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Clips

(May 8, 2015)

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Today’s Clips Contents FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3)

Houston Astros look like the real deal, but season will tell

Huston Street blows second straight save; Angels fall 3-2

Angels closer Huston Street takes a (rough) road less traveled FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)

Smith: Angels catcher Carlos Perez rides tidal wave of emotion in first two days in majors

Angels trade Drew Butera to Royals for utility infielder Ryan Jackson

Angels Notes: Matt Joyce moves back into cleanup spot

Angels' C.J. Wilson is better, but not satisfied

Mishaps on the bases cost Angels

For second night in a row, Angels' Street blows save

Jered Weaver's early struggles for Angels intensify questions over diminished velocity

On deck: Astros at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m. FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 13)

Baylor solely focused on helping Angels reach Series

Angels get INF Jackson from KC for Butera

Angels let Astros steal victory in ninth

Iannetta's misstep, Street's rough inning loom large

Santiago, Wilson providing Angels with stability

Weaver seeks first win as Angels face Astros FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS (Page 19)

Angels trade Butera instead of losing him to waiver process

Huston Street blows another save as Angels lose 3-2 to Astros FROM FOX SPORTS WEST (Page 21)

Astros catcher Hank Conger returns to Angel Stadium for first time since trade

Street blows 2nd straight save as Angels fall to Astros FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (Page 23)

Angels coach Ebel gets players' attention with a whistle

Astros rally with 3 runs in 9th to beat Angels 3-2

Astros-Angels Preview

FROM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE (Page 27)

Salt Lake Bees: Cam Bedrosian back to pitching like a top prospect

May 8, 2015 Page 3 of 27

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES

Houston Astros look like the real deal, but season will tell

By Mike DiGiovanna

The Houston Astros, four days removed from an eye-opening 10-game win streak, arrived in Anaheim on Thursday sporting an American League-best 18-10 record, a five-game division lead and an intriguing roster that has fans and media members around the country wondering, “Are these guys for real?”

The question could take months to answer, but the fact it's even being raised is a testament to how far they've come since their three straight 100-loss seasons from 2011 to 2013 and the strip-down and rebuilding process that ensued.

“It's satisfying to be relevant again,” Houston General Manager Jeff Luhnow said before Thursday night's 3-2 win against the Angels, the first of a four-game series. “We're not naive. We know the Angels, Mariners, A's and Rangers will be fighting all year long. We just want to be a part of that fight.”

They appear much better armed for battle. The Astros went from 51 wins in 2013 to 70 wins in 2014 in part because of an improved rotation headed by beardedleft-hander Dallas Keuchel and right-hander Collin McHugh.

But their biggest strides this season have come in a bullpen that was a mess in 2014, ranking last in the major leagues in earned-run average (4.80), 27th in walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.39) and blowing 26 saves, the most in baseball.

Luhnow missed out on the “big fish” he pursued, left-hander Andrew Miller, who signed with the New York Yankees for four years and $36 million.

But he signed two middle-tier free agents in right-hander Luke Gregerson (three years, $18.5 million) and sidearm-throwing right-hander Pat Neshek (two years, $12.5 million). He claimed right-hander Will Harris off waivers from Arizona and added left-hander Joe Thatcher on a minor league deal.

Those four, combined with holdovers Chad Qualls and Tony Sipp, transformed a bullpen that entered Thursday with baseball's fourth-best ERA (2.12), second-best average against (.175), second-most strikeouts (103), fewest walks (18) and best WHIP (0.80). They converted 10 of 13 save opportunities.

“There's no doubt the fastest way to turn a team around is by winning games that you're ahead,” first-year Manager A.J. Hinch said. “Blown leads can demoralize a team.”

The addition of veteran relievers “who know what it takes to win,” Keuchel said, “can change the culture pretty quick.” Catcher Jason Castro, in his sixth year

with the team, has seen a shift.

“We come to the field with an expectation of winning,” Castro said. “It's definitely a different feeling than the teams I've been on in the past.”

Offensively, the Astros combine big power with big swing-and-miss potential. They rank second in baseball with 42 homers and lead baseball with 265 strikeouts.

“We have guys who can swing and miss with the best of them,” Luhnow said, “but they can also put baseballs in the seats.”

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Their best hitter is little leadoff man Jose Altuve, a 5-foot-6, 165-pound bundle of bat speed and energy who has posted a .336 average, three homers, eight doubles, 20 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases, proving his 2014 season, in which he led the league in average (.341), hits (225) and stolen bases (56), was no fluke.

“He's like a machine, man,” said Astros backup catcher Hank Conger, a former Angel. “The way he steps in the box, you expect him to get a hit every time.”

And don't let his size fool you.

“He hit a 420-foot homer the other day against Seattle,” Luhnow said. “You just don't imagine a guy with that frame can do that. At the same time, he can steal a base, and he's the guy you want up with the game on the line.”

Four players acquired through trade or free agency last winter — third baseman Luis Valbuena (seven homers, 11 RBIs), designated hitter Evan Gattis (six homers, 18 RBIs), outfielder Colby Rasmus (five homers, 10 RBIs) and shortstop Jed Lowrie (four homers, 10 RBIs) — have added pop.

First baseman Chris Carter and highly touted 25-year-old right-fielder George Springer, who is on the seven-day concussion disabled list, each have four homers.

And 24-year-old center fielder Jake Marisnick, a former Riverside Poly High standout who was acquired from Miami for Jarred Cosart last July, has had an impact, hitting .338 with three homers, four doubles, three triples and 13 RBIs and playing superb defense.

“Our biggest challenge is our offense can come and go — we saw that this week,” Luhnow said, referring to a three-game sweep in Texas in which the Astros scored five runs. “If our power guys don't produce, it's tough to score runs.”

Hinch, the former catcher who replaced the fired Bo Porter last September, appears to be a better fit in Houston than he was in Arizona, where he was only 35 when the Diamondbacks hired him in May 2009. He was fired in July 2010.

“He was a big league regular and backup,” Luhnow said. “He's been a GM, a farm director, and he has a psychology degree from Stanford, which he probably uses on me, and I don't even know it. He communicates well, he's created a fun, collegial tone in the clubhouse, and it's working.”

With a loaded farm system that includes three highly touted prospects who could have an impact this season — shortstop Carlos Correa and pitchers Mark Appel and Lance McCullers Jr. — the Astros are on the rise. Even if some aren't quite sure whether they've arrived.

“The way we've played this year is just a glimpse into our capabilities,” Castro said. “The rest of this year and beyond, with the guys we have now and the ones coming from the system, it's only going to go up from here.”

Huston Street blows second straight save; Angels fall 3-2

By Mike DiGiovanna

KEY MOMENT: Huston Street suffered his second blown save in as many nights, his first back-to-back blown saves since July 13 and 19, 2008, with Oakland. With a 2-0 lead, Street gave up singles to Colby Rasmus and Chris Carter to open the ninth. Jason Castro flied to center, but Jake Marisnick hit a run-scoring single to left, and Preston Tucker, in his major league debut, hit an RBI single to right for a 2-2 tie. Jonathan Villar walked to load the bases, and speedy leadoff man Jose Altuve beat out a fielder's choice grounder to second to score Marisnick with the winning run, as the Astros snapped a three-game losing streak.

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AT THE PLATE: Mike Trout drove his eighth homer of the season and fifth in 11 games over the center-field wall in the first. The Angels made it 2-0 in the eighth when Johnny Giavotella doubled, took third on Collin Cowgill's sacrifice bunt and, after Chris Iannetta's walk, scored on Kole Calhoun's single off left-hander Joe Thatcher. Trout flied to deep center, and the rally ended when Albert Pujols' line drive hit Iannetta in the leg between second and third. Pujols extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

ON THE MOUND: Angels left-hander Hector Santiago allowed a single to Altuve to open the game. He did not allow another hit during a 6 1/3-inning effort that included five strikeouts, four walks—one intentional—and two balks. It marked just the fourth time since 1914 that a pitcher had more balks than hits allowed while throwing at least five innings. Fernando Salas got the last two outs of the seventh, and Joe Smith threw a scoreless eighth, striking out Evan Gattis with a runner on third to end the inning. Houston closer Luke Gregerson retired the side in order in the ninth for his seventh save.

