Seattle (#9) Defeats LAA (#8) in 4

Game 1: Paxton vs Ramirez

Seattle drew first blood as Mike Zunino hit a home run in the top of the first. Neither team got much offense after that until Mike Trout hit a solo blast to tie the game in the bottom of the 4^th (spoiler alert: Mr Trout will be heard from again). In the top of the 6^th, the Mariners strung together three straight singles to ultimately plate 2 runs, giving them a 3-1 lead that held up until the bottom of the 9^th. With Mariners’ closer Edwin Diaz on the mound, Mike Trout hit his 2^nd home run of the game to make it 3-2 before Diaz struck out Eric Young Jr. to ice the win.

Game 2: E. Ramirez vs Bridwell

Mariners got on the board early in this game as well, as a Mitch Haniger solo home run as well as two singles and a walk in the top of the second gave Seattle a 3-0 lead. This lead wasn’t threatened until the bottom of the 5^th when Angels’ Kole Calhoun and Caleb Cowart both singled to start the inning. Seattle brought in reliever Nick Vincent to quench the fire, and the score remained 3-0 until the bottom of the 9^th. The first four Mariners reached base in the 9^th, requiring Edwin Diaz to make another appearance. With the bases loaded, Diaz induced Martin Maldonado into a double play and the Mariners held on to win 3-1.

Game 3: F. Hernandez vs Shoemaker

Angels plated 2 runs in the top of the first, as Trout hit his third homer of the series. No more scoring until the fourth, when Albert Pujols hit a two run blast to put the Angels up 4-0. Zunino got the Mariners within two with a homer in the bottom of the inning, but the Angels would go on to score two runs in each of the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th to put the game out of reach. Pujols contributed his second homer of the game in the 7^th as part of the barrage, as the Mariners went on to win 10-4.

Game 4: Leake vs Skaggs

In a well-pitched game, runs were once again hard to come by. Andrellton Simmons drove home Camerin Maybin in the op of the 3^rd, but Seattle’s Kyle Seager hit a two run shot in the bottom of the 4^th to give the Mariners a 2-1 lead. The lead didn’t hold up for long, as the Angels tied the game in the top  of the 5^th. Game remained knotted at 2-2 until the bottom of the 8^th, when Mitch Haniger hit a sac fly to plate Tyler Motter with the go ahead run for the Mariners. Trusty closer Edwin Diaz again trotted in from the bullpen. Kole Calhoun singled and after an error advanced to 2^nd base with no outs. Ben Revere grounded out, but Calhoun advanced to 3^rd on the play. With only one out and the tying run 90 feet away, tension was high. However, Cliff Pennington and Justin Upton both grounded out and the Mariners won the game and the series.

--submitted by Bill Schneider--