very real underdog mentality to The Miz, a

HOUSTON -- At the end of a disappointing season, Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are having a little fun this weekend in Houston.Kole Calhoun had a season-high three hits and two RBI, and the Angels scored nine runs in the final two innings to rally for the second straight game in a 10-4 victory over the Astros on Saturday night.It was the third straight victory in this series for the Angels, who scored six runs in the ninth inning on Friday night to win 10-6.Now that were out of it were trying to be spoilers, Trout said. Were trying to win every game we play. Were playing teams down the stretch that are in the playoff hunt still, especially these guys. We play them again at home and theyre still in it.It was another costly loss for the Astros, who fell to three games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card.Weve hit another rough patch, manager A.J. Hinch said. The seasons not over. Were going to continue to bounce back and try to get us a win tomorrow.Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and C.J. Cron each added two RBI for Los Angeles.The Angels trailed by three entering the eighth before hitting three straight singles with one out to make it 4-2 and chase rookie Chris Devenski. Luke Gregerson (4-2) took over and was greeted by a soft liner from Trout, which dropped for an RBI single to get Los Angeles within one.A fifth straight single, this one by Pujols, sent home another run to tie it. A wild pitch left Trout at third, and he scored on Crons sacrifice fly to put Los Angeles on top.The biggest thing is when we have guys in scoring position we drive them in, Trout said. Were getting a chance to, when theres guys on base, to get some hits.The Angels tacked on five runs in an embarrassing ninth for the Astros. The last run in that inning scored when second baseman Jose Altuve made a bad throw for an error to reliever Pat Neshek, who was covering first base, and Neshek tripped over the base and fell face first to the dirt.George Springer had four hits and an RBI and for the Astros, who had won 11 straight over the Angels before this skid.Houston led by two in the seventh before an RBI triple by Springer. Yuli Gurriel followed with a run-scoring single to make it 4-1 before Los Angeles rallied once again.Houston starter Brad Peacock allowed one hit and one run while striking out a season-high seven in five innings.Jhoulys Chacin allowed four hits and two runs -- none earned -- in six innings in his third start since making four appearances out of the bullpen. Jose Valdez (2-3) allowed two runs in the seventh for the win.TRAINERS ROOMASTROS: Closer Ken Giles injured his right wrist when he was hit by a line drive during batting practice on Saturday. Trainers ran to the right-hander after he was hit and he remained on his knees on the field for a while before being carted off. X-rays were negative and the team called his injury a bruised right wrist. Giles picked up his fifth blown save this season on Friday night when he gave up six runs in the ninth inning.ANOTHER MILESTONEPujols hit his 602nd career double on Saturday to move past Barry Bonds for sole possession of 15th place on the career doubles list.Every time out he does something, whether he knocks a run in or gets an extra-base hit or home run, its fun to see just what the footnote is and who hes passing, manager Mike Scioscia said. Names are legendary every time he does something now. Its fun to watch.UP NEXTAngels: Rookie Daniel Wright (0-4, 7.48) looks for his first win Sunday. Wright allowed nine hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss to Texas in his last start.Astros: Rookie Joe Musgrove (3-4, 4.42) is scheduled to start for Houston. Musgrove didnt allow a hit until the sixth inning of his last start, yielding two hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings of a 2-1 win over Oakland. Custom Kansas City Royals Nike Jerseys . "Were just throwing s--- at the wall hoping something sticks," said Tortorella about the possible line combinations for Fridays game against Columbus. The Canucks have lost five straight games and six of their last seven, leaving them in a logjam in the Pacific Division, currently sitting fifth - good for ninth in the Western Conference. Custom Milwaukee Brewers Nike Jerseys . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. https://www.custombaseballnikejerseys.com/?tag=custom-arizona-diamondbacks-nike-jerseys .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Custom Los Angeles Dodgers Nike Jerseys . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. Cheap Custom Baseball Jerseys . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. For someone who has played as great a heel as?The Miz?has over his past 10 years in the WWE, theres an undeniable babyface quality to the journey of his career behind the scenes.Ask about the constant battle for respect after his unlikely transition from reality television personality to legitimate WWE superstar, and the arrogant qualities of his villainous character quickly fade from his voice. Instead, youll hear the real Miz, born Michael Mizanin in the Cleveland suburb of Parma, Ohio, who credits his success to the kind of attributes -- hard work and perseverance, to name a couple -- typically reserved for the back of a John Cena T-shirt.Those same attributes were put to the test when his career was at a crossroads in 2015. With The Miz increasingly booked as a punchline, it seemed laughable to imagine him ever returning to the pinnacle of sports entertainment, a level he achieved when he won the WWE championship in 2011 and successfully defended it against?John Cena?in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII. His characters constant reminders of his one shining?moment became his calling card and added fuel to the idea that The Miz had been something of a one-hit wonder.Although he retained plenty of fans for his comedic microphone work as host of the recurring Miz TV segment on RAW and SmackDown, the idea