IN THE FIELD: Altuve, the Astros second baseman, made a spectacular play to end the fifth, a back-hand stop of Johnny Giavotella's shot up the middle and glove-hand flip to shortstop Villar to start a double play. With Pujols on first and one out in the fourth, Matt Joyce hit a popup to shallow center. Marisnick raced in for the catch while Pujols rounded second. Marisnick continued toward the dugout and touched first on his way, a rare unassisted double play.

UP NEXT: Right-hander Jered Weaver (0-4, 6.29 ERA) will oppose Houston right-hander Roberto Hernandez (1-2, 4.25 ERA) at Angel Stadium on Friday at 7 p.m. On the air: TV—FS West. Radio—830.

Angels closer Huston Street takes a (rough) road less traveled

By Mike DiGiovanna

It’s rare for Angels closer Huston Street to blow one save, but to blow two in a row? That hadn’t happened since July 13 and 19, 2008, when Street was pitching for the Oakland Athletics, but it happened in back-to-back games this week.

One night after suffering his first blown save of the season but getting the win after the Angels staged a ninth-inning comeback against Seattle, Street got a blown save and a loss Thursday night, the Houston Astros rallying for three runs in the ninth inning of a 3-2 victory in Angel Stadium.

With a 2-0 lead, Street gave up singles to Colby Rasmus and Chris Carter. Jason Castro flied to center, but Jake Marisnick hit a run-scoring single to left, and Preston Tucker, in his major league debut, hit an RBI single to right for a 2-2 tie.

Marisnick took third on Tucker’s hit, and Tucker took second on right fielder Kole Calhoun’s throw to third. Jonathan Villar walked to load the bases, and speedy leadoff man Jose Altuve beat out a fielder’s choice grounder to second to score Marisnick with the winning run.

It was tough for Street to beat himself up afterward, because the Astros hadn’t really beaten him up. Three of the hits, Street said, were broken-bat singles.

“I really felt like the Rasmus ball was the only one hit really well, but that’s baseball,” Street said. “I left a couple pitches up, and a couple others kind of found holes. They were broken-bat hits that found some green grass. Give them credit for taking good at-bats.”

Manager Mike Scioscia said Street “has had trouble bringing the pitches he needs to into games” in his last two outings, but the veteran right-hander said his command and stuff are there.

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“Look at how the ball was coming off the bat tonight—there weren’t doubles flying to the gaps,” Street said. “I didn’t make any really bad pitches, I just left a few up. I have to trust my stuff and keep going out there, because I feel like if I throw the ball like I did tonight, more often than not, I’ll get good results.”

Scioscia doesn’t have any long-term concerns about Street. “He’ll get it right,” he said. “This guy’s stuff is still good. He’s one of the best closers in baseball. He’ll be there for us.” Neither does catcher Chris Iannetta.

“There’s nothing wrong with Streeter—he did his job,” Iannetta said. “He did exactly what he needed to do. I don’t think there was one hard-hit ball. It’s not like they were squaring him up. He’s going to go out there and do the exact same thing and get the save or the win the next time out.”

FROM THE OC REGISTER

Smith: Angels catcher Carlos Perez rides tidal wave of emotion in first two days in majors

By Marcia C. Smith

ANAHEIM – The night after he was a two-hit wonder in his major-league debut – winning Tuesday night’s game with a home run in the bottom of the ninth, matching history with a Triple Crown winner and getting wildly feted by his new Angels teammates – Carlos Perez was merely a spectator to another player’s last-inning heroics. He stormed from the dugout with the other Angels to mob Johnny Giavotella, who had just furnished the winning RBI double in Wednesday’s thrilling 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. Perez was celebrating instead of being celebrated. He delivered the congratulatory poundings instead of taking them. He watched Giavotella get tugged away to a post-game TV interview and be baptized beneath a cooler of icy orange sports drink the same way he had been the night before. One game after what he called “the best time of my life,” Perez didn’t have much left for an encore. He experienced the flip side of his debut’s glory. In the second game of his big-league career, he started at catcher and went 0 for 3, with two strikeouts. By Thursday, he was out of the lineup and on the bench. His first career strikeout came looking in Wednesday’s third inning on a 93-mph Roenis Elias fastball. His second ended the fourth inning when he swung past an Elias curveball. He grounded out in the seventh, lowering his average from .500 to .286 overnight. “I’m just happy to be here,” said Perez, 24, who was originally signed out of Venezuela in 2008 by Toronto, dealt to Houston in a 10-player trade in 2012 and acquired by the Angels along with pitcher Nick Tropeano for catcher Hank Conger in November. Perez had stewed for seven years in the minors, “not sure I would get a chance, but I wasn’t going to give up,” he said. Before Thursday’s game, he was still basking in his overnight success, doing interviews in English and Spanish and accepting congratulatory cellphone messages from his family and friends back in his homeland.

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He had been up until 2 a.m. calling Valencia, Venezuela, sharing his joy on a phone passed among his grandparents, girlfriend, parents and friends. They had watched the game in his grandmother’s home, huddled around a laptop streaming MLB.TV, a subscription Perez bought them that morning. His father, also named Carlos but called “Perez,” hasn’t been able to travel to the U.S. to see his middle son play because of diabetes and kidneys that require daily dialysis. The rest of the family, like the Angels catcher himself, had no idea what would be happening this week. “On Monday morning, I was still in the minors, and then in the afternoon, the manager said, ‘You’re going to the big leagues,’” Perez recalled. “And then, when I got here Monday, the coaches said, ‘Be ready tomorrow.’” He was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to add a much-needed charge at catcher, with veteran starter Chris Iannetta mired in a .094 slump. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said Perez’s performance will dictate how much time he splits with Iannetta. “I just need to keep working hard, doing my job,” Perez said. “Who knows when I will play again?” Perez knows he couldn’t have dreamed of making a bigger splash into the majors, logg ing a single in his first at-bat and unlocking a 4-4 tie with the Mariners in the ninth with his first home run, a solo blast over the left-field fence. He effectively caught bullets from starter Garrett Richards, blocking one pitch to stave off a run. He has improved as a catcher, a position he began playing only two months before he was signed at age 17. “I started baseball when I was 7 and wanted to be an outfielder,” he said. “I always liked to hit.” And with one swing, the rookie resurrected the Angels on Tuesday night from a four-game skid. The dramatic, comeback fashion of the triumph was so momentous it seemed to inspire another Wednesday night. Angels pitcher Hector Santiago, who had Perez as his primary catcher this spring, remembered that Angels third-base coach Gary DiSarcina said, “Wish me some luck. We need some runs here,” before Perez stepped to the plate to lead off the ninth. “I told DiSar, ‘You don’t need any luck. He’s going to hit a home run.’” And when Perez did just that, DiSar turned to the clairvoyant Santiago, shocked and shouting, “What the ...” They both ran from the dugout to the plate to welcome Perez home. Reigning AL MVP Mike Trout was front and center with open arms. Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols pounded on Perez’s chest and then pulled him close for a hug. Guys slapped Perez’s back and his shoulders, wrestled him into headlocks and stripped him of his No. 58 jersey. Then he was jerked from the mosh pit to stand for a post-game TV interview. But before he could field his first question, Angels shortstop Erick Aybar came rushing out to christen the moment with the cooler dump. Trout doused Perez with a water bottle.

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Giavotella put the night’s Cinco de Mayo giveaway Angels sombrero on Perez’s soaking head, capping a historic debut. “I’m so happy for Carlos because I know how hard he has worked,” said Santiago, who also saw his clubhouse neighbor take two shaving cream pies to the face after Tuesday’s game. “That night was the happiest I’ve seen the team in two years (aside from last season’s AL West title celebration).” Perez’s face – with that smile that shined brighter than the rockpile-launched fireworks for his home run and Angels’ victory – showed both his happiness and his humility. “I couldn’t believe it,” he kept exclaiming. Only four players have ended their first game with a winning home run, the most recent being another Venezuelan and would-be two-time AL MVP and Triple Crown slugger Miguel Cabrera in 2003. The first player to accomplish that feat was a largely forgotten Angel, Billy Parker, on Sept. 9, 1971. He played 94 games in three seasons and was out of the game by age 31. Parker died in 2003. He was 61. “I don’t know if I can beat what happened the first time but I will try,” Perez said. “I had one great game I will never forget.” The authenticated baseballs from his first hit and first home run rested on the dresser in his Anaheim hotel room. He plans to put them in a display case one day. Aybar pretended to toss the first one into the stands, making a switch and throwing a decoy ball from his back pocket to a spectator. “But when he did that, I tried to stay focused on the pitcher. It was just fun and games,” said Perez, happy to be razzed by his jokester teammates. “It’s part of the game.” Like the tidal wave ups and downs of it. Like hitting the grandest home run of your life in your first game and going 0-for in your second. Like being center stage one night and in the audience the next.

