Latest news with #RayMontgomery
Al Arabiya
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Emotions run high, as 4 Angels batters are hit by pitches in 8-5 win over Rangers
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The benches cleared in the eighth inning of the Los Angeles Angels' 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, and even though no punches were thrown, emotions ran high after the game. Rangers reliever Shawn Armstrong hit Zach Neto and Mike Trout with consecutive pitches to load the bases, prompting Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery to walk toward the plate, wave his arms, and yell at Texas manager Bruce Bochy. 'I just heard the yelling, and that was enough,' Bochy said. '(Hitting guys intentionally) was the last thing (we were trying to do). I brought Armstrong in to keep them from scoring a run. But I guess we hit somebody and it's intentional, but when they hit (Rangers shortstop Corey) Seager it's not. I just thought that was enough.' Montgomery said his outburst was fueled in part by Neto being hit by Patrick Corbin in the first inning and Luis Rengifo being hit by Caleb Boushley in the seventh, but he did not accuse the Rangers of purposely throwing at the Angels. 'You hit our second baseman, our shortstop (twice), and then Mike (Trout) – the only thing I said was, 'How many times are you going to hit a guy?'' Montgomery said. 'I wasn't insinuating that they were intentionally doing it by any means. When that happens, everybody's angry in the moment. I was just frustrated that our guys were getting hit, and I wanted him to command the ball a little bit better.' The Angels appreciated the fight their manager showed. 'I think the boys loved it – he's sticking up for his guys,' Trout said. 'I've been saying it since day one. We have a tight group here; we play for each other.' The Angels trailed 4-3 in the sixth inning when they rallied for four two-out runs. Gustavo Campero hit an RBI double for a 4-all tie, Yoán Moncada lined a pinch-hit two-run single to right for a 6-4 lead, and Neto added an RBI double for a 7-4 lead. The Angels were outhit 14-6 but still found a way to win for the fourth time in five games, improve to 53-55, and move to within four games of an AL wild-card spot ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Texas (56-52) is one game out of the playoff picture. Veteran closer Kenley Jansen, the subject of trade rumors while the Angels determine whether they will add players or shed players before the deadline, threw a scoreless ninth for his 20th save, extending his consecutive scoreless streak to 17 games. 'I still believe in this team, man,' Jansen said of the Angels, who are trying to snap a 10-year playoff drought. 'It's up to the front office to determine what direction they go, but if they can figure out how we can improve, we have an offense that can win ballgames. I like this group of guys. I want to be a part of turning this franchise around.'
New York Times
30-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mike Trout on Angels manager's benches-clearing defense after HBPs: ‘The boys love it'
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Benches cleared during a chaotic eighth inning at Angel Stadium on Tuesday night, leading to a war of words between Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy and interim Los Angeles skipper Ray Montgomery. After Rangers reliever Shawn Armstrong hit two Angels batters in back-to-back plate appearances, Montgomery left the Angels' dugout and stormed to the opposing dugout in frustration. Advertisement 'The only thing I said was, 'How many times are you going to hit a guy,'' Montgomery said after the Angels' 8-5 victory. 'I wasn't insinuating that they were intentionally doing it. … Throw the ball over the plate.' Four Angels batters were hit on the evening. Mike Trout was hit on the wrist, but he said his guard protected him. Luis Rengifo was hit in the inning prior and stayed in the game. Neto was plunked twice. 'I think the boys love it,' Trout said of his manager taking a stand. 'Sticking up for his players, sticking up for his guys. It's fun to see.' Montgomery — who took over for manager Ron Washington in June — said he understood why the Rangers would be upset at him, but he said he made it clear to Bochy that he wasn't accusing Texas of throwing at the Angels on purpose. At the time, the Rangers were down by two runs. Bochy, the Rangers' legendary manager, exited the dugout as benches cleared and bullpen members raced toward the action. Home plate umpire Marvin Hudson got between Montgomery and Bochy, and tempers simmered after a few moments. 'I just heard the yelling and that was enough,' Bochy said. '(Hitting guys intentionally) was the last thing (we were trying to do). I brought (Armstrong) in to keep them from scoring a run. But I guess we hit somebody and it's intentional, but when they hit (Corey) Seager it's not. I just thought that was enough.' This is the third bench-clearing skirmish for the Angels this season, though none has resulted in ejections. (Photo of Montgomery on Tuesday: Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images)
New York Times
24-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Why the Angels need to embrace role as sellers ahead of trade deadline
