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Clips

(May 12, 2016)

May 12, 2016 Page 2 of 37

Today’s Clips Contents

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Angels acquire starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin from Atlanta for a minor

leaguer

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker continues to struggle

FROM THE OC REGISTER (Page 6)

Angels acquire Braves right-hander Jhoulys Chacin

Matt Shoemaker struggles in return to rotation as Cardinals hand Angels

their fifth straight loss

Angels manager Mike Scioscia says Albert Pujols will remain in cleanup

spot

Miller: Angels confident in Albert Pujols, regardless of the numbers

Angels aim to bring back Ji-Man Choi after designating him for assignment

FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 19) Pujols frustrated with hits hard to find

Angels can't contain Cards in 4th straight loss

Angels acquire righty Chacin from Braves

Trout, Angels laugh off talk of trade

Weaver matches up with Wainwright in finale

Halos stay positive as injuries, losses pile up

FROM THE ASSSOCIATED PRESS (Page 35)

Garcia shines as Cardinals beat Angels, 5-2

May 12, 2016 Page 3 of 37

FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Angels acquire starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin from Atlanta for a minor leaguer

Geovany Soto parked himself in front of his locker Wednesday afternoon and began to sing.

"Don't worry," the Angels catcher crooned, "about a thing."

He let himself get louder and louder, and, after a few refrains, he motioned over an Angel

Stadium clubhouse attendant and asked if he could play the song loud enough for everyone to

hear. Soon, they found a phone that had the Spotify app installed, cued up "Three Little Birds,"

and plugged it into speakers.

Bob Marley's voice radiated throughout the room: "'Cause every little thing is gonna be all

right."

Heads began to bob. Soto continued to sing. Mike Trout asked to put it on repeat. It already

was programmed to do so, Soto told him.

"I want to play it over and over," Soto said.

For the Angels, there is much to worry about. They have started slowly and been beset by

injuries to their struggling starting rotation. Earlier Wednesday, they turned to an unlikely

source to buttress the staff, trading a rookie-league nonprospect to lowly Atlanta in exchange

for right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who will start Saturday in Seattle.

Not long ago, Chacin was Colorado's ace. But the Rockies designated him for assignment during

2015 spring training to avoid paying his full arbitration salary, and this will be his fifth

organization since.

He's 28 now. At 22, Chacin starred for Colorado and posted a 3.28 earned-run average,

improbable considering half his starts came at Coors Field. He had a 3.60 ERA over the next

three seasons, and then suffered through a variety of shoulder ailments and quickly lost nearly

3 mph off his fastball. So began his spiral through the fringes of Major League Baseball.

The Venezuela native went from Colorado to Arizona to Cleveland to Atlanta and, now, to

Anaheim. With Cleveland's triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, he was coached by current

Angels pitching coach Charles Nagy, who was then the Indians' special assistant to player

development.

May 12, 2016 Page 4 of 37

Chacin made four major league starts for Arizona last season, at a 3.38 ERA, and five starts for

Atlanta this year, at a 5.40 ERA. His 27-8 strikeout-walk ratio this year portends a better mark.

In a limited sample, he has regained about half of the lost velocity.

He has always relied heavily on a sinker to get ground balls.

"He's an experienced guy that has, I think, gotten his stuff back to where he can pitch well in

the big leagues," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll give him his chance. Hopefully, he's

going to give us what we need to fill out our rotation."

Chacin will complete a rotation currently composed of left-hander Hector Santiago and right-

handers Matt Shoemaker, Nick Tropeano, and Jered Weaver. Only once this month has an

Angels starter finished six innings in a start. Because of that and the corresponding stress

placed upon their relievers, the Angels will carry an unorthodox nine-man bullpen before

Chacin becomes part of the team.

"Until we really get our rotation settled, until we get these guys into their game and they pitch

effectively until a certain point in the game, we're gonna have to carry that extra pitcher right

now," Scioscia said.

The Angels sent 23-year-old left-hander Adam McCreery to Atlanta for Chacin. A 2014 draftee

out of Azusa Pacific, McCreery has never pitched above rookie-league ball in two professional

seasons and is not considered a prospect.

Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker continues to struggle

Pedro Moura

The Angels sent Matt Shoemaker down to triple A 10 days ago after he struggled for the

second consecutive start. What he needed to fix to have success in the majors was not

complicated, they insisted, but he needed to do it before he pitched here again.

He needed to locate his fastball down in the zone and use it to set up his remaining offerings,

particularly his once-great splitter.

"It's in him," Manager Mike Scioscia said Wednesday afternoon, as the Angels turned to him to

fix their plagued pitching rotation.

It was not on Wednesday night, when Shoemaker finished only four innings, yielding seven hits

and four runs and taking his fifth loss of 2016 in the Angels' 5-2 defeat to St. Louis. It was an

May 12, 2016 Page 5 of 37

improvement on his last start, in which he lasted only 21/3 innings, but not by much: He struck

out only one of the 20 men he faced.

He worked his way through Wednesday's first inning easily. But, in the second, he walked the

first hitter he faced, and yielded singles to the second, third, fourth and fifth — scoring two

runs. The sixth and seventh batters of the inning each notched sacrifice flies — scoring two

more.

"It happened quick," Scioscia said. "He settled down after that. He definitely showed that his

stuff was there, but he couldn't combine it like he usually can."

The runs held up. Facing left-hander Jaime Garcia, the Angels were hitless until the fourth

inning, when C.J. Cron launched a two-run home run after Albert Pujols reached base on an

error. Kole Calhoun notched their second hit, a single, in the sixth inning, and Pujols had their

third in the seventh, another single. Geovany Soto followed with a double to push Pujols to

third, but the Angels could not convert the scoring chance. Scioscia said Johnny Giavotella and

Shane Robinson expanded their strike zones in the key situation.

They went down without a hit in the eighth and ninth innings, but worked two walks to bring up

Giavotella again as the tying run with two outs in the ninth. He lined out against Cardinals

closer Trevor Rosenthal.

But, Scioscia said, the source of the loss was not the offense, but again poor starting pitching.

"That's the only way we're going to get this thing rolling in the right direction, controlling that

part of the game," he said.