Angels trade Drew Butera to Royals for utility infielder Ryan Jackson

By Jeff Fletcher

The Angels traded catcher Drew Butera to the Kansas City Royals for utility infielder Ryan Jackson on Thursday. Butera had been designated for assignment Monday to make room on the 25-man roster for catcher Carlos Perez. Jackson, 26, was hitting .305 with a .379 on-base percentage at Triple-A Omaha. He was 2 for 24 in the majors, with the St. Louis Cardinals, in 2012-13. Jackson plays primarily shortstop, but he's also played second, third and left field. He was the Cardinals' fifth-round draft pick in 2009, out of the University of Miami.

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Angels Notes: Matt Joyce moves back into cleanup spot

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM – Matt Joyce is getting another chance. Joyce, who began the season as the Angels' cleanup hitter against right-handed pitchers, was dropped as low as seventh for about a week and a half because of his slump. On Thursday night, even though Joyce brought a .148 average into the game, Manager Mike Scisocia had him back in the cleanup spot. He had a double in four at-bats. “We’re trying to keep Kole (Calhoun) in the one-hole,” Scioscia said. “We looked at a couple different lineups wanting to get a left-handed bat behind Albert (Pujols). Hopefully Matt will be a little more comfortable than he was a week or 10 days ago when we moved him down and he’ll be able to be productive.” Joyce has shown some signs of finding his timing. Going into Thursday’s game, five of the last eight balls he put in play were “hard hit,” according to FanGraphs. That included his first homer of the season, on Monday night. ALSO Slumping Chris Iannetta was back in the lineup at catcher after two games off while Carlos Perez started. ... Through Wednesday night, Angels starters had pitched at least seven innings in three consecutive games for the first time this season. The last time they did it in 2014 was May 19-21. ... Third base coach Gary DiSarcina was away from the team to attend a funeral. Bench coach Dino Ebel coached third.

Angels' C.J. Wilson is better, but not satisfied

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM – A month into a critical year for C.J. Wilson, all is well. Wilson, who insisted at every opportunity that he knew why he struggled last year and had corrected the issues, has a 2.70 ERA through his first six starts. In four of those games, he’s walked one batter or fewer. “I made a lot of adjustments this offseason and I continue to work on it,” Wilson said after allowing two runs in seven innings of a 4-3 victory on Wednesday night. “There are still things I’m not happy with about my performance. Still too many mistakes. When I’m getting to two strikes. I’m still not making good enough pitches. That’s something I have to work on.” Considering what happened last year, the Angels aren’t about to nitpick, though. Wilson had a 4.51 ERA, his highest in five seasons as a starter. He walked 4.4 batters and gave up 8.7 hits per nine innings, both also his worst marks as a starter. This spring, Wilson said it was a function of pitching through an injury after he sprained his ankle in July. Also, he said that his mechanics had gotten out of whack.

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Aside from one rough game – he gave up seven runs in 5 2/3 innings in his second start – Wilson has not allowed more than two runs in any start this year. He’s allowed 7.2 hits and 2.3 walks per nine innings. If he could maintain those numbers all year, the walks would be his lowest as a starter and the hits barely off the 7.1 he allowed in 2010. Wilson, though, is not about to declare himself totally back, because he knows there are five months to go. “You can’t ever put yourself in cruise control mode,” he said, “because no one is going to take it easy on you.”

Mishaps on the bases cost Angels

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM – When an team is struggling to score like the Angels are, mistakes on the bases can be particularly costly. In Thursday night’s 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros, the Angels had two rallies scuttled by baserunning that was not quite textbook. In the eighth inning, just after the Angels had taken a 2-0 lead, Chris Iannetta was at second when Mike Trout hit a drive to deep center field. Where Jake Marisnick caught the ball, it was clearly deep enough that Iannetta could have tagged and gone to third. However, Iannetta was halfway as Marisnick drifted back, and then he didn’t have time to get back and tag. “Off the bat, when he was just drifting, I couldn’t tell where it was going to be,” Iannetta said. “He started off very shallow, and he was just tracking back and had a long way to go, so I kept getting more and more. If it dropped, I would have scored. One out, I just went halfway.” With Iannetta still at second then, Albert Pujols hit a laser that hit Iannetta. The ball likely would have gone through to center field. Instead, Iannetta was called out for the third out of the inning. “I just couldn’t get out of the way,” Iannetta said. “I did whatever I can. I was in mid stride and I just tried to move my foot over and a leg over and I couldn’t get over it. It just felt like it was following me.” Earlier in the game, Pujols had been at first when Matt Joyce hit a blooper into center. Pujols, and Scioscia in the Angels dugout, thought the ball was going to drop, but Marisnick caught it and kept running all the way in to first base to easily double off Pujols. “He thought it was a hit,” Scioscia said. “It looked like it was going to fall in there, but it held up enough for him to catch it.”

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For second night in a row, Angels' Street blows save

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM – Chris Iannetta’s assessment of Huston Street after his second straight blown save: “He broke three bats,” the Angels catcher said. “There’s nothing wrong with Streeter. He did his job.” Unfortunately for the Angels, those broken bats came along with the four hits that Street allowed as he coughed up a two-run, ninth-inning lead in a 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday night. Unlike the night before, when Street gave up one run but the Angels picked him up by scoring the winning run in the bottom of the inning, this one cost the Angels a game. Street, who had not blown back-to-back save opportunities since 2008, said he felt like he threw the ball well enough, and Iannetta agreed. Scioscia, however, had a slightly more harsh view of his closer’s performance: “Huston his last couple outings has had trouble bringing the pitches he needs to into games. It’s just a tough stretch right now.” The Angels’ sluggish offense was hurt by a couple baserunning mishaps. Albert Pujols misread a blooper and got doubled off in the fourth. In the eighth, Iannetta misread a fly ball to deep center and didn’t tag up from second. He then he got hit by a Pujols shot that would have been a hit. “You can deconstruct a lot of things,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We had the lead at the end and didn’t hold it. That stings a little bit. We know what we need to get there. We’re confident we’ll get there.” For most of the night, the pitching was enough to compensate for the offensive shortcomings. Hector Santiago gave up just one hit in 6 1/3 scoreless innings, as he continued to pitch with what Scioscia said was “probably more confidence than he’s ever pitched with in his career.” Santiago was in line for the victory when Street jogged to the mound in the ninth inning with a 2-0 lead, looking to make up for what happened the night before. Street gave up singles to Colby Rasmus and Chris Carter. After a flyout, Street gave up two more hits, to Jake Marisnick and Preston Tucker. Street then walked Jonathan Villar to load the bases for Jose Altuve. The reigning batting champ hit a grounder to second and beat the back end of the attempted double play, pushing home the go-ahead run. “Tonight, really felt like the Rasmus ball was the only one hit really well, but that’s baseball,” Street said. “I left a couple pitches up. A couple others kind of found holes. Broken bats that found some green grass.” It was the second straight night Street had blown the save, but the third straight game the team had. On Tuesday night, Joe Smith gave up the lead in the eighth. In both of the previous two games, though, the Angels hitters had bounced back to win the games in walk-off fashion. “Obviously there are some adjustments these guys will make as they struggle,” Scioscia said. “Joe has made some. He’s pitched really well the last couple outings. Huston will evaluate what he’s done the last couple days and he’ll start to make adjustments. Those guys are critical to our success. We have a lot of confidence in what they can do. We’re going to hold these leads. We will. This is one that got away.”