NEW YORK — After the Angels were swept by the Mets on Wednesday afternoon, interim manager Ray Montgomery walked into the visitors clubhouse, where many players ambled around their lockers. It wasn't a formal team meeting; not everyone was present. Still, he wanted to deliver a message. 'I said to the guys, there wasn't one ounce of quit,' Montgomery said. 'The guys kept grinding through a tough game that could have gotten away from us, and it didn't. We had chances. I was proud of the way we kept fighting.' Advertisement He's right. The Angels have played inspired baseball, sometimes even in losses. It's a team that is far more enjoyable to watch than the 99-loss disaster of last season. But when it comes to the tough choices this organization needs to consider over the next week, fight, heart and competence really shouldn't matter that much. The Angels, GM Perry Minasian and owner Arte Moreno need to face facts. They have a 2.8 percent chance to make the postseason this year, according to FanGraphs. They are 4 1/2 games out and have six teams ahead of them fighting for the final wild-card spot. It's not impossible. But anything other than preparing to sell wouldn't be prudent. Minasian declined to discuss the deadline approach Monday at Citi Field, stating he'd talk next after the July 31 deadline passes. He hasn't taken questions from reporters since the beginning of July. There's a lot of interest in Angels players, and competing teams around the league are very hopeful that they sell. It's a huge opportunity for a team that has proven something very important this season: Acquiring good young players eventually leads to more wins. This deadline presents an opportunity to lean into that even more, given they have leverage over competing teams desperate to improve. It's an opportunity to put the franchise in a position to be legitimately competitive long-term. That might mean trading players with more than one year of team control. That includes Taylor Ward, Reid Detmers and José Soriano, among others, all of whom have been inquired about by competing clubs. Reasonable people could disagree on just how aggressive a sell-off the Angels want to conduct. But there's no reasonable argument for anything other than selling, as things stand presently. Particularly as Moreno has been more frugal in his free-agent spending over the years, with Yusei Kikuchi's 3-year, $63 million contract marking the most expensive deal since 2019. Advertisement Leveraging the deadline is a crucial element of building a competitive operation. But it's unclear if Moreno understands that. And Minasian, whose contract expires after next season, might not be inclined to think far beyond 2026. It will ultimately come down to Moreno's inclinations, as always. One team source suggested before the Mets series that he might not want to sell off, since it's unfair to the fans. That's flawed logic — the kind they've employed over the last 11 dreadful seasons. What's unfair to the fans is a malaise of perpetual failure. They've been different iterations of bad every year since 2015. Sure, they have a higher floor than the Rockies or White Sox. But with their modus operandi, their ceiling is also a lot lower. Trading a player like Ward would be tough. And it would hurt their chances in 2026. But it might also bring back talented players who could be the backbone of their competitive window. That's how good teams build, and rebuild quickly — by establishing a pipeline of talent that has not existed in Anaheim in a long time. Winning often requires tough choices and sacrifice. That's the mindset the Angels need to employ, but almost certainly won't. They have always operated in the interest of cobbling together a good enough team, not building something self-sustaining. That's why trading players with years of team control is often off-limits this time of year. The Angels' run differential this season is minus-65. They are 19-12 in one-run games. And they have remained extremely healthy, thus far, throughout the season. They went the entire first half of the season using the same five starting pitchers. Players, coaches and fans want to, and should, look for the positives in evaluating where the Angels are. Hope and optimism can help a club. But front offices need to be cold calculators in assessing the operations. They need to ask if what they've built is actually good enough to be one of the best teams after 162 games. Advertisement The Angels were not overmatched by the Mets. But the sweep highlighted areas of weakness. Poor defensive decision-making was on display. The bullpen wasn't able to lock down leads. And the offense missed several big scoring chances. 'It's frustrating,' Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe said after his team blew a four-run lead in a loss Monday. 'We've got to win games in the second half. We're over good looks, we're over good signs. We've got to win games.' This is what you want your starting catcher to say. This is exactly the right mindset, and whether the Angels sell, the players need to keep that way of thinking. But there needs to be a distinction between what the players' goals are in the clubhouse and the prudent decisions of a big-league front office. Maybe they'll go 7-0 this week, and change the entire calculation. If that happens, great, you can reset. The whole point, however, is that this team's decision-makers need to be preparing for what's most likely, instead of praying for a miracle. (Top photo of Ray Montgomery: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
