Angels survive a couple of scares to Jaime Barria and Luke Bard in loss

The Angels, who put starting pitchers Felix Pena and Griffin Canning on the injured list Sunday morning, survived two pitching scares in a 6-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians in Progressive Field.

A blister on the right big toe of starter Jaime Barria flared up in the second inning. Umpires allowed the right-hander to go to the clubhouse so trainers could tape the toe and insert a pad in his shoe to reduce friction, causing a five-minute delay.

Barria returned but labored through 3 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and five hits, including solo homers by Oscar Mercado in the first inning, Francisco Lindor in the third and Jason Kipnis in the fourth. Barria struck out six batters, walked three and threw 89 pitches.

Barria was replaced by right-hander Luke Bard, who flew overnight from Salt Lake City after being recalled from triple A, landed in Cleveland at 6:30 a.m. local time and tried to sneak a quick nap at the team hotel before heading to the park.

After retiring Mercado with two on to end the fourth inning, Bard was hit in the right triceps by a 103-mph Carlos Santana line drive and pulled from the game. Bard was diagnosed with a bruise. His arm was stiff and swollen after the game, but he appeared to escape serious injury.

“Yeah, I didn’t get any sleep last night — that’ll wake you up, though,” Bard said. “Thank goodness it wasn’t a little lower and on the bone.”

Bard was replaced by JC Ramirez, who gave up a two-out, two-run single that put the Indians up 5-1 in the fifth inning.

Left fielder Brian Goodwin had doubled and scored on Albert Pujols’ single to pull the Angels to within 2-1 in the fourth.

Angels

Angels lose three players to injury, three games to Indians in sweep

Shortstop Andrelton Simmons and pitchers Felix Pena and Griffin Canning land on the injured list and the Angels are swept by the Cleveland Indians.

Aug. 4, 2019

Right-hander Shane Bieber, a product of Laguna Hills High and UC Santa Barbara, threw his third complete game this season, giving up two runs and five hits, striking out eight batters and walking no one in a 107-pitch effort to improve to 11-4 with a 3.31 earned-run average.

The Indians, who lead the American League wild-card race, are a major league-best 37-15 since June 4.

Possible homecoming

Patrick Sandoval, who will be called up from triple A to start Monday night’s game at Cincinnati, called his major league debut “a dream come true.”

And if the left-hander who grew up an Angels fan and graduated from Mission Viejo High sticks around long enough to pitch in Anaheim next week?

“That would be unreal,” Sandoval said. “It would be unbelievable to pitch in front of my family and friends. There’s nothing more you could ask for right there.”

Sandoval, 22, was acquired from Houston for catcher Martin Maldonado in July 2018. He said he was a “little bit” surprised to be promoted after having a combined 4-7 record and a 5.71 ERA in 20 starts for double-A Mobile and Salt Lake.

But with Pena suffering a season-ending knee injury Saturday, Canning injuring his elbow and Andrew Heaney not expected to return from a shoulder injury until later this week, the Angels had few options.

“I don’t get caught up in the [Pacific Coast League] numbers,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “He’s generally pitched well.”

Short hops

Mike Trout’s sixth-inning double to left field was his 250th. The center fielder is the sixth player to have 275 home runs and 250 doubles before turning 28, joining Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., Jimmie Foxx and Mel Ott, all Hall of Famers. … Infielder Wilfredo Tovar and first baseman-pitcher Jared Walsh were recalled from Salt Lake. Both reached the stadium about an hour before the game, and Walsh struck out in an eighth-inning pinch-hit appearance.