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Jered Weaver's early struggles for Angels intensify questions over diminished velocity

By Jeff Fletcher

ANAHEIM – Jered Weaver will take the mound again Friday with the spotlight on him. And the radar gun. Although Weaver’s velocity had been declining for years, he was able to brush off the questions because he continued to have good results. Six starts into the 2015 season, though, Weaver has a 6.29 ERA and he’s still looking for his first victory, a struggle that has forced the questions about his velocity to the forefront. Weaver has acknowledged the issue – saying after his last start that he’s “throwing BP’’ – but insisted that his stuff will come back. For what it’s worth, there has been no lack of support coming from above. “My confidence is very high that Jered is going to be where he needs to be,” Manager Mike Scioscia said Thursday. “Whatever the progression is, the progression is, but he showed it last year. He showed it every year.” Last April, Weaver’s fastball velocity was 86.69 mph, and by September it was 88.11. That increase, although seemingly insignificant, gives the Angels reason to hope that Weaver will improve on his current average of 84.24 mph, the lowest of his career. Pitching coach Mike Butcher said Thursday that the issues aren’t strength or flexibility. “Sometimes it’s just not there,” Butcher said. “Hopefully it bounces back to where he’s in position where he has the stuff to compete with.” Butcher vaguely spoke of some changes Weaver is trying to implement to get back to form. “We’re grinding through some things, obviously,” said Butcher, adding that Weaver had a “great” bullpen session this week. Butcher and Scioscia also both expressed confidence that, even if the velocity doesn’t come back all the way, Weaver can win if he can improve his command. “It’s not all about velo,” Butcher said. “When his command is where he needs it to be, that’s when you’re going to see a guy who gives us a chance to win.”

On deck: Astros at Angels, Friday, 7 p.m.

By Jeff Fletcher

Where: Angel Stadium TV: Fox Sports West, 7 p.m. Did you know: After this weekend, the Angels will have completed home-and-home series against all four AL West rivals. They will not see another divisional opponent until June 12.

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THE PITCHERS RHP JERED WEAVER (0-4, 6.29) Weaver’s six-start winless streak has equaled the longest of his career. He has only two quality starts so far. His last time out, he gave up homers to the first two batters he faced. He was an out away from escaping five innings with only three runs on the board, but he gave up two runs with two outs. A lack of velocity has been one of the primary culprits for Weaver, but his command has also been poor. Current Astros have a combined .218 average against Weaver. Vs. Astros: 3-2, 2.95 At Angel Stadium: 69-29, 2.70 Loves to face: Jonathan Villar, 1 for 10 (.100) Hates to face: None RHP ROBERTO HERNANDEZ (1-2, 4.25) The former Fausto Carmona is pitching for his fourth organization since his true identity was revealed. Last year he had a 4.74 ERA for the Dodgers. He has had three quality starts in his five outings this season. Last time out he gave up five runs in six innings against the Seattle Mariners. He gave up three runs in six innings against the Angels last month in Houston. Vs. Angels: 0-4, 2.47 At Angel Stadium: 0-2, 1.97 Loves to face: Matt Joyce, 2 for 16 (.125) Hates to face: Mike Trout, 4 for 11 (.364)

FROM ANGELS.COM

Baylor solely focused on helping Angels reach Series By Alden Gonzalez ANAHEIM -- Angels hitting coach Don Baylor, seven weeks away from his 66th birthday and 13 months removed from a broken leg, originally signed a two-year contract that will expire at the end of this season. Baylor hasn't decided on his future beyond that -- but he has a very clear goal for this year. "I want to get to the World Series as a coach again," Baylor said. "I care about this team a lot. That left a bad taste in my mouth last year, losing the way we did. I'd like to come back and go further than we did. I think a lot of guys felt the same way. "Mike [Scioscia] has won a world championship here, and I'd like to win one, too."

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As a player, Baylor reached the World Series with three teams in three years, with the Red Sox, Twins and A's, respectively, from 1986-88. He also got there as the Braves' hitting coach in 1999. Baylor has also served as hitting coach for the Brewers (1990-91), Cardinals ('92), Mariners (2005), Rockies (2009-10) and D-backs (2011-13). He was the Rockies' first manager, from 1993-98, then the Cubs' skipper from 2000-02 and the Mets' bench coach the next two seasons. At 65, he is the second-oldest hitting coach in the Majors, behind only 68-year-old Jeff Pentland of the Yankees. On the Angels, Baylor is the head of a staff basically composed of three hitting coaches, alongside assistant Dave Hansen and Paul Sorrento, who began the year as the Minor League hitting coordinator but has been helping the big league staff this season. Sorrento was incorporated when Baylor fractured his right femur catching the ceremonial first pitch from Vladimir Guerrero on Opening Day last year and has stayed on. "It really all comes down to communication," Hansen said. "It won't work without it. It seems to be working out well." Baylor left the D-backs after the 2013 season because he couldn't pass up an opportunity to return to the Angels. He won the American League's Most Valuable Player Award here in 1979, makes his offseason home a couple of hours away from Angel Stadium, in La Quinta, and has always held a special place in his heart for the organization. "I'm going to finish the job that I have right here," Baylor said, "then we'll see." Worth noting • Dino Ebel moved from bench coach to third-base coach on Thursday, filling in for regular third-base coach Gary DiSarcina, who was away from the team to attend a funeral. Ebel was the Angels' third-base coach from 2006-13. • Angels pitching coach Mike Butcher doesn't anticipate any major adjustments from Jered Weaver, who takes the ball on Friday, saying: "I think it's similar to last year, as far as where he started off and where he ended at. He's on that same path right now and I think he's doing a great job. He had a great bullpen, and we're going to go from there.' • Matt Joyce, who entered the four-game series against the Astros with a .148 batting average, returned to the cleanup spot against Astros right-hander Collin McHugh for the first time in 17 days. Scioscia wanted to keep Kole Calhoun in the leadoff spot and wanted a left-handed bat behind Albert Pujols. • Scioscia on Hank Conger, who returned to Angel Stadium as a visitor for the first time: "I don't know if we've seen a catcher who worked as hard as Hank did to get to be where he's a Major League receiver. He worked extremely hard. … We definitely understood the talent he brought. He played well for us. Hank turned himself into a receiver."

Angels get INF Jackson from KC for Butera By Alden Gonzalez ANAHEIM -- The Angels were unable to slip veteran backup catcher Drew Butera through waivers, so on Thursday, they did the next best thing, flipping him to the Royals for Minor League infielder Ryan Jackson. Jackson will report to Triple-A Salt Lake and will add middle-infield depth to an organization that has recently seen three shortstops -- Eric Stamets with Double-A Arkansas, Roberto Baldoquin with Advanced Class A Inland Empire

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and Jake Yacinich with Class A Burlington -- be placed on the disabled list with injuries to their non-throwing shoulders. Butera was designated for assignment on Monday, when the Angels called up the hot-hitting Carlos Perez to share time behind the plate with Chris Iannetta. "We knew this day would come, that eventually we'd hand the reins of that backup position to Carlos," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a phone conversation. "Obviously our hope was that we would be able to maintain Drew in the organization, but he's been a backup catcher in the big leagues for a number of years. As soon as we designated him for assignment, it became fairly clear that he was going to get claimed on waivers, so putting together a trade made the most sense. And we brought back an asset that can really help us, either organizationally or in the big leagues." Jackson, 26, will be out of options if he reaches the big leagues. A fifth-round Draft pick by the Cardinals out of the University of Miami in 2009, Jackson is a career .269/.340/.364 hitter in the Minors who played in 20 Major League games from 2012-13. Dipoto called Jackson an "exceptionally good defender in the middle infield," but he has no plans to replace Major League utility man Taylor Featherston. "We're not in a rush to make a change in the big leagues by any stretch," Dipoto said, "but that next layer of depth is very important. In this particular instance, we felt like Ryan Jackson fit for us."

