 2018 0 comment

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Keuchel Takes No-Hitter Into 7th, Astros Top Angels 3-1

written by Novella36O

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Dallas Keuchel took a no-hitter into the seventh and finished with 7 2/3 innings of two-hit ball in the Houston Astros’ 3-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night. Justin Upton broke up Keuchel’s bid with two outs in the seventh when his line drive escaped the glove of leaping Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez. The Angel Stadium scorer awarded a hit instead of an error on what would have been a fine defensive play if Gonzalez had held on. Keuchel (8-8) shrugged it off and improved to 5-0 in his last seven appearances for the Astros (65-35), who are off to the second-best start through 100 games in franchise history. Josh Reddick had an RBI triple for the Astros. Only last season’s World Series champions got off to a better start than these Astros, who are 15 games ahead of the injury-plagued Angels (49-49) in the AL West. Keuchel retired the Angels’ first nine batters before walking David Fletcher to open the fourth. The heavily bearded lefty then retired the Angels’ next 11 batters before Upton’s hit with solid defensive help, getting within seven outs of the first no-hitter by a left-handed pitcher in the history of the Astros, who have 11 no-hitters. Yuli Gurriel made an impressive diving catch on Upton’s liner to first base to end the fourth inning, and Kyle Tucker plucked Andrelton Simmons’ sinking liner right before it hit the left-field grass leading off the seventh. Mike Trout went 0 for 3 and Shohei Ohtani struck out three times against Keuchel, who left to a big ovation after Jabari Blash’s sacrifice fly in the eighth. Gonzalez nearly made the play to save the no-hitter, but the 6-foot-1 shortstop couldn’t quite hang onto Upton’s liner. Houston’s regular shortstop, injured Carlos Correa, is 6-foot-4. Ian Kinsler added a clean leadoff single in the eighth and scored on Blash’s first RBI for the Angels. Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his ninth save. He got a generous call to strike out Trout, who went 0 for 4 for only the second time since June 8. The Astros piled up five singles and scored two runs off Tyler Skaggs (7-6) in the first two innings before Reddick’s drive down the right-field line scored Evan Gattis in the third for a 3-0 lead. Skaggs settled into six innings of six-hit ball in yet another strong start, but the left-hander took just his second loss since May. SHOHEI THROWS Before Ohtani went 0 for 3 as the Angels’ designated hitter, he played catch in the outfield for the second straight day since getting approval to begin a throwing program. The two-way rookie took six weeks off from throwing to rest the sprained ligament in his pitching elbow after getting treatment with platelet-rich plasma and stem cells. The Angels hope he’ll pitch again this season. TRAINER’S ROOM Astros: Correa won’t return from his lower back injury until after this five-game road trip. He has been out since June 25, and he hasn’t resumed baseball activities while making “slow but steady progress,” manager AJ Hinch said. Angels: Albert Pujols is scheduled to return to the lineup Monday, manager Mike Scioscia said. The 38-year-old slugger went on the disabled list July 13 with left knee inflammation, one day after hitting his 629th and 630th career homers. … Reliever Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless rehab inning for Triple-A Salt Lake. He has been out since June 12 with a lumbar strain, but should be back in LA’s bullpen shortly. UP NEXT Astros: Justin Verlander (9-5, 2.29 ERA) went winless in his final six starts before the All-Star break, but has already beaten the Angels twice this year, allowing two runs in 16 innings. Angels: Nick Tropeano (3-4, 4.83 ERA) returns from a 31-game injury absence with right shoulder inflammation. Although he has been effective when healthy this season, he has never beaten the Astros in his career, and hasn’t won at Angel Stadium since May 18, 2016. (© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Keuchel Takes No-Hitter Into 7th, Astros Top Angels 3-1

July 21, 2018 0 comment