The loss dropped the Angels to 13-20 this season. Their .394 winning percentage is the third-

worst in baseball, in front of only Atlanta and Minnesota. Their five-game losing streak is the

team's longest since a six-game streak July 28-Aug. 2, 2015.

Short hops

To make room for Shoemaker, the Angels designated first baseman Ji-Man Choi for assignment.

Choi, who had one hit in 24 plate appearances as an Angel, will go through the waiver process.

If he clears, Baltimore can accept him back. If the Orioles turn that down, he can return to the

Angels organization, likely in triple A. Scioscia said the team would want him to bat more often

if retained. … Closer Huston Street played catch again. He has an oblique strain. … Outfielder

Craig Gentry, now eligible to return from his stint on the 15-day disabled list for a lumbar

strain, resumed baseball activities. He remains at least several days away from being activated.

May 12, 2016 Page 6 of 37

FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER Angels acquire Braves right-hander Jhoulys Chacin

By JEFF FLETCHER / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM - For the second day in a row, the Angels swung a deal to attempt to plug the leaks

that have sprung on their injury ravaged roster.

The Angels on Wednesday acquired right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (pronounced YO-lease chah-

SEEN) from the Atlanta Braves, a day after getting shortstop Brendan Ryan from the

Washington Nationals.

The Angels sent 23-year-old left-hander Adam McCreery to the Braves. McCreery, a 22nd-round

pick in the 2014 draft, has pitched two half-seasons in Rookie ball.

Chacin, who was scheduled to start for the Braves on Wednesday night, will make his first start

Saturday at Seattle, Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

"He’s an experienced guy that has, I think, gotten his stuff back to where he can definitely pitch

and pitch well in the big leagues," Scioscia said. "We’re going to give him his chance and

hopefully he’s going to give us what we need to fill out our rotation."

The Angels had been down to three starters after Matt Shoemaker was sent to Triple-A because

of his struggles and Garrett Richards got hurt, likely headed for season-ending Tommy John

surgery.

May 12, 2016 Page 7 of 37

Shoemaker was recalled to start Wednesday, essentially replacing himself, and Chacin fills the

hole left by Richards' absence

In order to create a spot on the 25-man roster for Shoemaker and on the 40-man roster for

Chacin, the Angels designated first baseman Ji-Man Choi for assignment. They will need to

make another roster move - or more - to make room for Chacin on the 25-man roster when he

joins the Angels on Thursday.

At the moment, the Angels have 13 pitchers on the roster, so it's possible they will add a

position player, in addition to Chacin, on Thursday.

Chacin, 28, is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA this season for the Braves, who have languished to a 7-24

start. He spent the first six years of his major league career with the Colorado Rockies, followed

by splitting last year between the Cleveland Indians and Arizona Diamondbacks.

He has a 3.82 career ERA. Taking into account the hitter-friendly environments in which he's

pitched, his adjusted ERA is 118, meaning he's been 18 percent better than average.

Chacin has 27 strikeouts, eight walks and four homers allowed in 26 2/3 innings. Chacin had a

3.27 ERA through his first four starts, but then gave up eight runs, on four homers, in his last

start, against the New York Mets.

"We believe he's better than his ERA," Angels GM Billy Eppler said. "We like the fact that he

attacks the strike zone, can throw four pitches for strikes, gets ground balls and misses bats. We

May 12, 2016 Page 8 of 37

feel he can go compete and provide some innings and give us an opportunity to win a baseball

game."

Chacin, who is a free agent at the end of the season, is making $1.1 mllion this season, so the

Angels' payroll increase is negligible.

Choi, a Rule 5 pick who was hitting .056 with a .292 on-base percentage in 24 plate

appearances, could remain in the Angels system. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, which is

likely, he would have the option of re-signing with the Angels on a minor league deal.

"We really appreciated his approach at the plate and his flexibility (defensively)," Eppler said,

"He can play some first and outfield. We wish we were in a situation where we could get him a

few more at-bats and understand what we was, but that situation didn’t present itself."

McCreery is a 6-foot-8 left-hander who had posted a 3.55 ERA in the Arizona League over the

past two summers. He struck out 49 and walked 33 in 38 innings. He is currently working out in

Angels extended spring. A product of Bonita High in LaVerne, McCreery pitched at Arizona State

and then Asuza Pacific.

This marks the second trade in two days by Eppler as he tries to patch together a team ravaged

by injuries.

On Monday, the Angels picked up Ryan in exhange for cash considerations, helping them fill the

void left by Andrelton Simmons' thumb injury.

May 12, 2016 Page 9 of 37

Eppler said he remains interested in upgrading the team at just about any position, but he

wouldn't comment specifically on whether this move impacts the chances of signing another

veteran starter like Tim Lincecum or Kyle Lohse.

"We'll always continue to improve if we can," Eppler said.

Matt Shoemaker struggles in return to rotation as Cardinals hand Angels their fifth straight loss By JOEY KAUFMAN / STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM – Matt Shoemaker was back on the mound at Angel Stadium after a week-long stint

at Triple-A.

The Angels sent the right-hander to the minors to work on a few things after he allowed 22 runs

in his first 20-2/3 innings of 2016.

Things were not markedly better in his return Wednesday night, as the Angels fell to the St.

Louis Cardinals, 5-2, their fifth loss in a row. Their latest defeat dropped them to 13-20 overall

and into a three-way tie for last place in the American League West with the Houston Astros and

Oakland Athletics.

Shoemaker, who surrendered four runs and seven hits in four innings, ran into most of his trouble

in the top of the second.

May 12, 2016 Page 10 of 37

After a 1-2-3 first inning when his fastball touched 95 mph and he made it through on 15 pitches,

the first five batters Shoemaker faced in the second reached base. He walked Brandon Moss,

then gave up four consecutive ground-ball singles.

“If one of those is a double-play ball, you’re out of the inning,” Shoemaker said. “They just

happened to find holes.”

The Cardinals jumped ahead, 3-0, then Matt Carpenter’s sacrifice fly brought in another run.

A four-run deficit was too much for an offense that has not scored more than two runs in a game

in a week.

Manager Mike Scioscia pulled Shoemaker after he gave up a single to Stephen Piscotty to start

the fifth inning.

Only one Angels starter has pitched at least six innings since April 26, a span of 12 games.

“I think that defines a lot of what we’re going through right now,” Scioscia said.

