Time is running out on Angels after 8-3 loss to Orioles

There is no clock in baseball. But there is a calendar.

And right now it's working against the Angels, who moved a day closer to the end of the season but no nearer the division lead while dropping an 8-3 decision to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday.

The Angels entered the weekend trailing the Texas Rangers in the American League West by 3 1/2 games with 13 to play. No AL team has ever overcome such a large deficit with so few games remaining although it has happened in the National League, a fact Angels Manager Mike Scioscia took solace in.

"So it’s doable, right?" he asked rhetorically. "Our focus right now is to win ballgames. And if we win games and get to a certain point ... we're going to reach our goal.

"We don’t have the great luxury of a lot of do-overs right now. We have to play at a high level all the way. And we’re capable of doing that."

They didn't do it Friday, losing for the third time in five games.  And it was an former Ranger, right-hander Tommy Hunter (3-3), who had a lot to do with that, shutting out the Angels on seven hits over seven innings to increase his chances of getting a generous playoff share from his former teammates. Meanwhile Angels starter Dan Haren, coming off a four-hit shutout against the Yankees, couldn't get past the sixth inning.

Haren (15-9) gave up seven runs and seven hits, including a home run and double to Mark Reynolds, who came into the game hitless in his last 20 at-bats. And things didn't get much better once Haren left, with reliever Tyler Chatwood throwing his third pitch to the backstop, surrendering another run.

That's still better than what happened two pitches later when Nolan Reimold, a late addition to the Baltimore lineup, drove a Chatwood offering into the left-field seats for a two-run homer to give the Orioles an 8-0 lead.

An inning later Scioscia pulled eight starters, giving the contest the feel of a spring training game -- which could be the next time the Angels are even in the standings with the Rangers. Four of those substitutes were responsible for the Angels' runs with catcher Hank Conger hitting a two-run homer just inside the right-field foul pole with one out in the ninth inning, scoring Efren Navarro ahead of him. Alexi Amarista then battled through a 13-pitch at-bat before doubling in Gil Velasquez an out later.

In addition to Reynolds, whose home run was his 33rd of the season, Robert Andino had two hits and scored twice for Baltimore. Shortstop J.J. Hardy had two hits and three runs batted in, Reimold scored twice to go with his two RBIs and former Angel Vladimir Guerrero had two hits.

Erick Aybar, Torii Hunter and Alberto Callaspo had multi-hit games for the Angels.

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-- Kevin Baxter reporting from Baltimore

Photo: Angels starter Dan Haren delivers a pitch against the Orioles in the first inning Friday night in Baltimore. Credit: Joe Giza / Reuters

Angels chasing history as well as Rangers

After a day off, part of which was spent traveling from Oakland to Baltimore, the Angels resumed their pursuit of the division-leading Texas Rangers on Friday, sending Dan Haren to the mound against the Orioles in the opener of a three-games series.

But the Angels, who began the day trailing Texas by 3 1/2 games in the American League West, aren't chasing just the Rangers. They're chasing history as well since no AL team has ever overcome a 3 1/2-game deficit in the final 13 games to win a division or league title, according to Stats LLC.

It's been done five times in the National League since 1964, most recently by the 2007 Philadelphia Phillies. The Dodgers also erased a 3 1/2-game deficit to win the NL title in 1965, a year after the St. Louis Cardinals pulled off the greatest pennant-race chase in history, overcoming a 6 1/2-game deficit in the final 13 games to edge out Philadelphia.

"So it's doable," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "But that doesn't change our focus. We need to win games."

That is what Haren has done in his last two starts. In his most recent outing, in Anaheim, the right-hander shut out the New York Yankees on four hits, raising his season record to 15-8. What's more, he's unbeaten in Baltimore, going 3-0 with 2.43 ERA in five career starts while holding the Orioles to a .193 average.

The lineups:

Angels' Shoemaker named to national baseball team

Angels prospect Matt Shoemaker was among the 24 minor league players named Thursday to the U.S. national team for this fall's World Cup and Pan American Games.

Shoemaker, a 24-year-old right-hander who was signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2008, led the Double-A Texas League in shutouts (2), complete games (5), strikeouts (129), WHIP (1.07) and ERA (2.48) this season and was second in wins with 12.

Shoemaker was the only Angel player selected. No Dodger farmhands were chosen. The Chicago White Sox led all Major League clubs with three players from its farm system named to the team.  The Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers each placed two players on the club.

Local players selected to the U.S. national team include right-hander Justin Cassel of Los Angeles and the White Sox; utilityman Matt Clark of Riverside and the San Diego Padres; highly touted catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and Long Beach and the Toronto Blue Jays, who was recently named MVP of the Double-A Eastern League; right-hander Chuckie Fick of Thousand Oaks and the St. Louis Cardinals; and infielder Andrew Garcia of El Cajon and the White Sox.

The team will compete in the World Cup in Panama City, Panama, Oct. 2-15, and the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, from Oct. 20 to 25.