Reuters
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Angels hope to stay hot against Phillies
July 19 - Ray Montgomery hopes that as the weather continues to heat up, so will the bats of the Los Angeles Angels. The second half of the season got off to a good start for the Angels on Friday, and they'll look to author another solid effort on Saturday when they continue their road series with the Philadelphia Phillies. After closing the first half of the season by taking two of three against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Angels hit three home runs in Friday's 6-5 victory in Philadelphia. Taylor Ward hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh, following earlier blasts by Jo Adell and Jorge Soler. "I was just going to say that (Ward) needs to play in the humidity," said Montgomery, the Angels' interim manager. "The guy loves to play when it's warm. Again, three home runs tonight -- Soler, him and Jo keeps on doing it. That's kind of our MO. At any given time, any of our guys can do that." The Phillies also hit three home runs, including two by Bryce Harper. The two-time MVP had previously managed only one homer in 11 games since returning from the disabled list in late June. "He looks great," Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. "He's using the (whole) field and it looks like he's seeing the ball really well right now." Kyle Schwarber added a solo homer for Philadelphia, carrying over the momentum from Tuesday's All-Star Game, where the veteran designated hitter took home MVP honors after homering on all three of his swings during the game-deciding home run derby. "He does amazing things," Thomson said. "After that All-Star Game and coming up and first swing he hits the ball out of the ballpark, everybody was like, 'That's Schwarbs!'" Schwarber and Harper will aim for more productive swings against left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (4-6, 3.11 ERA), who was selected to this week's All-Star Game but elected not to pitch in the contest. Kikuchi's most recent outing came last Saturday against the Diamondbacks, when he allowed three runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings to earn the victory. Kikuchi has made one career start against Philadelphia -- in August 2023 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. He gave up one run and four hits in six innings but did not get a decision in the 2-1 victory. The Phillies will turn to veteran righty Taijuan Walker (3-5, 3.55), who has nine starts and 11 relief appearances this season. He last pitched July 8 against the San Francisco Giants, when he started and yielded one run and two hits over four innings. "I think it can be very difficult," Thomson said about Walker going back and forth between the rotation and the bullpen. "I think it depends on the guy. I think it can be very difficult. In Walker's case, I think he's handled it very professionally. He's been a great team guy throughout this whole thing." All nine of Walker's previous appearances against the Angels have come as a starter. In those outings, he has posted a 5-3 record with a 5.06 ERA. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Angels Facing Major Mike Trout Decision After All-Star Game
Angels Facing Major Mike Trout Decision After All-Star Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It feels like old times in Anaheim, what with Mike Trout staying in the lineup and the Los Angeles Angels not only hovering around .500, but lingering in the playoff race. Advertisement Evidently, the Angels are willing to take a significant risk this summer. Despite exclusively manning the designated hitter role since late May, Trout and the Angels are eying him returning to the outfield. Trout hasn't played right field since April 30, shortly before going on the injured list with a right knee bone bruise. "I still feel a little achy here and there," Trout said before the All-Star Break, "but I think the four days will give me some time to rest a little bit and come back and do some outfield stuff and see how it feels." Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike TroutDaniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery said the club initially envisioned rotating various players at DH. Jorge Soler has served as the starting right fielder in recent months. Advertisement Montgomery also acknowledged that the Angels can no longer "run [Trout] out there" and assume that he's "good to go." However, he played right field 22 times in his first 29 games before the knee injury. "We're gonna have to communicate like we've been," Montgomery explained. "Ease him back in and get the best of Mike Trout." Trout entered the All-Star Break batting .238 with 17 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .836 OPS in 299 plate appearances. He's on pace for his most walks since 2019, and the 47-49 Angels have a chance for their first winning season in 10 years. Related: Yankees' Carlos Rodón Sends Clear Message After Death Threats Related: Former $41 Million All-Star Makes Feelings Clear on Terry Francona This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