Shoemaker made only one start at Triple-A, allowing one run in six innings Saturday, since the

Angels rotation lost Garrett Richards, likely for the season, because of a torn ulnar collateral

ligament that looks to need Tommy John surgery.

Scioscia hoped to see better command from the 29-year-old Shoemaker. He struck out 16 batters

and walked 10 in his first five starts. He had one strikeout and one walk against St. Louis.

May 12, 2016 Page 11 of 37

After his start in Salt Lake, Shoemaker said he felt sharper with his delivery, “driving out of the

slope and getting the ball down more consistently.”

“I felt better,” he said. “And I really believe I took that into this game. It was kind of a messed up

game. It happens sometimes.”

Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia took a no-hitter into the fourth inning. It looked to be over

when Mike Trout appeared to reach first base on an infield single, but it was overturned after a

replay review. Trout was out.

C.J. Cron ended Garcia’s no-hit bid two batters later when he hit a two-run home run to left-

center for his second homer of the season. Cron is 11 for 26 this month.

The Angels had another extra-base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning when catcher Geovany

Soto doubled to left-center, putting runners at second and third with one out.

But they did not score after Johnny Giavotella and Shane Robinson struck out swinging.

They were 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position, Giavotella flying out in the bottom of the

ninth with Cron on second and Soto at first.

“We have more offense in this team,” Scioscia said. “We know it, but it hasn’t come to the

surface.”

May 12, 2016 Page 12 of 37

“We just need to keep fighting and sooner or later it will click,” added Albert Pujols, who is 2 for

his last 21. “You can’t get frustrated. We have a lot of talent on this team and sooner or later,

hopefully, it comes out. We have a lot of at-bats left.”

Their bullpen kept them at least within striking distance, giving up just one run – a two-out, RBI

single by Piscotty in the seventh.

Since April 20, the Angels’ relief pitchers have a 2.00 ERA.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia says Albert Pujols will remain in cleanup spot

JOEY KAUFMAN/ STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM — Angels manager Mike Scioscia insisted he is not worried about Albert Pujols’ slow

start to the season. And he has no plans to move him out of the cleanup spot, either.

Asked after the Angels’ 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night if he would

consider dropping Pujols in the lineup, Scioscia offered a one-word answer, “no.”

Through the first 33 games, Pujols is hitting .185/.261/.347 with six home runs and 18 RBI.

Meanwhile, C.J. Cron, the Angels’ No. 5 hitter who also splits time with Pujols at first base, has

seen 13 hits in his last 30 at-bats, including a two-run home run Wednesday.

“You guys are misreading this if you don’t think he’s hitting the ball much better than his

numbers show,” Scioscia said of Pujols.

May 12, 2016 Page 13 of 37

Earlier, Scioscia pointed to Pujols’ exit velocity as testament to the fact that the 36-year-old is

hitting the ball harder in recent weeks and might see improvement soon.

According to Baseball Savant, the average exit velocity of Pujols’ batted balls in play during the

first week of May was 99.5 mph. After the first week of the season, that stood at 89 mph.

“You look a little deeper,” Scioscia said, “and he’s hitting the ball hard.”

He is. His hard-hit contact rate of 36.8 percent, according to FanGraphs, is also on par with his

career average. But his soft-contact rate is at 26.4 percent, up from his career average of 14.1

percent

Scioscia, speaking before the game, was upbeat.

“If you look at the cyclical nature of some things that go on with players, barring anything

unforeseen, he’s going to be as productive as he’s ever been for us,” he said.

Miller: Angels confident in Albert Pujols, regardless of the numbers

JEFF MILLER/STAFF COLUMNIST

ANAHEIM – It was always easy to find the value with Albert Pujols, as easy as clicking on his

name and marveling at the Hall of Fame production plainly evident in the ridiculous numbers

that popped up.

May 12, 2016 Page 14 of 37

Now, however, finding the value – not to mention the hope – requires looking deeper into the

numbers.

And that’s exactly what the Angels are doing. Not that they have any other choice at this point,

justifying Arte Moreno’s well intended but horribly flawed 10-year, $240 million decision calling

for desperate steps.

On a team with too many concerns already – injuries, finding pitchers to start, an offense that

can’t score – Pujols to date is just another one.

“He’s hitting the ball very hard with not a lot of luck to show for it,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“But everything you would look at, from exit velocity to where balls have gone, he’s hitting the

ball well.”

Still, less than two weeks after ending a stretch in which he went a career-worst 0 for 26, Pujols

entered the Angels’ game Wednesday against St. Louis with one hit – a single – in his previous

17 at-bats.

His average was at .183 overall for a struggling bunch that had been outscored by all but three

teams, one of which was Atlanta, the 8-24 Braves having given up on this season before it even

started.

The steady fade from the player Pujols used to be has been on display for a while now, though

the presence of his former team at Angel Stadium this week only reinforces how much his

signing hasn’t worked out.

May 12, 2016 Page 15 of 37

It isn’t Pujols’ fault that Moreno gave him all that time and money. It was simply the

overzealous action of an owner who understandably fell in love with a player’s past while

inexplicably miscalculating that player’s future and doing so wildly.

By now, the Angels were supposed to have won something – probably something big – with

Pujols, who joined the team in December 2011.

Instead, they haven’t even won a playoff game, Moreno’s plan failing so spectacularly that his

commitments to Pujols and Josh Hamilton – along with a few other front-office decisions – have

helped leave in doubt the future of a team that employs Mike Trout.

Consider that prospect for a second: Trout is only 24, has been first or second in league MVP

voting four consecutive seasons and the Angels still are facing a series of tomorrows that look

strangely discouraging.

Of course, if their pitching eventually gets healthy and approaches potential and a few other

offensive options emerge and with a break or two, well, fortunes can turn quickly, even in a

sport that tends to move slowly.

But when a team appears to be overmatched, that team also can look impossibly helpless. And,

on another night with a lot of empty seats in their home ballpark, the Angels entered

Wednesday looking very much like the decided underdog – one missing most of its teeth.

The Braves were the only team with fewer home runs and extra-base hits and a poorer slugging

percentage than the Angels, who were tied with the Dodgers for 28th in homers with 25.

