Read More: Peter Bourjos (CF – ANA), Trevor Bell (P – ANA), Mike Trout (CF – ANA), Minnesota Twins, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins at Los Angeles Angels, Sep 4, 2011 12:35 PM PDT

Before the Los Angeles Angels’ series finale with the Minnesota Twins Sunday in Anaheim, the Halos have recalled starting pitcher Trevor Bell from Triple A Salt Lake. Joked Sam Miller of the Orange County Register:

Trevor Bell is in the clubhouse. Trevor Bell has been recalled or Trevor Bell is about to be in big trouble.

In 16 relief appearances for the Angels this season, Bell is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA, with 10 walks and 16 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings. The 24-year old made 10 starts and one relief appearance in Triple A this season, going 2-5 with a 6.27 ERA in the Pacific Coast League.

Here are the starting lineups for Sunday’s series finale:

Twins (58-80)

Revere CF
Plouffe 2B
Mauer DH
Cuddyer RF
Kubel LF
Valencia 3B
Hughes 1B
Nishioka SS
Butera C

Angels (75-64)

Aybar SS
Kendrick 2B
Abreu DH
Hunter RF
Trumbo 1B
Wells LF
Callaspo 3B
Trout CF
Conger C

Peter Bourjos started 37 consecutive games in center field for the Angels before Sunday’s off day. Mike Trout gets the call in center field in the series finale.

Sunday’s 12:35 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more news and information on the Angels, be sure to read Halos Heaven.

CLEVELAND — Rain kept Cleveland from a possible three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, though the Indians still gained a half game in the AL Central race.

Despite having a 1-0 lead washed away after two innings and waiting two hours, 55 minutes for umpires to call it, Cleveland moved within 21/2 games of first-place Detroit when the Tigers lost in Baltimore 8-5.

Cleveland went 4-1 on its homestand, winning two of three from the Tigers, then two in a row from the Twins.

No makeup date was announced. The Twins return to Cleveland on Sept. 23, when Sunday’s washout probably will be part of a day-night doubleheader — the third upcoming for the Indians.

Acta hopes to have second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley back by the time the Indians play three games in Chicago starting Tuesday and then go to Detroit on Friday for a three-game weekend set.

“We still have a month and a half left, but this week’s trip is important,” Acta said. “The rest gives them some time and they should be ready to go. Otherwise we have some decisions to make.”

Brantley appeared once as a pinch runner over the past four games because of a sore right wrist. Kipnis has not played since Friday because of a sore right side.

“He did it with all that diving around (making catches) in the 14-inning game Tuesday,” Acta said.

The Twins played the two innings Sunday without catcher Joe Mauer and outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span because of nagging aches and pains.

Ezequiel Carrera hit the second pitch thrown by Twins starter Kevin Slowey for a double. Shin-Soo Choo singled home Carrera on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland recalled David Huff from Triple-A Columbus to start. The left-hander retired six straight, four on strikeouts, before it rained.

Cleveland sent outfielder Shelley Duncan to Columbus to clear roster room for Huff.

 

“It’s too bad because I felt I was pitching well, pitching aggressively,” Huff said. “I can’t control the weather.”

Manager Manny Acta knows the Indians are going to be busy down the stretch as they try to overtake Detroit and stay ahead of third-place Chicago.

“The games are piling up,” Acta said. “It looks like we’ll probably have nine games in seven days.”

Cleveland already must play a day-night doubleheader Aug. 23 against Seattle, a single-game makeup against the Mariners on Sept. 19, and another day-nighter Sept. 20 against the Chicago White Sox.

 

Kipnis had his right side taped Sunday and said that he has felt discomfort when he swings the bat, but believes he should be ready by Tuesday. Cleveland has today off. The Indians only have two more open dates, Aug. 25 and Sept. 12, the rest of the season.

A trip to the disabled list is possible for either player as the Indians can’t afford to play short-handed with an offense already missing outfielder Grady Sizemore.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire actually welcomed the washout.