that, at 35, his future had more value as a full-time mouthpiece than in-ring performer was gaining traction. The Miz wont budge on whether the chatter got to him as he toiled away on the lower mid-card -- he prefers to mention that fighting off critics is the story of my life -- but what has come to pass over the first half of 2016 can best be described as a career renaissance, with The Miz putting forth arguably the best work of his career.Think about when I first came to WWE, The Miz told ESPN.com. Everybody said Id be gone within the first three months, and then here I am 10 years later, still at the top of my game, performing at the top level.People are always going to criticize you. They are always going to tell you that youre horrible and you suck. But if you keep evolving and putting the work in, then someday, somehow, they will respect you and will learn that Im not just a guy who can do commentary. My prime is still right now in that WWE ring.What changed? His wrestling certainly became more crisp and fluid. But the catalyst of the rebirth of The Mizs confidence was the return of his wife, former two-time WWE Divas champion?Maryse, who debuted as his?manager one night after WrestleMania 32 in April.Maryse, who left WWE in 2011, emerged from the crowd to aid in The Mizs victory over?Zack Ryder?on RAW, which allowed him to begin a fifth reign as WWE Intercontinental champion. More importantly, Maryse provided an?instant boost to the look and credibility of her husbands character.As soon as she got hired, it gave me a whole new confidence in everything -- in my ability to do promos, in my ability to be in the ring, said The Miz, who gives his wife full credit for his reinvention. When your wife is sitting there watching you ringside, you are kind of showing off, and you dont want to look stupid -- ever.Maryses full-time return to the road has meant even more to their two-year marriage.Im not in one of those relationships where Im like, Ugh, Im with her all the time, and it sucks, The Miz said. Im like, This is what I want. I want to be around her all the time because shes my best friend, and we talk about everything. It brings a whole new light to my life. To be away from her kind of puts you in a down mood.The Mizs turnaround has become one of the WWEs best feel-good stories, with his journey resonating with fans who view him as more of a common man than other larger-than-life superstars. Many havve watched him grow from a 21-year-old frat boy on MTVs The Real World: Back to New York in 2001 into a performer who has regularly defeated the backstage odds.ddddddddddddIn fact, its a testament to how far The Miz has come that his first brush with celebrity was a negative moment that is largely forgotten. During the season opener of The Real World, he stumbled into a heated argument about race with an African-American roommate that presented him as ignorant, if not racist. When the show aired nine months later, there was enough heat and bad press building up in Cleveland that he moved in with his grandfather in Florida until it died down. But as the season progressed, Mizanin went on to win over both castmates and viewers.Sometimes the worst things that you can say really teach you a lot about what you can learn, The Miz told MTV.com in 2014. It made me realize where I was at in my life. Im glad I went through it because it allowed me to open my mind even more and get educated.Subsequent stops on the reality show circuit further showcased his personality (and penchant for cutting pro wrestling promos), which caught the attention of WWE. He was added to the fourth season of WWEs reality show, Tough Enough, and despite finishing as the runner-up, he was offered a developmental contract. Over the next 15 months, in stops at Deep South and Ohio Valley Wrestling, The Miz found the work ethic he grew to rely on.They put me through everything -- hoops and ladders -- and I realized that I could take anything and apply it to any work, life or career, he said. The WWE doesnt just get you ready for the WWE ring. It gets you ready for life.Looking back at his early WWE promos, the influence of?The Rock?-- whom The Miz calls the reason I wanted to become a WWE superstar -- is undeniable. But over time, he began to add from others, including the late?Ravishing Rick Rude.I sometimes literally take some of his lines out and use them because its just an homage to him and how much I really loved his promos, The Miz said. Im looking at this guy basically swinging his hips around and saying, Hey, I want all you fat, lazy sweat hogs to shut your mouth while I take off my robe. Thats just one of the best promos I could ever think of.The Miz is quick to point out that nothing has ever come easily for him as a wrestler -- not even talking -- but he quickly learned the importance of being a student of his craft. After botching some early speaking chances, he went to an improv school in Los Angeles and got an acting coach. From there, he practiced cutting promos on everything in sight, including stop signs while stuck in traffic.Theres a very real underdog mentality to The Miz, and it still drives him.I wasnt born talented, he said. My dad didnt have that great genetics. It wasnt just honed in on me. I was always the person that had to kick, scratch and claw for any ounce of talent that I ever had. I have a competitive edge to me. Im not the most talented person in the world, so I have had to earn every ounce of talent that I had.As The Miz walks confidently into the second half of his WWE career, hes mindful of the lessons he learned from his first run at the top.When you main event WrestleMania in front of 80,000 in a sold-out Georgia Dome, theres a huge and immense amount of pressure, he said. Can you live through that pressure? It made me realize that I have to work harder to get back to WrestleMania. Its hard enough to get to WrestleMania, but to get back to the main event of WrestleMania is even twice as hard. So now, Im on that upward slope of basically trying to get back to where I was in 2011. ' ' '