May 12, 2016 Page 16 of 37

Their lineup continually has been exposed as too thin, Scioscia recently forced to move Kole

Calhoun from fifth back to second just to try to give Trout someone else to possibly drive in.

“If you look at the top four, the rest of the guys have to come into the fold to make sure that

Albert is getting his opportunities if they do pitch around Mike,” Scioscia said. “If they see

another hole, they can pitch around Albert.”

None of the bottom five hitters in the Angels’ order began Wednesday with as many as nine RBI

and – 32 games into the season – only three Angels (Trout, Pujols and Calhoun) had reached

double figures in RBI.

Just for the sake of comparison, the Cardinals before this game had eight such hitters.

“When you’re not picking up these RBI with guys past Albert ... that’s some of the struggles we

saw last year,” Scioscia said. “The back end behind Albert, these guys have to come around or

it’s going to be tough.”

Specifically on Pujols, Scioscia is correct. The basic analytics aren’t as shocking as that .183

average.

In terms of exit velocity, he’s just behind Bryce Harper, equal to Yasiel Puig and just ahead of

Paul Goldschmidt. On Tuesday, Pujols hit a 108.5-mph line drive out off St. Louis starter Mike

Leake.

May 12, 2016 Page 17 of 37

Yet, no matter how deeply inside the numbers anyone digs, the Angels and Pujols will still find

themselves in an early-season hole.

“Barring anything unforeseen, he’s going to be as productive as he’s ever been for us,” Scioscia

said. “We’re very confident with that.”

The Angels have to be confident because, once again, they don’t have any other choice at this

point.

This team is running painfully low on options, and the only numbers that ultimately matter are

hurting, too.

Angels aim to bring back Ji-Man Choi after designating him for assignment

JOEY KAUFMAN/STAFF WRITER

ANAHEIM — Ji-Man Choi, who the Angels selected in the Rule 5 draft over the winter, cracked

their opening day roster thanks to some versatility.

Choi could fill in at first base or in left field.

But he struggled at the plate. The rookie from South Korea saw one hit in 18 at-bats this season.

He did walk six times.

May 12, 2016 Page 18 of 37

When the club acquired right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin on Wednesday in a trade with

Atlanta, they needed to clear room to place him to the 40-man roster. That left Choi designated

for assignment.

“Ji-Man really didn't have the opportunity to play as much as we would want a young guy to

play,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “Where our roster is right now, we just couldn't keep

that.”

Scioscia said they hoped Choi might still remain in the organization. It is possible so long as he

goes unclaimed on waivers and signs a minor-league contract with the team.

Choi, 24, would then see more at-bats at Triple-A Salt Lake.

Scioscia said he wanted him to improve his plate discipline after he struck out six times in his 18

at-bats in the majors.

“A lot of what he needs to improve on is going to come with experience,” Scioscia said. “It’s not

going to come with any drill or any workout. It’s going to come with playing time. He needs to

get his timing and keep it. He needs to understand Triple-A pitching before major-league

pitching and see where his career goes from there.”

Previously in the Seattle Mariners’ organization, Choi saw 339 at-bats in 101 games at Triple-A.

His strikeout rate there was 16 percent.

ALSO

May 12, 2016 Page 19 of 37

Left fielder Craig Gentry, who was placed on the disabled list earlier this month with a right

lumbar spine strain, began baseball activities Wednesday. He could swing and play catch. No

rehab assignment has been scheduled yet. He was eligible to return from the disabled list, but

Scioscia said he still had “a ways to go.”

FROM ANGELS.COM

Pujols frustrated with hits hard to find

Advanced stats suggest Angels slugger has been unlucky

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Albert Pujols' batting average has never been this low, this late.

After his current team dropped its second consecutive game to his former team on Wednesday,

Pujols was batting .185, a product of 23 hits in 124 at-bats through 33 games.

"What can I do?" Pujols said, moments after the Angels' 5-2 loss to the Cardinals dropped them

seven games below .500 for the first time in 20 months. "I wish I could place it, like this …"

Pujols cupped his right hand and acted as if he were sprinkling baseballs all over a field,

symbolizing his frustration that the hits are not falling.

"That's the way it goes," Pujols said. "I'm better than that. I've been in this game for 17 years,

so I know. You have a lot of at-bats left."

May 12, 2016 Page 20 of 37

Pujols went 1-for-4 on Wednesday in the Angels' fifth consecutive defeat. He swung through a

Jaime Garcia fastball in the second, reached on an error in the fourth, lined a single to left in the

seventh and grounded out in the ninth.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia was asked if he would consider batting C.J. Cron behind Mike

Trout instead of Pujols, considering Cron has 16 hits in his last 36 at-bats.

"No," Scioscia said, then added about Pujols: "You guys are misreading this if you don't think

he's hitting the ball much better than his numbers show."

Pujols' batting average on balls in play is an unfathomably low .165, the worst in the Major

Leagues and well below even the .217 mark he finished with last year, which was also the

lowest among qualified hitters.

His average batted-ball velocity is 91.5 mph, tied for 74th with the likes of Jose Bautista, Yasiel

Puig and Mitch Moreland. But it jumped to 99.5 mph last week, 10 ticks above the league

average. Entering Wednesday, Pujols had hit the ball hard 36.8 percent of the time, on pace for

his best rate since 2010, according to Baseball Info Solutions.

But the results aren't there.

Pujols' batting average is tied for fifth-lowest among qualified hitters. His on-base percentage,

.261, is higher than only 16 players. And his slugging percentage, .347, sits 60 points below the

Major League average.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, a former teammate, said Pujols "looks healthy and strong.

He's taking good swings."

May 12, 2016 Page 21 of 37

Maybe it's bad luck, as the peripherals might suggest. Maybe he'll get really hot really soon, like

he did after struggling through the first six weeks of 2012 and the first four weeks of 2015.

But he's still waiting.

"I feel good," Pujols said. "I feel good with where I am. Last night, I hit the ball hard three times.

Today, I squeezed a base hit in the hole. But besides that, I feel like I'm swinging the bat well.

It's just one of those things, dude. When the team and everybody gets in a funk, you can't put

things together. It's just crazy."

Angels can't contain Cards in 4th straight loss

By Fabian Ardaya and Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Jaime Garcia's stellar performance and a four-run second inning was all the

Cardinals would need Wednesday night, as they cruised to a 5-2 win and a series victory over

the Angels in Southern California.