Angels let Astros steal victory in ninth By Alden Gonzalez ANAHEIM -- Trailing by two in the top of the ninth on Thursday night, the Astros rallied, getting four singles off Angels closer Huston Street before Jose Altuve beat out a potential inning-ending double play on an RBI fielder's choice for a 3-2, come-from-behind win at Angel Stadium. MIke Trout put the Angels on the board with a first-inning homer to straightaway center field -- his second in as many days -- and Kole Calhoun made it a two-run game on an RBI single off fellow lefty Joe Thatcher in the eighth. But the Astros came to life in the ninth against Street, who has blown back-to-back saves for the first time since 2008. "You never draw it up like that going into the game, but great win for us," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We got quality at-bats at the end against their closer, which is hard to do. Those singles add up, especially when you're trying to get back into it. Great night for this team. Collin McHugh threw great and we hung in there until the very end and pulled it out." Colby Rasmus and Chris Carter started the ninth with back-to-back singles. Two batters later, Jake Marisnick hit an RBI single to left and Preston Tucker -- making his Major League debut -- followed with an RBI single to right to make it 2-2. After Jonathan Villar walked, Altuve hit a slow roller for a forceout at second, but he beat the turn by shortstop Erick Aybar to give the Astros their first lead. Luke Gregerson picked up his seventh save in the bottom half, snapping the Astros' three-game losing streak to put them at 19-10. The Angels moved to 13-16. "We had the lead at the end and didn't hold it," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That stings a little bit. We know what we need to do to get there. We're confident we'll get there."

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MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Tucker's first hit a big one: After going hitless and drawing a walk in his first three plate appearances in his first game in the Major Leagues, Tucker came through in a big way with a game-tying single in the ninth. The outfielder was called up to replace George Springer, who is out with a concussion. "It was pretty exciting, especially when we're out there trying to win a ballgame," Tucker said. "I was trying to be aggressive and put the barrel on the ball. I think we did a good job of coming back at the end and shutting them down." Wrong place, wrong time: WIth one out in the eighth and the Angels leading, 2-0, Chris Iannetta didn't tag up on a deep fly ball to center field by Trout, then got hit in the leg by a line drive by Albert Pujols. The ball could've gone through the infield to extend the Angels' lead to 3-0, but instead it ended the inning. "I just couldn't get out of the way," Iannetta said. "I did whatever I could. I was in mid-stride and I just tried to move my foot over and leg over and I couldn't get over it." Astros keep McStreaking: McHugh pitched another gem by holding the Angels to two runs on five hits while striking out seven batters in 7 1/3 innings. He was on the hook to suffer his first loss since August before the Astros rallied for their 11th consecutive win in a game McHugh has started. "We did a pretty good job of being as efficient as we could be," McHugh said. "You like to be able to finish out that inning [in the eighth] and not worry about it, not give up one more. But they put a couple of swings on it and that's what happens. Overall, we had a good game plan and executed it pretty well for the most part." More > Santiago dominates: Hector Santiago gave up just one hit while walking three batters unintentionally (four total) and striking out five to put his ERA at 2.57. The Astros put only three runners in scoring position against him, two of them because of balks. Santiago and fellow lefty starter C.J. Wilson, who pitched seven innings of two-run ball on Thursday, have a combined 2.64 ERA this season. "I think the soft contact is something that has given me more confidence," Santiago said. "Even when they hit the ball, it's not getting laced somewhere in the gap, it's not getting drilled over the wall. It means I've got good stuff and it's working in the zone." WEIRD HAPPENINGS Santiago balked runners into scoring position in the third and fourth innings, becoming the first Angels pitcher with two balks in a game since Scott Sanderson in 1996. But he got through each inning unscathed. In the fourth, Pujols hit a one-out single and either misjudged a Matt Joyce flare into shallow center fielder or forgot how many outs there were. Marisnick made the catch, ran all the way to first and stepped on the bag, ending the inning with an unassisted double play by a center fielder. "He thought it was a hit," Scioscia said. "It looked like it was going to fall in there, but it held up enough for him to catch it." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Pujols' batting average is only .250, but the Angels' first baseman has a 10-game hitting streak, his longest since April 2014. During the stretch, Pujols is batting .412 (14-for-34). WHAT'S NEXT

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Astros: Roberto Hernandez has been up and down for the Astros in his five starts this season and is coming off a game in which he gave up five runs (four earned) in six innings. He'll try to right the ship when he takes the mound for Friday's 9:05 p.m. CT game against the Angels at Angel Stadium. Angels: Jered Weaver takes the ball at 7:05 PT for the second game of a four-game series, hopeful of finally getting back on track. The Angels' longtime Opening Day starter is 0-4 with a 6.29 ERA in his first six starts, a 34 1/3-inning stretch that has seen him give up 45 hits and strike out just 15 batters. He has a 2.95 ERA in six career starts against the Astros.

Iannetta's misstep, Street's rough inning loom large By Alden Gonzalez ANAHEIM -- Angel Stadium fell silent as the eighth inning came to an end late Thursday night. All you could hear was the sound of Albert Pujols furiously slamming his helmet and bat midway down the first-base line, just as his potential RBI single clipped Chris Iannetta in the leg for an out and prevented the Angels from extending their 2-0 lead. One inning later, Huston Street had allowed three Astros runs, the Angels had suffered a 3-2 loss and Iannetta -- already exasperated by a batting average that sits at .091 -- had to answer for the line drive he couldn't dodge. "It just felt like it was following me," Iannetta said. "I thought it was going to get by me, and then it was right at me." Street, meanwhile, has blown two straight saves for the first time since 2008. Four Astros singles -- by Colby Rasmus, Chris Carter, Jake Marisnick and Preston Tucker -- tied the game, but none were hit particularly hard. Jose Altuve plated the winning run, but it came on a grounder that rolled too slowly for the Angels to turn an inning-ending double play. Iannetta summed up Street's outing in three words: "Three broken bats." "Look at how the ball was coming off the bat tonight," said Street, who converted his first nine save chances but now has an ERA of 3.86. "They weren't doubles flying to the gaps. There were three broken-bat hits," he said. "You take that and think, 'Did I make bad pitches?' I didn't make any really bad pitches, just left a few up. Sometimes you make good enough pitches to get guys out and they take good swings. I have to trust my stuff and keep going out there, because I feel like if I throw the ball like I did tonight, more often than not, I'll get good results. It just didn't happen tonight." The Angels wasted another solid start by Hector Santiago -- no runs, one hit, 19 outs -- and failed to win a third straight game largely because their scuffling offense continues to leave very little margin for error. They entered the opener of a four-game series ranked 27th in the Majors in OPS, then got only a Mike Trout homer through the first seven innings. Johnny Giavotella led off the eighth with a double, moved to third on a Collin Cowgill sacrifice bunt, watched Iannetta draw a full-count walk and scored on Kole Calhoun's RBI single, giving the Angels a 2-0 lead. Trout followed with a fly ball to deep center field -- deep enough for Iannetta to tag, which meant he would've been on third to score on a Pujols liner that would've scorched up the middle. But he wasn't sure Marisnick would catch it. "I didn't know if it was going to go over his head," Iannetta said. "No outs, I'm tagging no matter what. One out, I'm going halfway. I just played that one by the book. Where it ended up, I could've tagged. I would've had enough room. But off the bat, when he was just drifting, I couldn't tell where it was going to be."

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Santiago, Wilson providing Angels with stability By Alden Gonzalez ANAHEIM -- The Angels are still three games below .500, their offense is having a hard time scoring runs and their longtime ace, Jered Weaver, is off to the worst start in his distinguished career. But here's a positive: C.J. Wilson and Hector Santiago, two historically erratic left-handers, are pitching very well. Wilson pitched seven innings of two-run ball against the Mariners on Wednesday and Santiago shut the Astros out through 6 1/3 innings on Thursday. After six turns through the rotation, the two have combined for a 2.64 ERA, giving up 22 runs on 59 hits and 25 unintentional walks in 76 innings, a stretch that has seen them strike out 58 batters. They have seven quality starts in 12 outings. "I think Hector is pitching with probably more confidence than he's ever pitched with in his career," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after the Angels' 3-2 loss on Thursday night. "C.J. is healthy and feels good and is making pitches." Coming off his worst year as a Major League starting pitcher -- with a 4.51 ERA and 85 walks in 175 2/3 innings -- Wilson has a 2.70 ERA and has walked 2.3 batters per nine innings, on pace for easily the lowest rate of his career. He had fluid drained from his elbow after an April 25 outing against the Rangers, then gave up four runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 14 innings over his next two starts, walking one and striking out nine. "I started off pretty well last year, too," Wilson said. "It's just a matter of not taking any line drives to the head [like he did in Spring Training last year] and not breaking my ankle on any comebackers [he sprained his right ankle on July 10] and I should be OK. It's a long season, so you can't ever really put yourself in cruise control mode." Santiago cruised against the Astros in the opener of a four-game series, somehow committing more balks (two) than he gave up hits (one). He issued three unintentional walks and needed 101 pitches to get through six innings, but struck out the only batter he faced in the seventh and now has a 2.57 ERA. With Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano a phone call away in Triple-A Salt Lake, Santiago -- a potential asset out of the bullpen -- seemingly needed to pitch well to keep his rotation spot. So far, he's responded. "The last two or three times out have been very good for me," Santiago said. "I think the soft contact is something that has given me more confidence. Even when they hit the ball, it's not getting laced somewhere in the gap, it's not getting drilled over the wall. It means I've got good stuff and it's working in the zone."