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Mark Trumbo's homer powers Angels over Athletics, 4-1

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-- Kevin Baxter

Trumbo's two-run homer helps Weaver notch career-high 17th win

Mark Trumbo broke out of a mini-slump in a big way Wednesday, snapping a tie score in the sixth inning with a two-run home run to help lift the Angels to a 4-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics.

Jered Weaver notched his career-high 17th victory by allowing one run and six hits in seven innings, striking out only one and walking two to improve to 17-7 and lower his earned-run average to 2.40. He threw 115 pitches, 74 strikes, which should position him to make his next start on short rest Sunday in Baltimore.

Closer Jordan Walden struck out two in a scoreless ninth for his 31st save. The Angels closed to within 2 1/2  games of Texas in the American League West with 13 games to play, but the Rangers are scheduled to play Cleveland on Wednesday night.

The A’s took a 1-0 lead in the third when Weaver grooved a 2-and-2 fastball to Josh Willingham, who drove it over the wall in left-center field for a solo home run, his 26th of the season.

Oakland starter Rich Harden blanked the Angels on five hits through five innings with the help of an infield defense that made superb plays in each of the first four innings.

Jered Weaver goes for career-high 17th win versus A's today

 

Jered Weaver will attempt to win his career-high 17th game today when the Angels ace opposes the Oakland Athletics in the finale of a three-game series in the Oakland Coliseum. The Angels enter play three games behind the Texas Rangers in the American League West with 14 to play.

The effort Weaver exerts today against the A's will determine whether Manager Mike Scioscia brings the right-hander back on three days' rest for Sunday's game against Baltimore. If Weaver makes one of his next two starts on short rest, he would be in line to start the regular-season finale against Texas on Sept. 28. With today's game starting at 12:30 p.m., Weaver will already have an extra half day or rest.

First baseman Mark Trumbo is back in the lineup after sitting out Tuesday night's 6-3 win over the A's.

The Angels lineup: SS Erick Aybar, 2B Howie Kendrick, DH Bobby Abreu, RF Hunter, 1B Mark Trumbo, 3B Alberto Callaspo, LF Vernon Wells, CF Peter Bourjos, C Jeff Mathis, P Jered Weaver.

The A's lineup: SS Cliff Pennington, C Kurt Suzuki, DH Hideki Matsui, LF Josh Willingham, RF David DeJesus, 3B Scott Sizemore, CF Ryan Sweeney, 1B Brandon Allen, 2B Eric Sogard, P Rich Harden.

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-- Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Jered Weaver. Credit: Chris Young / Associated Press.

Angels open 2012 season at home, close on road

 

The Angels will open the 2012 season with a three-game series against the Kansas City Royals at home on April 6 before going on a road trip to face Minnesota and the New York Yankees. They will close the season with a six-game trip at Texas and Seattle.

The Angels will face the National League West in interleague play, including the annual home-and-away series against the Dodgers. The Angels will also play at San Diego and Colorado. The Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants will play in Angel Stadium.

For more on the 2012 schedule later, go to www.latimes.com/sports.

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Angels go quietly in lonely confines of Oakland

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-- Mike DiGiovanna in Oakland

Photo: Erick Aybar, No. 2, celebrates with Torii Hunter, No. 48, and Alberto Callaspo after scoring on a throwing error by Brandon Allen of the Oakland Athletics on September 13. Credit: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images.

Slumping Angels Trumbo and Trout to sit vs. A's

Rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo, hitless with four strikeouts in his last eight at-bats, and 20-year-old outfielder Mike Trout, who has two hits in his last 25 at-bats, will be on the bench for the start of the Angels' game against the Athletics in the Oakland Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Manager Mike Scioscia moved second baseman Howie Kendrick to first base, a position he has not played since July 3, and Maicer Izturis will start at second. Torii Hunter, Vernon Wells and Peter Bourjos will start in the outfield, and Bobby Abreu will be the designated hitter for the Angels, who are three games behind Texas in the American League West with 15 to play.

"His last 10 at-bats, we've seen a little tighter grip on the bat," Scioscia said of Trumbo. "This is a good time for him to catch his breath, and hopefully he'll finish strong."

Joel Pineiro, Angels look for better results in Oakland

Manager Mike Scioscia said Monday afternoon that Angels right-hander Joel Pineiro "is like night and day from what we saw the last time we were here." Pineiro better be, or it could be a rough night for him and the Angels in the Oakland Coliseum.

The last time Pineiro faced the Athletics here, on July 17, he walked the first three batters in a first inning in which he gave up eight runs -- seven earned -- and four hits and retired just one batter before being pulled from an eventual 9-1 loss. Pineiro said afterward that he couldn't find his normal grip on the ball, which kept slipping out of his hand.

A rough four-start stretch in which he went 0-3 and gave up 22 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings got Pineiro bumped from the rotation. But he regained his starting spot on Aug. 20 and has gone 1-0 with a 3.79 earned-run average in three games.