Garcia (3-2, 2.58 ERA) continued his hot streak, holding the Angels to two unearned runs and

scattering four hits while striking out eight in seven innings.

"When he's healthy, it looks like what we just saw," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of

Garcia, who was making his first career start against the Angels. "He's been pretty impressive all

year. We talk about the starter giving us a chance, and that's certainly something that he's

doing."

Angels right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who was recalled from Triple-A earlier Wednesday,

allowed the first five batters to reach in the second inning, allowing runs to score on two RBI

singles and two sacrifice flies. St. Louis added an insurance run in the seventh inning on Stephen

Piscotty's RBI single to right field. The Cardinals didn't hit Shoemaker particularly hard but

managed to find holes and get on base to make him pay.

May 12, 2016 Page 22 of 37

Matt Carpenter lofts a fly ball to center field deep enough to drive home Randal Grichuk with a

sac fly, increasing the lead to 4-0

"It's frustrating after that second, third run score, especially after some ground-ball hits,"

Shoemaker said. "That's going to happen in this game, but it's just even more frustrating in that

situation. Two feet, three feet, four feet and that's a double-play ball.

The Cardinals sit at 18-16 and remain a half-game behind the Pirates for second place in the

National League Central. The Angels have lost five in a row on this six-game homestand,

dropping their record to 13-20 and falling seven games below .500 for the first time since Sept.

13, 2013.

Trevor Rosenthal gets Johnny Giavotella to line out to left field for the final out, earning the

save in the Cardinals' 5-2 victory

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Streak snapped: The Angels were held hitless by Garcia for 3 2/3 innings, and might have been

for quite a while longer had Matt Carpenter cleanly picked an Albert Pujols chopper in the

fourth. Instead, Pujols reached on an error, and C.J. Cron, on Garcia's next pitch, snapped the

left-hander's scoreless streak at 16 innings with his second home run of the season.

"That was a mistake," Garcia said of the four-seam fastball to Cron. "He's a good hitter. It was

over the middle of the plate, and he put a good swing on it. It was one of those where you

second-guess yourself. You learn from it."

C.J. Cron gets the Angels on the board with a line-drive two-run shot, closing the gap to 4-2 in

the bottom of the 4th inning

Short-lived return: Shoemaker struggled in his return, lasting just four-plus innings and giving

up four earned runs to put his season ERA at 9.12. The second inning set the tone, and the

Angels have had just one starting pitcher log six innings or more in a start since April 26. Angels

May 12, 2016 Page 23 of 37

manager Mike Scioscia said much of his team's issues can be linked to the starters' inability to

work deep in games.

"The thing for the last couple weeks has really been trying to get our rotation in order," he said.

"That has to happen."

Kolten Wong extends the lead to 2-0 in the top of the 2nd inning with an RBI single that scores

Yadier Molina

Striking late: The Cardinals continue to boast the Majors' best late-game offense, having scored

75 runs in the seventh inning or later this season. The latest was driven by Piscotty, whose two-

out single in the seventh padded the lead. Piscotty's 17 hits with runners in scoring position are

a Major League high, as are the Cardinals' 70 RBIs in two-out situations.

"With the base open, I figured he might try to nibble a little bit," Piscotty said of his approach

after falling behind in the count, 1-2. "At the same time, it's [Matt Holliday] up behind me, so I

know they probably don't want to walk me."

Stephen Piscotty hits an opposite-field RBI single to right field, scoring Kolten Wong and

increasing the Cardinals' lead to 5-2

Struggles continue: The Angels' offense continued to sputter. Cron's two-run shot to the rock

formation in center field was the team's first hit of the game and its second extra-base hit since

May 6. The Angels had a pair of runners in scoring position and the potential tying run at the

plate with one out in the seventh, but were held scoreless after a pair of strikeouts from Johnny

Giavotella and Shane Robinson. Scioscia said Giavotella and Robinson "expanded" too much

while representing the tying run, allowing Garcia to take advantage.

"We're not bunching hits together, and we're not getting guys on base early in innings," Scioscia

said. "All that is stuff that we need to get going, and we haven't had it when we need to."

May 12, 2016 Page 24 of 37

Angels manager Mike Scioscia on struggling offense and starting pitching after 5-2 loss to the

Cardinals

QUOTABLE

"I feel good with where I am. Last night, I hit the ball hard three times. Today, I squeezed a base

hit in the hole. But besides that, I feel like I'm swinging the bat well. It's just one of those things,

dude. When the team and everybody gets in a funk, you can't put things together. It's just

crazy." -- Pujols, whose batting average is down to .185

"Shane Robinson was one of my best friends. He's like my brother. And then, obviously, Albert,

he's one of the best players of all time. He was a great inspiration to me, and I learned a lot

from him coming up. Brendan Ryan was my shortstop for a while and is a good friend of mine.

It's different, but when it's time to execute that pitch, it doesn't matter who you're facing." --

Garcia, of facing a lineup that included three former teammates

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Angels reliever Mike Morin continued his hot streak with two perfect innings. He has thrown 10

1/3 consecutive scoreless innings, retiring 31 of 35 batters faced during that stretch to lower his

season ERA to 1.84. The Angels bullpen gave up just one run in five innings and improved on its

recent strong stretch, entering Wednesday with a 2.01 ERA since April 20.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

The Cardinals used their challenge in the fourth inning and were successful in having Mike

Trout's infield single overturned for the second out of the inning. A 54-second review showed

that Kolten Wong's throw to first baseman Matt Adams just beat Trout to the bag. The call

proved crucial, too, as Cron's home run came two batters later.

The Cardinals challenge the call that Mike Trout is safe on an infield hit in the 4th, and after

review, the call is overturned

WHAT'S NEXT

Cardinals: The series against the Angels wraps up Thursday, as Adam Wainwright takes the

May 12, 2016 Page 25 of 37

mound a day earlier than initially scheduled. Wainwright, who has won his last two decisions,

was bumped up in the rotation to allow Carlos Martinez additional recovery time. First pitch is

scheduled for 9:05 p.m. CT.

