ANAHEIM, Calif. Joe Mullen Blues Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Angels and Cincinnati Reds dont know much about each other, playing head-to-head only nine times in their respective histories.And they havent played each other at all since 2013, when the lineups of each team looked very different than their current lineups.But the one thing both teams have in common is not something either team is too happy about: Both are in last place, playing out the season and doing a lot of evaluating for next season and beyond.The Angels, though 18 games under .500 and 20 1/2 games out in the American League West, enter the series playing well, having won four of their past five games, beating playoff contenders Toronto and Detroit during that stretch.Not so much for the Reds, 19 games under .500 and 27 games out in the National League Central, who have lost five of seven.The Reds, though, have Dan Straily starting on the mound coming in on a hot streak. Hes 6-0 in his last seven starts and hasnt lost a decision since July 8. He leads the Reds staff in victories (10), innings pitched (151 1/3) and strikeouts (123).A key pitch for Straily is his changeup, and he has been happy to share his secrets with his teammates. In particular, Straily recently was approached by teammate Brandon Finnegan for some help.It was the exact same problem I went through a couple of years ago back when I was in the minor leagues, Straily told mlb.com. Once he told me he was having problems cutting it, I just showed him what helped me stop cutting it and it worked for him. Its just how we hold it. We have the same grip; he was just holding it the same way I used to hold it in college.College balls, the seams allow it to do something different. The seams are smaller and when you throw it the way we threw it back in college, now its like a cutter, sometimes its down, sometimes it goes arm-side, theres no control with the movement, which is a good thing, except when nobody can catch it.The advice paid off when Finnegan struck out a career-high 12 Arizona Diamondback hitters in just six innings last Friday.Straily may have a few tricks up his sleeve against the Angels, at least, compared to what the Angels are used to seeing when facing him. Straily started seven games against the Angels while pitching for Oakland, but went just 1/3 with a 6.69 ERA.Matt Shoemaker will start for the Angels with a record (8-13) that wont strike fear into the Reds hitters. But Shoemaker has been far better than his record shows.Shoemaker has given up two earned runs or fewer in more than half of his starts (13 of 25), but earned the victory in just six of those 13 games.One of Shoemakers biggest problems this season has been a lack of run support. The Angels have scored at least four runs in only 11 of Shoemakers 25 starts. And early runs are even better.Its always good to have a lead, Shoemaker told MLB.com. Its always nice knowing, thats in the back of your mind, Hey weve got a two-run lead or whatever it is. The game plan is to attack the hitters, but then when you have the lead, same thing, attack the hitters, stay aggressive.With just over a month to play, about the only drama the Angels have is whether or not Mike Trout can win another MVP award. Trouts numbers make him a candidate -- .312 average, 24 homers, 82 RBI, 97 runs scored and a league-leading .432 on-base percentage.Surprisingly, though, Angels manager Mike Scioscia generally doesnt believe players from last-place teams deserve to be an MVP.Yes, Scioscia said when asked if the MVP should come from a contender. Unless somebody just separates themselves so much where you go my gosh, this guys 15 more home runs than the next guy, 30 more RBI than the next guy.But I definitely think there needs to be a value on how youve affected a teams performance. I think to be a contender says a lot about what a player brings to a team. ... When you play on a contender your production has more of an impact on that teams success. Chris Pronger Blues Jersey .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. Robby Fabbri Blues Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. http://www.officialbluesnhlshop.com/david-perron-jersey/ . With the first unit struggling of late and Amir Johnson - one of the teams iron men - hobbling on an injured right ankle, Patterson knew he could get the nod in a challenging matchup against one of the leagues up and coming players at his position. LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- Russian high jumper Anna Chicherova was stripped of her bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics on Thursday, the latest athlete sanctioned after the retesting of stored doping samples.Chicherova, who won the gold medal at the 2012 London Games, tested positive for turinabol and has been retroactively disqualified from Beijing, the International Olympic Committee said.The Russian Olympic Committee should secure the return of her bronze medal as soon as possible, the IOC said.The IOC also asked tracks governing body, the IAAF, to consider any further sanctions against the 34-year-old Chicherova, who is still active but could face a two-year ban.Another Russian -- Yelena Slesarenko -- finished fourth in the high jump in Beijing. She stands to move up to the bronze if the IOC decides to reallocate the medals.The IOC ruling made no mention of Chicherovas gold medal from London, which appears to be unaffected. She told Russian media earlier this year that retests of her 2012 sample came back negative.The IAAF said it would cancel all of Chicherovas results from 2008 to 2010, including her silver medal at the 2009 world championships in Berlin. Chicherova won gold at the 22011 worlds. Jori Lehtera Jersey. The IOC stores doping samples for 10 years to allow for them to be reanalyzed when improved testing methods become available. The new tests can detect the use of steroids going back weeks and months, rather than days.The IOC has recorded 98 positive cases in recent retests of more than 1,000 samples from Beijing and London.The IOCs 22-page written decision in the Chicherova case cited a pattern of delay and obstruction by the athlete and her legal team.The IOC first noted that the athlete and her counsel had been deliberately attempting to obstruct the process, first the analytical process and then the disciplinary proceedings, the ruling said.The IOC also noted that turinabol was a doping substance commonly used in Russia in the concerned period.Chicherova won the high jump at the Russian nationals in June, clearing 1.98 meters.She would have been a potential medal contender at the Rio Games. The IAAF banned the Russian track team -- apart from U.S.-based long jumper Darya Klishina -- from the games over allegations of state-sponsored doping. 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