Bell back up with Angels
GLENDALE — The following are updates on area athletes playing major league baseball.
Trevor Bell (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) pitcher, Salt Lake Bees: It’s been a bit of whirlwind week for Bell, a former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year. He was sent down to Salt Lake on Monday after the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim acquired starting pitcher Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a five-player swap Sunday and called up reliever Michael Kohn from Salt Lake.
However, Bell, who was taken in the first round of the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, was recalled Friday by the Angels for their weekend home series against the first-place Texas Rangers. Bell will reportedly be made available out of the bullpen for the Texas series, though there has been some rumblings about him starting today if Haren is unavailable. He might also start Tuesday at Baltimore in place of Joel Piniero, who suffered a rib-cage strain Wednesday and was placed on the disabled list.
Bell, a right-hander, took the loss Sunday in the Angels’ 6-4 loss to the host Texas Rangers. He gave up four runs (all earned) and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings to drop to 1-2 with a 6.75 earned-run average. It was Bell’s first start of the season for the struggling Angels.
Seeing a need for Bell to further develop, the Angels opted to put him back on the Triple-A program in the Pacific Coast League, but he never pitched this week for the Bees.
Bell, 23, last pitched for the Bees on July 16, when he went six innings to lead Salt Lake to a 5-3 win against the Sacramento River Cats. Bell allowed five hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter.
At Salt Lake (54-51 and in third place in the league’s Northern Division), Bell is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in six appearances. In his six starts with the Bees, Bell has allowed 30 hits, struck out 19 and walked six.
Bryan Longpre (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) pitcher, GCL Blue Jays: The Cal State Northridge graduate has flourished since joining Toronto’s Golf Coast League team in June. He’s picked up one win and seven saves in his last 10 appearances. Longpre has earned all of his saves in his last eight games.
In his last two appearances, Longpre has earned saves.
Longpre, who signed as a free agent with the Toronto Blue Jays organization on June 15, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning in the Blue Jays’ 4-3 win against the host Braves on Thursday. On Monday, Longpre retired the side in order in the ninth to help preserve the Blue Jays’ 4-1 win against the Phillies.
Through Thursday, Longpre is 1-0 with a 3.95 earned-run average in 11 appearances. He’s struck out 15 and allowed seven runs (six earned) in 13 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays, who are 18-17 and in third place in the league’s North Division.
Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) pitcher, Casper Ghosts: The former All-Area Baseball Player of the Year and recent UC Irvine graduate, who was selected 470th overall in the 24th round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on June 8 by the Colorado Rockies, has had his peaks and valleys with the Ghosts during his first seven appearances with the Rookie Pioneer League franchise.
Bergman’s last two appearances were at opposite ends of the spectrum. For instance, Bergman picked up his first professional victory on July 21 against the Great Falls Voyagers. The right-hander went six innings, as he allowed one unearned run and two hits and struck out five in Casper’s 8-1 road victory.
Unfortunately for Bergman, he couldn’t make it two wins in a row. In 3 1/3 innings, Bergman surrendered seven runs (three earned) and nine hits in Casper’s 7-6 road loss to the Billings Mustangs on Monday.
Through Thursday, Bergman is 1-3 with a 4.97 earned-run average. He’s struck out 15 and allowed 21 runs (14 earned) in 25 1/3 innings for the Ghosts, who are 16-21 and are in third place in the South Division through Thursday.
Bill Spottiswood (Glendale Community College, 2005) pitcher, Visalia Rawhide: Spottiswood began the season as a reliever before taking on a starter’s role in late-June for Visalia, the Single-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In his first start, which occurred June 28 against the San Jose Giants, Spottiswood didn’t factor into the decision in Visalia’s 5-4 come-from-behind victory. The right-hander went five innings, allowing four runs and striking out three. In his last start July 8, Spottiswood gave up seven hits and four runs and struck out three in 4 1/3 innings in the Rawhide’s 10-7 loss against the High Desert Mavericks.
As a starter, Spottiswood is 0-0 with a 6.14 earned-run average. He struck out seven and allowed 20 hits in 14 2/3 innings.
Coming out of the bullpen, Spottiswood is 5-4 with three saves and a 3.03 ERA. In 38 2/3 innings, he’s struck out 45 and given up 38 hits and 13 earned runs for the Rawhide, which is 16-18 through Thursday in the California League’s North Division.
Spottiswood allowed one run and struck out three in the ninth inning of Visalia’s 14-10 road win against the Lancaster JetHawks on Wednesday.