Angels: Right-hander Jered Weaver heads to the bump looking to help the Angels avoid a

second consecutive sweep at home. Weaver, who is 3-1 with a 4.72 ERA this season, has given

up two runs or fewer in three of his six starts. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. PT.

Angels acquire righty Chacin from Braves

Shoemaker recalled for rotation, Choi squeezed off roster

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Angels closer Huston Street played with Jhoulys Chacin in Colorado, when Chacin

was one of the Rockies' most trusted starting pitchers and appeared to be in the early stages of

a promising career.

"I remember vividly thinking this guy is going to be really, really good," Street said. "And he still

has that chance. I'm glad he's here."

The Angels, decimated by injuries throughout their rotation, acquired Chacin from the Braves

on Wednesday, in exchange for low-level Minor League reliever Adam McCreery.

Chacin will be added to the active roster on Thursday and will debut in Seattle on Saturday, the

next time the Angels require a starting pitcher. Matt Shoemaker was called up to start

Wednesday night against the Cardinals, and first baseman Ji-Man Choi, a Rule 5 Draft pick, was

designated for assignment, clearing a spot on the 25-man roster for Shoemaker and a spot on

the 40-man roster for Chacin.

Chacin, signed out of Venezuela, was a fixture for the Rockies from 2010-13, posting a 3.58 ERA

and averaging 149 innings. But shoulder injuries hindered him in 2012 and most of 2014. The

May 12, 2016 Page 26 of 37

Rockies released him late in Spring Training in 2015, forcing Chacin to bounce around with the

Indians and D-backs, spending most of his time in the Minor Leagues.

He signed a Minor League deal with the Braves in December, one that reportedly paid him $1.1

million in the Majors. He posted a 5.40 ERA in five starts, but with 27 strikeouts, eight walks and

an impressive 48-percent ground-ball rate in 26 2/3 innings.

Chacin's ERA was 3.27 before he gave up eight runs in 4 2/3 innings to the Mets last

Wednesday. His adjusted Fielding Independent Pitching score is 3.32, which would be the

second-best among healthy Angels pitchers. His career adjusted ERA, which neutralizes the

hitter-friendly parks Chacin has often pitched in, is 118, which essentially means the 28-year-old

right-hander has been 18 percent better than the league average.

"He's got good stuff," Street said. "I remember him having really good stuff."

Choi, a 24-year-old out of South Korea, cracked the Opening Day roster as a left-handed bat off

the bench. But the Angels were never able to carve out a role for him. Choi was mainly used as

a pinch-hitter and went 1-for-18 with six walks. He will now be placed on waivers. If every team

-- including his previous club, the Orioles -- declines to put him on their 25-man roster, he can

elect free agency.

Choi does not have to be offered back to the Orioles for $25,000, because he has already been

outrighted to the Minor Leagues. Players who have already been outrighted once can elect free

agency in lieu of being outrighted a second time.

The Angels hope he chooses to re-sign with them on a Minor League deal so he can get some

at-bats in Triple-A.

May 12, 2016 Page 27 of 37

"Ji-Man really didn't have the opportunity to play as much as you would want a young guy to

play," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Where our roster is right now, we just couldn't keep

him."

McCreery, a 23-year-old left-hander, was selected in the 22nd round of the 2014 Draft out of

Azusa Pacific University in California and hadn't advanced past Rookie ball. He had a 3.55 ERA in

31 appearances with exaggerated strikeout and walk rates, issuing 7.8 walks and 11.6 strikeouts

per nine innings.

Starting pitchers Garrett Richards (likely undergoing Tommy John surgery), Andrew Heaney

(hoping to avoid the same procedure), C.J. Wilson (out until at least mid-June with shoulder

woes) and Tyler Skaggs (shut down from throwing) are all out for the Angels, who have also

looked into signing Tim Lincecum and Kyle Lohse.

Prior to Wednesday, the Angels' rotation consisted of only Jered Weaver, Hector Santiago and

Nick Tropeano.

Scioscia considers Chacin "an experienced guy that has, I think, gotten his stuff back to where

he can definitely pitch and pitch well in the big leagues. We're going to give him his chance."

Trout, Angels laugh off talk of trade

Superstar dismisses media speculation; 'I love where I'm at'

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- As the losses have piled up and the injuries have mounted, the radical idea of

trading Mike Trout has quickly gained momentum outside of Angel Stadium.

ESPN and FanGraphs floated the idea recently, shortly after it was revealed that the Angels'

best starting pitcher, Garrett Richards, may be lost for the next 12 to 18 months with a torn

May 12, 2016 Page 28 of 37

ulnar collateral ligament. And in the days that followed, the thought of trading Trout has

become a major talking point throughout the country, on television, in print and through social

media.

"I've seen it," Trout said on Wednesday. "I just laugh about it. I love where I'm at. I love

Anaheim, the stadium, the organization, and obviously the teammates. Teams go through

injuries. That's the way it is."

Trout, 24, is signed through 2020, his age-28 season, and holds a full no-trade clause on a

contract extension that pays him $15.25 million this year, $19.25 million next year, and $33.25

million each of the following three years.

The Angels have the consensus weakest farm system in the game and a top-heavy payroll that

is close to maxing out. They also have to be cautious with three crucial young pitchers in

Richards (set to undergo Tommy John surgery), Andrew Heaney (hoping to avoid Tommy John

surgery) and Tyler Skaggs (coming off Tommy John surgery).

Some believe trading Trout, and receiving a historically lucrative package of up-and-coming

prospects and controllable Major Leaguers, would be the best and quickest way for the Angels

to steer themselves in the right direction. Others consider it blasphemous to even consider the

idea of trading a once-in-a-generation player that young and locked up for that long.

Asked about it in Spring Training, Angels owner Arte Moreno said: "100 percent we are not

trading Mike Trout. We're not trading Mike Trout. It's not even in the thought process."

Asked about it on Friday, Angels general manager Billy Eppler said: "No chance. … You do not

move superstar players."

May 12, 2016 Page 29 of 37

The Angels currently have seven players out of action because of injury, including four starting

pitchers, a shortstop in Andrelton Simmons, a closer in Huston Street and a part-time left

fielder in Craig Gentry. They don't have the farm system to pull off a major trade, their budget

is too close to the luxury-tax threshold to take on much salary, and the upcoming free-agent

class seems uninspiring.