Weaver seeks first win as Angels face Astros By Brian McTaggart Angels right-hander Jered Weaver takes the mound Friday against Roberto Hernandez and the Astros at Angel Stadium, looking for his first win of the season. Weaver is winless through the first six starts of a season for the first time in his career, and his velocity is down a tad. Weaver (0-4, 6.29 ERA) could be running into the Astros at a good time, as he's 3-2 with a 2.95 ERA in six career games against them, including an April 17 start in Houston in which he allowed two earned runs in six innings. Hernandez (1-2, 4.25) allowed five runs (four earned) in six innings Sunday against the Mariners, but didn't get a decision. Things to know about this game:

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• The Astros entered this series having won 10 of their first 12 games away from Minute Maid Park this season. The Astros were 32-49 on the road last year, 2-8 in Anaheim. • With Chris Iannetta staring Thursday's series opener, there's a chance rookie catcher Carlos Perez could get the start against his former organization on Friday. He was called up Monday, because he was hitting well at Triple-A and the Angels were desperate for offense from a catcher, and he hit a walk-off homer in his Major League debut on Tuesday. • Angels outfielder Mike Trout, who went deep in his first at-bat on Thursday, has five homers, two doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs in his last five games against the Astros.

FROM THE LA DAILY NEWS

Angels trade Butera instead of losing him to waiver process By Clay Fowler ANAHEIM >> The Angels reluctantly traded Drew Butera on Thursday when it became apparent they couldn’t slip the veteran catcher unclaimed through the waivers process. Instead of letting Butera go for nothing after he was designated for assignment on Monday to make room on the roster for Carlos Perez, the Angels traded him to the Kansas City Royals for minor-league infielder Ryan Jackson. A fifth-round pick out of the University of Miami in 2009, Jackson has played in 20 major league games and hit .269 over six minor league seasons with five different organizations. Losing Butera in order to call up Perez, who hit a walk-off home run on Tuesday in his major league debut, was a risk that seemed to make sense for the Angels. Perez was hitting .361 in Triple-A this season. Angels starting catcher Chris Iannetta’s batting average was .094 entering Thursday. Jackson, 26, serves an immediate need for organizational depth, considering left shoulder injuries have landed three shortstops on the disabled list, Eric Stamets with Double-A Arkansas, Roberto Baldoquin with Class-A Inland Empire and Jake Yacinich with Class-A Burlington. This season Jackson hit .309 with three doubles, a home run and two RBIs for Triple-A Omaha. He hit .083 in his 20 major league appearances with the Cardinals from 2012 through 2013. Butera will be a free agent at the end of this season, likely another factor in the Angels’ trade. He hit .190 in 10 games with the Angels, to whom he was traded in the offseason after spending two years with the Dodgers. CONGER NOT LOOKING BACK Another former Angels catcher who was essentially replaced by Perez was at Angel Stadium on Thursday night for the series opener against the Astros. Hank Conger, who the Angels traded to Houston in November for Perez and pitcher Nick Tropeano, is now the backup to Jason Castro. The Angels’ 2006 first-round pick totalled 464 at-bats his last two seasons in Anaheim, and Conger likely would have received plenty more opportunities this season given Iannetta’s offensive struggles. Conger said he took notice when Perez punctuated his major league debut with a walk-off home run Tuesday, but doesn’t spend time thinking about scenarios had he remained with the Angels.

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“You know who you’re traded for, so you see the name pop up,” Conger said. “You can’t take back what’s happened. If you do that, you’ll drive yourself nuts. You start playing the would’ve, could’ve game ... (Angels manager Mike) Scioscia gave me every opportunity to play when I was there, but I’m here now. I’m happy with my situation and I’m trying to fit the role.” Scioscia, a two-time All-Star catcher during his playing career with the Dodgers, paid Conger a high compliment on Thursday. “I don’t know if we’ve seen a catcher that worked as hard as Hank did,” Scioscia said, “to get to be where he’s a major league receiver.” NOTABLE None of the five teams in the American League West have a winning record at home. ... In the trio of games preceding Thursday, three consecutive Angels starting pitchers lasted at least seven innings for the first time since May of last year. ... Houston entered Thursday with 33 stolen bases, the most in baseball, while only six teams had fewer than the Angels’ 10.

Huston Street blows another save as Angels lose 3-2 to Astros By Clay Fowler ANAHEIM >> Blown leads aren’t typically paired with Gatorade showers. After erasing bullpen mistakes with walk-off wins on consecutive nights, the Angels’ third such attempt ended with a rain shower and some disappointment. Reliable closer Huston Street blew his second save in as many nights, allowing three runs to the Houston Astros in the ninth inning of Thursday’s 3-2 loss in the opener of the four-game series with the first-place team in the American League West. Tuesday night, Angels catcher Carlos Perez hit a walk-off home run in his major league debut to counter reliever Joe Smith’s worst outing of the season. Wednesday night, Johnny Giavotella’s walk-off double negated the game-tying run Street allowed to Seattle. On Thursday, five of the first six Astros reached base in the ninth inning, scoring their only three runs of the game off Street. The closer, however, said he isn’t alarmed despite his first back-to-back blown saves in nearly seven years. “I thought (Wednesday), other than the blown save, was one of the best the ball has come out of my hand,” Street said. “You look at how the ball was coming off the bat (Thursday) and it wasn’t like there were doubles flying into the gaps. I think there was three broken-bat hits.” The Angels entered Thursday’s ninth inning with a 2-0 lead, thanks to a Mike Trout home run and what appeared to be a Kole Calhoun insurance RBI single in the eighth inning. The Astros’ Colby Rasmus began the ninth-inning rally with a single that Street said was the only one of his 23 pitches that was hit well. Four batters later, Preston Tucker, making his major league debut, tied the game with his first major league hit. Jose Altuve then beat out a double-play ground ball to push the game-winning run across the plate.

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“There’s nothing wrong with (Street),” Angels catcher Chris Iannetta said. “Everybody was out in front and breaking bats and flailing at balls. It’s not like they were squaring them up. He’s going to go out and do that exact same thing and he’s going to get the save or the win the next time out.” Until the bottom of the ninth inning, it appeared Trout’s second home run in as many nights would be enough for a win. Angels starter Hector Santiago allowed no runs on one hit and four walks in 6 ⅓ innings, bouncing back nicely from his worst start of the young season. Altuve slapped the second pitch of the game through the left side of the infield, but a prompt double play erased the only hit Santiago would allow all game. Since infamously going 0-7 with a 4.50 ERA last season to begin his Angels tenure, Santiago entered Thursday 8-4 in his last 18 starts, during which he has a 3.12 ERA. Astros starter Collin McHugh gave up the home run to Trout on his seventh pitch of the game, but didn’t run into trouble again until the eighth inning, when he allowed a double to Giavotella, who eventually scored on Calhoun’s single. McHugh avoided his first loss of the season, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. There were a couple of exceptional defensive plays behind him, though the unassisted double play in the fourth inning can mostly be credited to Albert Pujols. Pujols bolted for second base and inexplicably never turned around on Matt Joyce’s pop-up to shallow center field, allowing Marisnick to catch it and casually step on first to complete the double play on his way into the dugout. Three Astros relievers combined to pitch a scoreless 1 1/3 innings to close out the game. The Angels’ two most reliable relief pitchers have combined to allow seven runs by themselves the last three games alone. “Those guys are critical to our success and we have a lot of confidence in what they can do,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Street and Smith. “We’re going to hold these leads. We will as the season goes along, just this is one that got away.”