The Angels enter Monday night's game trailing the Texas Rangers by 2 1/2 games in the American League West. The Rangers are idle.

The A's got a scare before the game when Andrew Bailey was hit above the right eye by a Kurt Suzuki-hit ball while shagging in the outfield during batting practice. Bailey was on the ground for several minutes before walking off the field under his own power.

The right-hander has been ruled out for Monday night's game, but doctors have also ruled out a concussion. 

The Angels lineup: 3B Maicer Izturis, CF Peter Bourjos, 2B Howie Kendrick, RF Torii Hunter, 1B Mark Trumbo, DH Vernon Wells, LF Mike Trout, SS Erick Aybar, C Jeff Mathis, P Joel Pineiro.

The A's lineup: 2B Jemile Weeks, SS Cliff Pennington, DH Hideki Matsui, LF Josh Willingham, RF David DeJesus, CF Ryan Sweeney, C Kurt Suzuki, 1B Brandon Allen, 3B Scott Sizemore, P Gio Gonzalez.

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Rookie Mike Trout meets his idol, Derek Jeter

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-- Mike DiGiovanna

Photo: Angels starter Joel Pineiro delivers a pitch against the Balitmore Orioles during a game last month at Angel Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

Angels' Mike Trout comes face to face with his idol, Derek Jeter

At just 20 years old, Angels star rookie Mike Trout isn't that far removed from his childhood.

The outfielder was especially close to it Saturday when he got to meet his boyhood idol, Derek Jeter.

Growing up, Trout was a big fan of Jeter, and for good reason.

Both hail from New Jersey and Trout grew up playing shortstop, as Jeter does for the Yankees today.

"I was a big Jeter fan growing up," Trout said. 

So when Trout stroked a double to left field in the sixth inning Saturday, he was met with a nice surprise when Jeter walked over to second base, slapped him on his rear and started chatting him up.

Trout said Jeter said hello, asked how old Trout was, and Trout then mentioned he was from New Jersey, which Jeter was glad to hear. Jeter told him he had a nice swing, too.

"Pretty good coming from a Hall-of-Famer," Trout said. "Definitely a good feeling."

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-- Baxter Holmes 

Photo: Right fielder Mike Trout talks with New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter during a 6-0 victory for the Angels. Credit: Kelvin Kuo /US Presswire

Who is that masked man? It's Jorge Posada!

Just before Maicer Izturis hit a run-scoring double in the second inning of the Angels' 6-0 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday night, the Angels third baseman fouled a pitch off the throwing hand of Yankees catcher Russell Martin.

Martin finished the second inning but left the game before the third. With backup Francisco Cervelli sidelined because of concussion-like symptoms and No. 3 catcher Jesus Montero starting at designated hitter, Yankees Manager Joe Girardi had no choice but to turn to Jorge Posada, who had not caught once all season.

The green light went on for the Angels, who wasted no time running on Posada, the 40-year-old veteran who is twice as old as Mike Trout, the Angels' 20-year-old outfielder, and has been relegated to a part-time DH role this season.

Howie Kendrick singled to open the third and took off on CC Sabathia’s first pitch to Torii Hunter. Posada’s throw to second was high, but second baseman Robinson Cano leaped to catch it and put the tag on Kendrick for the out.

The Angels did not attempt another stolen base, and Posada did a solid job defensively the rest of the night. He even singled in the eighth inning.

"I said if you need me, I'm there," Posada said of his conversation with Girardi after Martin got hurt. "It was fun. It was fun to catch again. I'll be sore tomorrow. But I'll sleep well tonight."

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Bill Dwyre: Angels honor Derek Jeter the right way

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--Mike DiGiovanna

Photo: Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, center, points to first base umpire Larry Vanover for a call after a swing by Angels' Maicer Izturis. Credit: Jae Hong / Associated Press

Bill Dwyre: Angels honor Derek Jeter the right way

This weekend, the Angels tiptoed nicely around a ticklish situation, where public relations met baseball tradition and fan blind spots.

A couple of weeks after Derek Jeter got his 3,000th hit, a baseball milestone achieved with a home run on a five-for-five night and one that means automatic Hall of Fame inclusion, a reporter asked the Angels whether there might be any ceremony at the Big A honoring Jeter. The Yankees were scheduled to come to town Sept. 9-11.

It seemed like a fairly harmless and appropriate thing to do. Baseball lives by its numbers, honors them and especially honors those who achieve them without any blemish of steroids or gambling. Jeter fit that description perfectly.

The reporter was told that the Angels respected Jeter greatly and that the team’s public relations staff had already been discussing how to honor him “as a player and a person.”

They even had a precedent. Years ago, the team had had a formal ceremony to pay homage to Cal Ripken’s record streak of longevity.

The reporter wrote of the potential ceremony, and the emails started pouring in to the Angels.

Many fans hated the idea. Jeter was a Yankee. Angels fans said they are to be hated. One woman called him, in an email, “Little Lord Fauntleroy.” Others were even less kind.