Mariners score first but not often in disappointing loss to Angels
ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Mariners couldn’t get off to a much better start on Saturday night.
With the sun still baking the playing surface at Angel Stadium, J.P. Crawford worked an 11-pitch walk off Angels starter Jose Soriano to start the game.
After falling behind 0-2 on the first two pitches, Crawford wouldn’t give his first plate appearance of the game away. He watched a ball out of the zone, fouled off two more pitches, watched two more pitches out of the zone and then fouled off three more pitches. Irritated that he was using so many pitches, Soriano finally fired a pitch that wasn’t near the strike zone for ball four.
Perhaps knowing that Soriano wanted to reel in his pitch count, Cal Raleigh ambushed a first-pitch fastball for a single that allowed Crawford to advance all the way to third. Julio Rodriguez had a similar plan, turning the second pitch of his plate appearance – a sinker in the middle – into a single up the middle that scored Crawford.
The Mariners had scored a run three batters into the game and hadn’t made an out.
But it was the only run they would manage in what was eventually disappointing 2-1 loss to the Angels.
With the Astros losing 2-1 to the Rangers, the Mariners’ one-game lead in the American League West remained the same. They will at least go into the All-Star break atop the standings. Whether they will be sharing that lead rests on the hat-rack shoulders of All-Star Logan Gilbert, who gets the start in the final game before the break.
He will need better run support than what was provided on Saturday night.
How did the Mariners only score one run in that first inning, and the whole game?
Well, Mitch Garver hit into a fielder’s choice and Luke Raley bounced into an inning-ending double play.
The Mariners had plenty of opportunities against Soriano, who only worked one clean inning without a base runner. But their seasonlong problem of strikeouts with runners on base reemerged again.
Seattle loaded the bases in the third and fifth innings and couldn’t push across a run.
Meanwhile, they gave the Angels a run with a mishandled throw from the outfield from Raley. The ball got past Crawford and rolled into foul territory to score a run.
• Prospect watch: The Mariners had two prospects — second baseman Cole Young and catcher Harry Ford — selected to play in the Futures Game on as part of the MLB All-Star week festivities. Both started for the American League team. Young, batting second, had an opposite field single in the first inning and finished 1 for 3. Ford, starting at DH, walked in his lone plate appearance. The National League won the game, 6-1.
• Ex-Mariner of the Week: Pirates left-hander Marco Gonzales, out for three months with a forearm strain, made his first start since April 13 and allowed one run with no walks and four strikeouts over five innings in a victory over the White Sox on Friday night. The 32-year-old Gonzales picked up his first win since May 23, 2023 with the Mariners.
• Stat of the week: The Mariners pitching staff leads the majors in batting average against (.220), ranking ahead of the Yankees (.225) and Phillies (.226). The Mariners also entered the weekend with more quality starts (56) than any other staff in the majors and ranked No. 1 in the American League in ERA (3.48), trailing only the Phillies (3.25) and Braves (3.39).