But Trout expressed confidence that the Angels would remain competitive over the life of his

contract.

"We're going to keep playing to try to win," he said. "It doesn't matter what other people say.

Our mentality in this clubhouse is to win ballgames with the group of guys that we have.

Obviously we don't have the full team that we wanted down in spring, but that's the way it

goes."

Weaver matches up with Wainwright in finale By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com

Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright has yet to hold an opponent to fewer than three runs

in a start this season, but signs indicate that the three-time National League All-Star is starting

to round into form. He'll get his latest chance Thursday night when the Cardinals look to

complete a three-game sweep of the Angels at Angel Stadium.

Up against Wainwright will be Angels right-hander Jered Weaver (3-1, 4.72 ERA), who is coming

off of one of his best outings of the season. He gave up just two runs (one earned) in six innings

against the Rays on Saturday. That start marked the third time this season Weaver has held his

opponent to two runs or fewer. In each of his other three starts, he's given up four or more

runs.

Wainwright has only truly struggled in one outing this season -- he gave up seven earned runs in

5 1/3 innings of a loss against Cincinnati on April 16. His last two outings might be his most

encouraging, going at least six innings with three runs allowed in each. In his last appearance,

he had a stretch of 14 batters retired in a row.

May 12, 2016 Page 30 of 37

The 34-year-old will have a prime opportunity to continue his progress against the Angels, who

have struggled offensively of late. They have scored just eight runs through five games of a six-

game homestand.

Things to know about this game

• With a home run in this series, Angels first baseman Albert Pujols will become one of nine

active players to hit one against all 30 Major League teams. Pujols logged just one hit in his first

14 at-bats of the homestand and has been among the Angels players scuffling at the plate.

"If you look at some internal stats and start to really dig deep into what Albert's doing, he's

hitting the ball very hard," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "There's not a lot of luck to show

with it, but everything you would look at, from exit velocity to just where balls have gone, he's

hitting the ball well."

• Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez was originally in line to start Thursday. Martinez, who

is 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA this season, left his last outing early due to fatigue as he's been dealing

with an upper respiratory illness. Due to St. Louis' off-day on Monday, manager Mike Matheny

was able to move Wainwright up on normal rest.

• While Wainwright has had his struggles on the mound, he's been having success at the plate.

Though he won't be able to hit Thursday due to the designated hitter, Wainwright had an extra-

base hit in each of his previous three starts.

May 12, 2016 Page 31 of 37

Trout happy to see Grichuk shine in St. Louis

Center fielders were roommates in Angels' farm system

By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Randal Grichuk slowed to a trot, sure that as he neared second base after driving a

ball to deep center on Tuesday that Mike Trout had snared it from the shrubs beyond the

center-field wall. He knew better than to assume that anything could clear the Gold Glove

outfielder's reach.

This time, though, the player that Grichuk was once compared to and forever connected to

wasn't stealing the spotlight from him again. The home run, Grichuk's fifth of the season,

helped the Cardinals to an 8-1 rout over the Angels and gave the Anaheim crowd a glimpse of

what might have been had the Angels not agreed to add Grichuk in that November 2013 trade

that sent David Freese and Fernando Salas out of St. Louis.

Grichuk never made it to Angel Stadium as a member of the home team, as his climb in the

Angels' system was stalled by persistent injuries and overshadowed by Trout. The two center

fielders, born six days apart, were selected by the Angels with consecutive picks in the first

round of the 2009 Draft. Grichuk's name was called first. Trout became the star.

"Obviously, you want to go and do well and hopefully kind of show they made a mistake,"

Grichuk said of playing in Anaheim. "I feel like every player that gets traded wants to prove that

to his former team."

Wanting to show the Angels the talent they gave up on isn't so much out of spite, though, as

Grichuk acknowledges that being traded to the Cardinals was a needed career spark.

"I got injured so much in that organization, that I felt like I got put on the back burner," he said.

"They didn't really expect much out of me at that point. I definitely think that this trade helped

rejuvenate my career. I'm definitely thankful for it."

May 12, 2016 Page 32 of 37

Grichuk and Trout became fast friends in the Angels' system, rooming together in rookie ball

and instructional league. In 2010, they played together at Class A Cedar Rapids, which is where

Grichuk suffered a broken left wrist that limited him to 53 games that season. A broken

kneecap reduced his time on the field the next year, and by the time Grichuk finished his first

full season in 2011, Trout was in the Majors.

The two remained close, however, so much so that after Tuesday's game, Grichuk rushed out of

the clubhouse so that he could spend some time with Trout. And yes, the topic of his fifth-

inning home run most definitely came up.

"I'm happy for him," Trout said of Grichuk's success. "He's obviously gotten an opportunity over

there and he's taking advantage of it. He's come a long way. He obviously has the talent. It's

good to see him up here succeeding."

Halos stay positive as injuries, losses pile up

'These guys are fighting,' Scioscia says after 4th straight loss

By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- Kole Calhoun glanced at the calendar that adorns an entire wall of Angel Stadium's

home clubhouse and managed to crack a half-smile on Tuesday night, moments after an 8-1

loss put his reeling Angels a season-worst six games below .500.

"We've got a lot of year left, man," Calhoun said. "We're in the second week of May, so, we

have a lot of 'ball left ahead of us."

That may be so, but the Angels -- with five critical pitchers nursing injuries and an offense that

can't seem to find its way -- appear to be nearing a breaking point.

May 12, 2016 Page 33 of 37

Their lopsided defeat to the Cardinals was their fourth in a row and their eighth in the last 10

games. They had their best healthy pitcher on the mound and faced a winless Cardinals' starter,

and they still managed to get beat handily.

Hector Santiago exited after only 13 outs and 83 pitches, throwing his fastball about four ticks

slower than he was earlier this season. And Mike Leake, who entered with a 6.03 ERA over six

starts, twirled eight innings of one-run ball against an Angels offense that has scored just six

times over its last four games.

The Angels' rotation is in shambles, with Garrett Richards likely to undergo season-ending

Tommy John surgery, Andrew Heaney trying to avoid the same procedure, Tyler Skaggs not

even playing catch and C.J. Wilson not back until the middle of June, at the earliest.