“In a strange way it helped us because now some guys got a day,” Gardenhire said.

 

 

Notes: The Indians will open their three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday with recently acquired RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) facing White Sox RHP Gavin Floyd (10-10). The Indians are just 1-6 against Chicago this year. Floyd gave up four hits over 7 2-3 innings in Cleveland in a 3-0 win on July 22. … The Twins open a three-game series in Detroit today with LHP Francisco Liriano (8-10) opposing Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (11-7). Liriano has been hit hard by the AL Central-leading Tigers this year, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA. … Cuddyer remains day-to-day with a sore neck, Span is 1 for 31 since returning Aug. 2 from a concussion, and Mauer has general soreness.

 

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rain kept Cleveland from a possible three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, though the Indians still gained a half game in the AL Central race.

Despite having a 1-0 lead was washed away after two innings and waiting two hours, 55 minutes for umpires to call it, Cleveland moved within 2½ games of first-place Detroit when the Tigers lost in Baltimore 8-5.

Cleveland went 4-1 on its homestand, winning two of three from the Tigers, then two in a row from the Twins.

No makeup date was announced, but manager Manny Acta knows the Indians are going to be very busy down the stretch as they try to overtake Detroit and stay ahead of third-place Chicago.

“The games are piling up,” Acta said. “It looks like we’ll probably have nine games in seven days.”

The Twins return to Cleveland on Sept. 23, when Sunday’s washout probably will be part of a day-night doubleheader — the third upcoming for the Indians.

Cleveland already must play a day-night doubleheader Aug. 23 against Seattle, a single-game makeup against the Mariners on Sept. 19, and another day-nighter on Sept. 20 against the Chicago White Sox.

Acta hopes to have second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley back by the time the Indians play three games in Chicago starting Tuesday and then go to Detroit on Friday for a three-game weekend set.

“We still have a month and a half left, but this week’s trip is important,” Acta said. “The rest gives them some time and they should be ready to go. Otherwise we have some decisions to make.”

Brantley appeared once as a pinch runner over the past four games because of a sore right wrist. Kipnis has not played since Friday because of a sore right side.

“He did it with all that diving around (making catches) in the 14-inning game Tuesday,” Acta said.

Kipnis had his right side taped Sunday and said that he has felt discomfort when he swings the bat, but believes he should be ready by Tuesday. Cleveland has Monday off. The Indians only have two more open dates, Aug. 25 and Sept. 12, the rest of the season.

A trip to the disabled list is possible for either player as the Indians can’t afford to play short-handed with an offense already missing outfielder Grady Sizemore.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire actually welcomed the washout.

“In a strange way it helped us because now some guys got a day,” Gardenhire said. The Twins played the two innings Sunday without catcher Joe Mauer and outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span due to nagging aches and pains.

Ezequiel Carrera hit the second pitch thrown by Twins starter Kevin Slowey for a double. Shin-Soo Choo singled home Carrera on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland recalled David Huff from Triple-A Columbus to start. The left-hander retired six straight, four on strikeouts, before it rained.

“It’s too bad because I felt I was pitching well, pitching aggressively,” Huff said. “I can’t control the weather.”

Notes: Cleveland sent OF Shelley Duncan to Columbus to clear roster room for Huff. … The Indians will open their three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday with recently acquired RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) facing White Sox RHP Gavin Floyd (10-10). The Indians are just 1-6 against Chicago this year. Floyd gave up four hits over 7 2-3 innings in Cleveland in a 3-0 win on July 22. … The Twins open a three-game series in Detroit on Monday with LHP Francisco Liriano (8-10) opposing Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (11-7). Liriano has been hit hard by the AL Central-leading Tigers this year, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA. … Cuddyer remains day-to-day with a sore neck, Span is 1 for 31 since returning Aug. 2 from a concussion, and Mauer has general soreness.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rain kept Cleveland from a possible three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Sunday, though the Indians still gained a half game in the AL Central race.