FROM FOX SPORTS WEST

Astros catcher Hank Conger returns to Angel Stadium for first time since trade By Rashaun Haylock Hank Conger is doing things in Houston he never did during his time with the Angels -- like playing left field. The Astros were short on bodies during Wednesday's 11-3 loss to the Rangers. Outfielder George Springer was unavailable after running into a wall Tuesday while making a catch. It wasn't announced that he was going on the 7-day concussion DL until Wednesday's game was already in progress, leaving the Astros with just two position players on the bench. Conger came in to pinch hit in the seventh inning and stayed in the game in left field for the final two innings. It was his first time playing in the outfield as a professional.

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"It was nervous but it was fun," said Conger who didn't have any balls hit in his direction. "I played a lot of positions when I was younger but to actually play in the big league level with all of the lights, kind of, hitting you and you're actually looking into the field instead of the catcher's view looking out, it was a little nerve wrecking." Angels manager Mike Scioscia never placed Conger in the outfield, but he isn't surprised by his former catcher's ability to play a variety of positions. "He probably loved that," Scioscia said. "He was always telling me he could play third or first." Those were Conger's only two innings in the outfield. The rest of the time with his new team has been spent in his usual position, behind the plate. It shouldn't be expected Conger will be making any more cameos in the outfield when he and the first place Astros take on the Angels in a four-game series that starts Thursday at Angel Stadium. It's a homecoming for Conger, who played at Huntington Beach High School and was a first-round draft pick of the Angels in 2006. Until this season, the Angels were the only organization for which he'd ever played. Conger was traded to the Astros during the offseason for pitcher Nick Tropeano and catcher Carlos Perez, who made his major league debut earlier this week. When Conger walked into Angel Stadium on Thursday afternoon, it had a different feel. "It's exciting," Conger said of his return. "Good memories, great last season. I went outside and sat in the first base dugout. It was definitely a little different seeing that perspective."

Street blows 2nd straight save as Angels fall to Astros By Rashaun Haylock It's still early. No need to panic. That was the message earlier in the week from members of the Los Angeles Angels as it relates to the bullpen's late-game struggles. Insurance runs don't get you what they used to. The Angels added one in the bottom of the 8th to take a 2-0 lead against Houston on Thursday night. The ninth, however didn't go according to plan. For the second consecutive night, closer Huston Street blew a save. Unlike the night before, there was no walk-off magic as the Angels fell to the first place Astros, 3-2. Is it time to panic now? "There's not going to be any panic," Angels skipper Mike Scioscia said. "Obviously there's some adjustments. He'll get it right. This guy's stuff is still good. He's one of the best closers in baseball and he'll be there for us." Street allowed a leadoff single to Colby Rasmus that Kole Calhoun nearly caught for an out. The Angels' right fielder moved forward to dive for the ball and get his glove on it but was unable to squeeze it. The Angels' closer proceeded to allow four of the next five Houston batters to reach base. He faced a total of seven Astros' hitters in the bottom of the ninth before he was pulled from the game after giving up the lead. Despite the lack of success, he doesn't believe he threw the ball poorly. "You say 'Am I making bad pitches?' " Street said. "I didn't make any real, bad pitches tonight. I just left a couple of pitches up and that's baseball. "I just got to trust my stuff and keep going back out there because I feel like if I throw the ball like I did tonight, more times than not, you'll get good results. It just didn't happen tonight like that."

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Street was tagged with the loss after lasting 0.2 innings, giving up four hits and three earned runs. He also walked one. For Street, it was the first time in seven years he's recorded back-to-back blown saves. Thursday's blown save spoiled what was another impressive outing from starter Hector Santiago, who only gave up one hit in 6.1 innings. He struck out five and walked four -- one was intentional -- and was called for two balks. It's once again time to discuss silver linings and, for Thursday at least, Santiago was that. "I think Hector's pitching with, probably, more confidence than he's ever pitched with in his career and that's good to see," Scioscia said. "When he needed a pitch, he made it."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Angels coach Ebel gets players' attention with a whistle OAKLAND, Calif. — In a piercing staccato, Dino Ebel's whistle can penetrate through the noise from tens of thousands of rowdy baseball fans. And it can trigger a defensive alignment shift in one quick adjustment. More than anything, the Angels bench coach's method gets his players' eyes on him in a hurry when necessary. The longtime Los Angeles coach whistles while he works — how appropriate for a team that plays its home games within a 10-minute drive from Disneyland — and has done so dating to his days managing in the minor leagues. His signature, split-second chirp is all it takes to get a wayward outfielder's attention if by some chance the player has not looked toward the dugout for instructions between batters or, in some cases, even between pitches. "He's got a loud whistle. It's better than me trying to say, 'Yo!'" manager Mike Scioscia said this spring, chuckling at the thought. "There's no doubt you want to get the attention of your players. Our guys from the time they come to our organization are pretty well trained to look in the dugout when a new hitter comes up to see where they are." In an age when defensive shifting has become almost the norm as clubs seek even the slightest advantage, every move matters — and every toot, too. Whistling isn't the first-choice method for Ebel when it comes to communicating with his players from the top of the dugout alongside Scioscia. Alfredo Griffin manages the infielders' movements while Ebel does the same for the outfielders. "The last thing I want to do is whistle," Ebel said. But a loud trill comes in handy. "If they're looking in at me and we say we're going to do this, this, this, I'll do a hand sign," he explained. "But if we somehow, some reason (don't get eye contact), the game flow, loud crowd, whatever's going on ... big whistle. They just hear the whistle. For some reason my whistle, they hear it." Baseball Info Solutions, a high-tech company founded in 2002, provided data to 21 of the 30 major league clubs last year to help teams determine how to align defenses against certain hitters based on spray charts and tendencies. Ebel and the Angels rely on all of that, but still add their old-school touch. For all of the high-tech programming, slugging first baseman Albert Pujols and the Angels sometimes execute the final part of their shift strategy in a bygone manner: with signals and whistling.

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Jeremy Zoll, the team's coordinator of advance scouting, examines the data on hitters and consults with player information coach Rico Brogna, a big league catcher from 1992-01. They forward the information to Griffin, Los Angeles' first base coach, and Ebel. "Every pitch our guys look in," Ebel said. When they don't remember, Ebel makes it happen. "They hear the whistle, and they look in and it's just a quick hands," said Ebel, who demonstrates his snappy, distinct sound. "Whistle, boom, come here, go here. Most of the time, pitch, pitch, they look at me, everything's good. Pitch, pitch, look at Griff, everything's good. Maybe a certain count we're going to move, somebody's not looking (he whistles). They look, boom, boom, boom ... boom, boom, boom ... boom, boom, boom. ... I don't think the fans will hear." Ebel joined the Angels in 2005 following 17 seasons with Dodgers as minor league player, coach and manager. He is 531-496 in eight-plus seasons as a manager, so his whistling has done him well. The 49-year-old Ebel, a former infielder who played as high as the Triple-A level, has developed his unique coaching techniques along the way so that even the veteran stars appreciate his approach. Often, the players already know what to expect based on pregame planning and scouting sessions. "He wants to put us in the right position," Pujols said. "If we are close enough where we're at first base or if he's even standing in the dugout, that's how he gets our attention."