• Wilson feels good after return to throwing off mound

The bullpen has suffered a tough loss, with closer Huston Street out until at least late May

because of a strained oblique muscle. And the defense took a major hit on Monday, when it

was announced that shortstop Andrelton Simmons would undergo surgery on his left thumb

that would probably keep him out until at least the All-Star break.

But the offense is healthy, relatively speaking, and yet it continues to struggle.

Angels hitters entered Tuesday with the fifth-lowest OPS in the Major Leagues and managed

only one extra-base hit in the ensuing contest. They've batted .214 over the last four games,

with three extra-base hits in 36 innings. And their cleanup hitter, Albert Pujols, has one hit in his

last 17 at-bats, dropping his slash line to .183/.261/.350.

May 12, 2016 Page 34 of 37

Afterwards, Angels manager Mike Scioscia stressed the importance of "the process."

"There's not one magic pill you give everybody on the offensive side and all of a sudden they

wake up and start scoring runs," Scioscia said. "It's a grind, it's a process, and our guys are really

good with that. We're just having a little problem getting that motor started. We'll get back to

doing the things we need to do. Right now it's tough, and it's gone on longer than any of us are

comfortable with. Nobody's taking this lying down. These guys are fighting."

Santiago mixed in a lot more sinkers and threw them mostly 89-90 mph, topping out at 92. In

three prior starts, his four-seam fastball velocity has gone from 93.6 to 92.5 to 91.3. The 29-

year-old left-hander has noticed the decline, mainly because hitters are fouling off pitches they

were previously swinging through. And the Angels' staff has talked to him about it.

But Santiago stressed "there's nothing physically wrong" and didn't express much concern,

saying: "Last year I made the All-Star team with the same velocity I was pitching with tonight."

Santiago called the mentality of his team "amazing," regardless of everything that has gone

wrong lately.

"We're really positive," he said. "There's a lot of great, veteran guys, so we have a positive

mindset."

But the Angels carry a minus-24 run-differential, are less than $5 million below the luxury-tax

threshold, sport a thin farm system and don't have many places to turn for outside help.

May 12, 2016 Page 35 of 37

In two months it'll be July. And at that point, the front office will probably have to decide

whether it's time to build for the future or continue to try to win for the present. The Angels

can only avoid the former if they find a way to keep their heads above water until then.

It won't be easy.

"That's nothing for any guy in this clubhouse to think about, because that's completely out of

anybody's control," Calhoun said of front-office decisions. "But if we just go out and play

together, man, you never know what can happen."

FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Garcia shines as Cardinals beat Angels, 5-2

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Since the calendar turned to May, Jaime Garcia has been just about

untouchable.

Garcia allowed just four hits in seven innings to lead the St. Louis Cardinals past the Los Angeles

Angels 5-2 on Wednesday night.

The left-hander gave up two unearned runs and struck out eight to win his second straight

start. He has yet to allow an earned run in 14 innings this month.

"Everything feels good right now," Garcia said. "I've been able to make pitches and keep the

ball down and keep them off balance. Simple stuff for the most part."

Editor's Picks

Stephen Piscotty fits the Cardinals' prototype Showing the discipline and calm under pressure that have stoked the Cardinals' recent success,

Stephen Piscotty helped lock down a road win.

Kevin Siegrist pitched a perfect eighth and Trevor Rosenthal retired the side in the ninth to

complete the four-hitter.

May 12, 2016 Page 36 of 37

Garcia (3-2) was dominant from the outset. He retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced, sat

down six of seven after C.J Cron's two-run home run in the fourth ended his no-bit bid, and

pitched out of his lone jam with a pair of clutch strikeouts in the seventh.

With runners on second and third and one out in the seventh, Garcia struck out Johnny

Giovatella and Shane Robinson swinging on offspeed pitches in the dirt to escape unscathed.

"In that situation right there I was trying to not to let any emotions get to me," Garcia said. "I've

had games in the past where I've tried to do too much, so I just tried to keep my emotions

down and just worried about making one pitch."

The Cardinals scored four times in the second inning against Matt Shoemaker (1-5) to jump out

to an early lead and never trailed. Stephen Piscotty, Yadier Molina and Randal Grichuk had two

hits apiece to lead the offense.

"Jaime is just a competitor and I really love playing behind him because he just attacks, attacks,

attacks," Piscotty said. "It kind of sets the tone for what we as entire team want to go out and

do, and we did that tonight."

Shoemaker, recalled from Triple-A earlier in the day, got tagged for seven hits and four runs in

four-plus innings, the second straight game an Angels starter failed to get out of the fifth inning.

The Angels have dropped five straight and nine of their last 11. The four hits were the fewest

they've managed during the skid.

"We just need to keep fighting and sooner or later it will click," said Albert Pujols, who is 2 for

his last 21 at the plate. "You can't get frustrated. We have a lot of at-bats left."

Rosenthal stifled an attempted Angels rally in the ninth to finish it. He walked Cron and

Geovany Soto with two outs in to bring the tying run to the plate, but Giovatella flied out to left

to end it.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Tommy Pham (left oblique strain) entered the second week of his rehab

assignment at Triple-A Memphis but does not have a timetable for a return to the majors.

Angels: LF Craig Gentry (back strain) resumed baseball activities but does not have a timetable

for his return.

ROSTER MOVES

May 12, 2016 Page 37 of 37

The Angels acquired RHP Jhoulys Chacin from the Atlanta Braves earlier in the day in exchange

for minor league LHP Adam McCreery.

Chacin, 28, was 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts for the Braves. He will start for the Angels on

Sunday.

The Angels also designated 1B Ji-Man Choi for assignment. Choi was 1 for 18 for the Angels

after they picked him up in the Rule 5 draft last offseason.

WINNING THE CHALLENGE

The Cardinals successfully got a call overturned on a challenge in the fourth inning.

Mike Trout was originally ruled safe on an infield single, but the Cardinals challenged and a

video review showed the shortstop Diaz's one-hopper to first beat Trout barely.

Trout was ruled out upon review, giving the Cardinals their sixth successful challenge in nine

attempts this season.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (2-3, 6.30) is unbeaten in his last three starts after dropping

his first three decisions of the season.

Angels: RHP Jered Weaver (3-1, 4.72) goes for his first win of the month after a no-decision in

his last start despite allowing only one earned run in six