Despite having a 1-0 lead was washed away after two innings and waiting two hours, 55 minutes for umpires to call it, Cleveland moved within 2½ games of first-place Detroit when the Tigers lost in Baltimore 8-5.

Cleveland went 4-1 on its homestand, winning two of three from the Tigers, then two in a row from the Twins.

No makeup date was announced, but manager Manny Acta knows the Indians are going to be very busy down the stretch as they try to overtake Detroit and stay ahead of third-place Chicago.

“The games are piling up,” Acta said. “It looks like we’ll probably have nine games in seven days.”

The Twins return to Cleveland on Sept. 23, when Sunday’s washout probably will be part of a day-night doubleheader — the third upcoming for the Indians.

Cleveland already must play a day-night doubleheader Aug. 23 against Seattle, a single-game makeup against the Mariners on Sept. 19, and another day-nighter on Sept. 20 against the Chicago White Sox.

Acta hopes to have second baseman Jason Kipnis and outfielder Michael Brantley back by the time the Indians play three games in Chicago starting Tuesday and then go to Detroit on Friday for a three-game weekend set.

“We still have a month and a half left, but this week’s trip is important,” Acta said. “The rest gives them some time and they should be ready to go. Otherwise we have some decisions to make.”

Brantley appeared once as a pinch runner over the past four games because of a sore right wrist. Kipnis has not played since Friday because of a sore right side.

“He did it with all that diving around (making catches) in the 14-inning game Tuesday,” Acta said.

Kipnis had his right side taped Sunday and said that he has felt discomfort when he swings the bat, but believes he should be ready by Tuesday. Cleveland has Monday off. The Indians only have two more open dates, Aug. 25 and Sept. 12, the rest of the season.

A trip to the disabled list is possible for either player as the Indians can’t afford to play short-handed with an offense already missing outfielder Grady Sizemore.

Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire actually welcomed the washout.

“In a strange way it helped us because now some guys got a day,” Gardenhire said. The Twins played the two innings Sunday without catcher Joe Mauer and outfielders Michael Cuddyer and Denard Span due to nagging aches and pains.

Ezequiel Carrera hit the second pitch thrown by Twins starter Kevin Slowey for a double. Shin-Soo Choo singled home Carrera on the next pitch for a 1-0 lead.

Cleveland recalled David Huff from Triple-A Columbus to start. The left-hander retired six straight, four on strikeouts, before it rained.

“It’s too bad because I felt I was pitching well, pitching aggressively,” Huff said. “I can’t control the weather.”

Notes: Cleveland sent OF Shelley Duncan to Columbus to clear roster room for Huff. … The Indians will open their three-game series in Chicago on Tuesday with recently acquired RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (1-0) facing White Sox RHP Gavin Floyd (10-10). The Indians are just 1-6 against Chicago this year. Floyd gave up four hits over 7 2-3 innings in Cleveland in a 3-0 win on July 22. … The Twins open a three-game series in Detroit on Monday with LHP Francisco Liriano (8-10) opposing Tigers RHP Rick Porcello (11-7). Liriano has been hit hard by the AL Central-leading Tigers this year, going 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA. … Cuddyer remains day-to-day with a sore neck, Span is 1 for 31 since returning Aug. 2 from a concussion, and Mauer has general soreness.

A week ago, as the Diamondbacks limped into town after a disastrous road trip, it was difficult to see this coming.

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Diamondbacks-Twins series | Sunday’s box | MLB scores

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Six wins in a row. Clutch hitting. The hottest team in baseball.

Daniel Hudson pitched eight strong innings Sunday, leading the surging Diamondbacks to a 3-2 interleague win over the Minnesota Twins in front of 31,017 fans at Chase Field. As a result, Arizona is back to .500 for the first time since April 20 and is on its longest win streak in three seasons.

“We’re rolling on a lot of cylinders right now, and it feels good,” Hudson said.