Astros rally with 3 runs in 9th to beat Angels 3-2 ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Houston Astros came into town with a five-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West, and a chance to put some more separation between themselves and the defending division champs in this four-game series. The Astros trailed by two runs in the ninth inning against Angels closer Huston Street, but rallied to pull out a 3-2 victory on Thursday night. And in the middle of it all was Preston Tucker, a 24-year-old outfielder who punctuated his big league debut with a tying RBI single for his first hit after his contract was selected from Triple-A Fresno earlier in the day. "It's pretty exciting, especially when we're out there trying to win a ballgame," said Tucker, who was leading the minor leagues with 10 homers and 32 RBIs. For the second straight night, Street (2-1) blew a lead in the ninth after converting his first nine save opportunities of the season. The right-hander, trying to protect a 2-0 lead for Hector Santiago, allowed consecutive RBI singles by Jake Marisnick and Tucker. "I wasn't trying to think about the situation. I was just trying to be aggressive and put the barrel on the ball," Tucker said. "I was just trying to have a good approach. ... I was looking for a fastball, but I got a changeup. I was out in front of it, but I got enough on it to get it through the hole and it worked out in my favor." After a walk to No. 9 hitter Jonathan Villar loaded the bases, Jose Altuve beat the relay from shortstop Erick Aybar on a potential inning-ending double-play grounder to second base as Marisnick scored the go-ahead run. "It's only two nights, so it's super easy to put it behind me," Street said. "I mean, I don't get excited when I save 20 in a row -- which I've done a number of times -- and I don't get frustrated if I blow two in a row, which I haven't done very often."

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Pat Neshek (3-0) pitched two-thirds of an inning and Luke Gregerson got the last three outs for his seventh save in eight chances. Santiago allowed one hit over 6 1/3 innings, struck out five and walked four. Altuve, the reigning AL batting champ, opened the game with a single to left field -- but the Astros did not get another hit until Villar led off the eighth with a single against Joe Smith. "Hector absolutely deserved to get that win, and that's where you feel the most frustrated," Street said. "I told him: `Hey, I'm sorry, man." The defending AL West champion Angels, coming off consecutive walkoff wins against the Seattle Mariners, got a first-inning home run from Mike Trout and an eighth-inning RBI single from Kole Calhoun. Santiago was charged with balks in the third and fourth innings, but escaped each jam unscathed. Prior to this outing, he had committed three balks in 380 2/3 innings in the big leagues. Collin McHugh was charged with two runs and five hits in 7 1/3 innings, but his string of 11 consecutive winning decisions remained intact. McHugh got all seven of his strikeouts through the first six innings, and his 71 pitches were still 30 fewer than Santiago had to that point. Santiago faced one more batter, striking out Jason Castro to open the seventh, and Smith stranded the potential tying run at third base in the eighth by striking out Evan Gattis. The Angels' inning in the eighth ended -- just as last Saturday's loss at San Francisco did -- when Albert Pujols' hard-hit ball struck Chris Iannetta between second and third base. Pujols was credited with a single. Marisnick, the Astros' center fielder, had a rare unassisted double play to end the bottom of the fourth inning after Pujols singled and lost track of the outs. He was almost at third base on a shallow flyball by Matt Joyce when Marisnick raced in to catch the ball and continued all the way to first instead of throwing it to Chris Carter. "I saw him rounding the base, so I just kept jogging in and figured I might as well just touch first base and eliminate the possibility of throwing it away," Marisnick said. Altuve, a two-time All-Star second baseman, started a slick inning-ending double play in the Angels' fifth when he went behind the bag to glove Giavotella's grounder and made a backhanded flip to Villar in the same motion. COMINGS AND GOINGS Astros: Tucker got his opportunity after OF George Springer went on the seven-day concussion DL in Wednesday. Tucker started in left field and was 1 for 3 with a walk. Angels: Acquired INF Ryan Jackson from Kansas City in a trade that sent backup C Drew Butera to the defending AL champion Royals. UP NEXT Astros: RHP Roberto Hernandez (1-2) is 0-4 with a 2.47 ERA lifetime against the Angels. Angels: RHP Jered Weaver is 0-4 with a 6.29 ERA in six starts -- including a six-inning no-decision at Houston on April 17 -- this season.

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Astros-Angels Preview Jered Weaver's recent struggles have been largely attributed to a drop in the speed of his fastball, but the Los Angeles Angels right-hander didn't appear to have too many issues against the Houston Astros last month. After the Angels blew their chance to take the series opener, Weaver will try to help his club bounce back with another strong outing against Houston on Friday night. Weaver has reportedly been throwing his primary pitch around 84.2 miles per hour, about five mph slower than his career average and three mph slower than in 2014. That seems to be a contributing factor in him going winless in his first six starts for the first time and likely played a part in Sunday's 5-0 loss in San Francisco. Weaver (0-4, 6.29 ERA) gave up five runs and 10 hits in five innings, and has posted an 8.25 ERA in his last two outings. He was 131-69 with a 3.28 ERA in his first nine seasons. "It's just like every other sport," Weaver told MLB's official website. "The older you get, your body changes with what's going on. As good as I do feel, something's just not clicking. "I've never felt this good before, as far as strength and everything, and I've never gone through a struggle like this. That's why baseball is baseball. It's a humbling game. It's just a matter of what you're going to do to figure it back out." Weaver gave up two runs in six innings April 17 in Houston but couldn't benefit from a 6-3 win. He's 2-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last four matchups and has gone 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in two at home, both last season. The Astros (19-10) are batting .161 with eight runs in their last four games but snapped a three-game skid with a 3-2 win Thursday in Anaheim. Houston did all its scoring off Angels closer Huston Street in the ninth in his second straight blown save after converting his first nine attempts. "You never draw it up like that going into the game, but it was a great win for us," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We got quality at-bats at the end against their closer, which is hard to do." Roberto Hernandez (1-2, 4.25) will try to lead his team to another win with another solid effort against the Angels (13-16). While pitching opposite Weaver last month, he gave up three runs and three hits in six innings before leaving without a decision. He's 0-4 with a 2.83 ERA in 10 starts against Los Angeles. The only other AL club he's never beaten is Cleveland, and he's never faced his former team. Hernandez was working on a solid showing in Sunday's 7-6 win against Seattle, giving up two runs in his first six innings. The Mariners, though, scored four times in the seventh with the right-hander getting charged with three runs after leaving with no outs. Mike Trout, who has homered in consecutive games, is 4 for 11 with three home runs against Hernandez. That's tied for his second-most home runs versus any pitcher, trailing only his four against Texas' Yu Darvish.

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FROM THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

Salt Lake Bees: Cam Bedrosian back to pitching like a top prospect By Steve Luhm Salt Lake Bees pitcher Cam Bedrosian doesn't remember his first taste of baseball. Of course, he was only a few days old. Bedrosian was born on Oct. 2, 1991, three weeks before his father won a World Series with Minnesota. According to family history, former Cy Young Award winner Steve Bedrosian took his infant son to the ballpark during the scintillating seven-game series with Atlanta and introduced him to his teammates. "I've been told they passed me around the locker room," Cam Bedrosian said. "Kirby Puckett held me, so that's cool." These days, Bedrosian continues to pursue his big-league dream. He's back in Triple-A after two call-ups by the Los Angeles Angels — one last season and one in April. "It's OK," he said. "I understand. I'm young, and there's a business side to it. So I'm here — trying to stay sharp and ready for the call the next time it comes." If Bedrosian keeps pitching like he has for the Bees, he won't be around long. In 12 1⁄3 innings, he's allowed 12 hits with 16 strikeouts and two walks. It's the kind of performance the Angels hoped to see when they selected him out of East Coweta (Ga.) High School in the first round of the 2010 draft. Bedrosian had signed to attend LSU, but the Angels offered a $1.1 million bonus. "I'd always wanted to play pro baseball," he said, "so I knew what to do." Bedrosian began his career with the Angels' entry in the Arizona League but, five games into the season, he felt soreness in his elbow. "I was still pitching fine," he said. "The velocity and everything were OK. It just hurt a little bit when I threw." Bedrosian went through injury rehab, which included a platelet-rich plasma injection to stimulate healing: "They take blood out, spin it and put it back in to help the ligament." Bedrosian reported for spring training in 2011 but, in the last exhibition game, he was seriously injured. Tommy John surgery followed, and he was sidelined for a year. Rehab, he said, was "a long, hard process. I just tried to take it day to day. That's all I could do." Bedrosian credits Carmine Giardina, a fellow member of the Angels' 2010 draft class, with helping him through the recovery process. "I was lucky enough to have a buddy," he said. "We had [surgery] about the same time and were in it together. He helped me a lot." Bedrosian returned in 2012. But his season with Class-A Cedar Rapids was a 3-11 disaster. In 21 starts, he had more walks (52) than strikeouts (48).