SPORTS
D F RIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019::L ATIMES.COM/SPORTS
D
They make the Rams’ re-
ceiving corps one the NFL’s
most dynamic and produc-
tive units.
Brandin Cooks and
Robert Woods each eclipsed
1,000 yards receiving last
season, and Cooper Kupp
might have done the same
had he not suffered a sea-
son-ending knee injury.
Kupp’s setback opened
the door for Josh Reynolds
to showcase his skills.
Now the Rams have more
than a high-profile receiving
triumvirate. As Woods de-
scribed it upon his arrival at
training camp last month, it
is a “four-headed monster”
thanks to Reynolds.
“For them to see me in
that way,” Reynolds said,
“it’s awesome.”
Reynolds, a 2017 fourth-round draft pick from Texas
A&M, started eight games
last season and finished
with 29 receptions for 402
yards. He caught five touch-
downpasses, including two
in the Rams’ victory over the
Green Bay Packers, and two
in the regular-season finale
against the San Francisco
49ers.
Reynolds’ 19-yard recep-
[SeeRams, D3]Reynolds gives
Rams offense
an extra option
Woods says third-year
player part of a
‘four-headed monster’
at wide receiver.
By Gary KleinJOSH REYNOLDShad
five touchdowns in 2018.Michael Owen BakerAPHOUSTON — When this tumultuous season
ends, the Angels know they must overhaul their
pitching staff. Their rotation has been in sham-
bles for years, and it became even more of a
wreck after promising rookie Griffin Canning
was sidelined for the season Thursday with an
elbow injury.
General manager Billy Eppler said last
month he will focus during the offseason on re-
pairing the damage. Issues are not limited to
the mound, however. There is a matching prob-
lem 60 feet 6 inches away.
The Angels have struggled to find a satis-
factory catcher since trading Martin Maldo-
nado in July 2018. None of the stopgaps they
used immediately after Maldonado’s departure
remain in the organization. They tried to
squeeze value from veteran Jonathan Lucroy,
but he didn’t improve the defensive trends that
had long been in decline. He was designated for
assignment Aug. 2 and is now a backup for the
Chicago Cubs.
Max Stassi, acquired from the Houston
Astros at the trading deadline, has yielded early
positive returns on the defensive end but not at
the plate. Stassi has three hits in 35 at-bats
since joining the Angels, two coming in Wednes-
day’s loss to the
MAX STASSIhas three hits in 35 at-bats since joining the An-
gels. Backup Anthony Bemboom is batting .167 with one homer.Steven SenneAssociated PressNO WAY
TO MASK
THE ISSUE
By Maria Torres
[SeeAngels,D4]Angels catchers don’t do much
offensively, but Eppler focuses
on their defensive contributions
For the first time in his
major-league career, a dec-
ade-long period of stable ex-
cellence, Kenley Jansen was
booed at Dodger Stadium
on Wednesday. The fans, af-
ter years of cascading the
closer with cheers, flipped
their tone when they
watched Jansen surrender a
tying home run to Toronto
Blue Jays first baseman
Rowdy Tellez. It was the lat-
est installment in an unset-
tling season for the former
All-Star. The dissent had
been building up. It boiled
over Wednesday.
“I get it. Boo me,” Jansen
said before the Dodgers’ 3-2
walk-off win over the Blue
Jays on Thursday. “Yeah ...
I’d boo myself. I didn’t want
the results. I was [hurting]
myself out there.”
The reactions, from spec-
tators and performer, did
not derive from a poor out-
ing in late August with the
Dodgers holding a gigantic
lead in the NL West. Los An-
geles emerged with a 20-
game lead in the division
anyway while no other divi-
sion leader in majors
boasted one in the double
digits. The game was irrele-
vant. But in the backdrop
sits this question: Can the
Dodgers seize another pen-Jansen
elicits
boos,
worry
Dodgers keep winning
but the closer realizes
he must adjust his
approach to succeed.
DODGERS 3
TORONTO 2By Jorge Castillo[SeeDodgers, D5]Matt Beaty had seen it
before. The floppy blond
hair. The low leg kick. The
towering overhead release
point. The blistering sinker
with late, devastating bite.
Beaty had never faced
Noah Syndergaard before
the Dodgers’ game against
the New York Mets on May
- But thanks to the newest
hitting tool at the Dodgers’
disposal, the rookie already
had a feel for Syndergaard’s
stuff. When he stepped to the
plate, he knew what to ex-
pect.
Beaty is among a growing
contingent of Dodgers em-
bracing virtual reality bat-
ting practice, a cutting-edge
device that uses a VR head-
set to create immersive visu-
al experiences and simulate
IT’S ALL IN
YOUR HEAD
Dodgers turn to virtual reality to create immersive visual experiences
through simulated at-bats, but not every player has fully bought in
By Jack Harris
THE HEADSETcan display release point, velocity and movement of
pitches thrown by any pitcher against the backdrop of any stadium. [SeeVirtual reality,D5]at-bats against opposing
pitchers.
The release point, veloc-
ity and movement of pitches
thrown by any MLB pitcher
against the backdrop of any
stadium can be summoned
with a few keystrokes and
observed through the head-
set. Batters can hold a mini-
ature bat with a toggle they
press to indicate when
they’d begin a swing, or they
can merely watch the com-
puter-generated pitches.
Like learning the litany of
features on a new smart-
phone, the Dodgers — who
are fully implementing the
device for the first time this
season — have explored the
best way to incorporate the
VR system, which is manu-
factured by Win Reality and
used by nine or so teams. For
a club hoping to finally win aHOME RUNS12 26th
- Minnesota, 36
ON-BASE PCT..304 19th
- Milwaukee, .366
RBI52 22nd (tie)
- N.Y. Yankees, 87
SLUGGING PCT..350 27th
- Seattle, .547
BATTING AVG..225 24th
- Seattle, .301
ON-BASE+SLG PCT..654 26th
- Seattle, .907
NOT CATCHING ON AT THE PLATE
The Angels have received little offensive production from their catch-
ers this season. Where their catchers rank among the 30 MLB teams
in six key categories (numbers through Wednesday’s games):UPCOMING SERIESDodgers vs.
N.Y. Yankees
AT DODGER STADIUMTonight: 7, SportsNet LA
Saturday:1 p.m., FS1,
SportsNet LA
Sunday:4 p.m., ESPNTHE VIRTUAL REALITYbatting practice system by Win Reality combines data-driven models, video and computer-generated
images to create a realistic simulation inside the goggles. The Dodgers are among the teams that have embraced the technology.
Images from Win Reality