Catcher Mike Napoli's major league track record paints him as a streaky hitter. But even by those standards his recent surge stands out.
Napoli had no extra-base hits in his first 15 games and had a batting average under .200 into May. In 23 games this month, though, he is hitting .311 (24-for-75) with 16 extra-base hits (nine doubles, seven home runs). The seven home runs and 16 extra-base hits are personal bests for any single month and the most home runs by an Angels catcher since Lance Parrish hit seven in June 1990.
"Mike tends to get long with his swing, and I think his early struggles forced him to get short. And by getting short, he's had a good, clean path to the ball," manager Mike Scioscia said.
Scioscia also praised Napoli for raising the level of his...
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