Sunday’s effort closed out a 6-1 homestand for the Diamondbacks, a stretch that included the team’s first two-game and three-game series sweeps of the season and the first sweep of an interleague series at home in franchise history. Among the highlights:

- The return of Willie Bloomquist. The scrappy utility player returned from a hamstring injury May 18, and although he didn’t produce much offensively, it’s clear the Diamondbacks are better with Bloomquist in uniform. His hustle is contagious and his leadership is vital. Sunday, he doubled to lead off the seventh, took third on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly, the eventual winning run.

- The bat of Juan Miranda. Are the Diamondbacks’ questions at first base solved? It would seem so. Miranda is on a tear, hitting .500 (9 of 18) over his past five games. Sunday, he produced Arizona’s first run with a monster home run – his third of the season – in the fourth off Minnesota starter Francisco Liriano. (Miranda left the game in the eighth after getting hit in the lower arm by a pitch. X-rays were negative.)

- The confidence of Kelly Johnson. The second baseman showed signs of breaking his seasonlong slump with two key hits during the homestand, including Saturday’s grand slam. Sunday, Johnson hit the ball hard in three of his four at-bats, doubling in the eighth.

Then there’s Hudson. The 24-year-old right-hander picked up the first win of the homestand and, fittingly, the last. Against the Twins, he went a season-high eight innings, producing his sixth consecutive quality start. Hudson (5-5) gave up two runs and eight hits, striking out six and walking none. Over his past five starts, Hudson is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA.

“Starting pitching this whole homestand set the tone for everything,” said closer J.J. Putz, who picked up his 12th consecutive save to start the season, a franchise record. “It put us in position to score some runs and let the bullpen come in and finish things off.”

On May 13, the Diamondbacks lost 4-3 to the Dodgers in Los Angeles, their fifth consecutive loss, one that dropped them a season-high seven games below .500 and 5.5 games out of first in the NL West. They won their final two against the Dodgers, winning the series, but lost the homestand opener against the Padres.

They’ve been hot ever since, a much-needed momentum boost entering a seven-game trip that starts Tuesday with a doubleheader in Colorado.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Bloomquist said. “Somebody new every night it seems like is making the big pitch or getting a big hit or making a big play. A great homestand is a good way to bounce back after a not-so-great road trip, so hopefully we can carry this one back out on the road.”

Diamondbacks rewind

Keeping it going: Manager Kirk Gibson said the Diamondbacks received contributions from several areas during their six-game winning streak, but the key will be keeping it going. After Monday’s off-day, the Diamondbacks open a seven-game trip starting with a Tuesday doubleheader in Colorado.

“We want to keep climbing,” Gibson said. “We have to be much better.”

The Diamondbacks will play the Rockies four times before heading to Houston for a three-game series.

“It’s tough,” Gibson said. “It doesn’t get easy, but you just have to cherish the opportunity.”

Miranda removed: First baseman Juan Miranda left Sunday’s game in the eighth inning after getting hit in the lower arm by a pitch. X-rays were negative. “Yes, it’s a little sore, but it’s nothing serious,” Miranda said as teammate Miguel Montero translated.

Gibson said Miranda would be re-evaluated Monday in Colorado. Miranda has been hot at the plate, hitting .500 (9 of 18) over his past five games.

“When you’re swinging the bat good, they have to move the ball around on you a little bit,” Gibson said. “If he gets his arms extended, he has a lot of power.”

Drew gets a day off: Gibson gave shortstop Stephen Drew the day off Sunday, starting Willie Bloomquist at shortstop.

“He’s been grinding,” Gibson said of Drew. “He’s probably going through a period where he’s not swinging the bat as good as he was early in the year, but playing shortstop every day and (hitting fourth) every day, those are pretty important roles on the team.”

View from the press box

There’s a lot to like about this team right now. The Diamondbacks have won eight of nine, including six in a row, to climb back into NL West contention. Their starting pitching has been great, the bullpen strong. They’re even coming up with a few clutch hits every now and again. The next step: Doing it on the road. Arizona is 7-13 entering this seven-game trip. It’ll be interesting to see where they stand when they return to Chase Field on May 30.