Angels offense unloads, Mariners can’t keep up in series-opening loss
Some of the same troubles that resulted in three losses for the Mariners in Houston seem to have followed them to Anaheim.
Much like they did during the four-game series against the Astros over the weekend, the Mariners gave the Angels a few too many opportunities Tuesday night, and Los Angeles’ lineup went ahead and chipped away, scoring in five separate innings to hand Seattle a 10-2 loss.
Three Mariners pitchers combined to give up eight walks — four of which led to runs — and 10 hits. Max Stassi crunched a three-run homer in the fourth, Albert Pujols added a solo shot in the fifth and Anthony Rendon had a two-run knock in the eighth.
Following three losses in a four-game series in Oakland to open the season, the Angels offense was awake against the Mariners, putting up its highest single-game total of the season so far.
All of that and Mike Trout didn’t even reach base until the eighth inning.
Five games into this shortened season, the Mariners (1-4) are in that unfortunately familiar spot in the American League West basement.
“Our young guys are learning,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said on a video call with reporters postgame. “They’re learning a little bit every night. I think the one thing we’re learning is the value of the little things. ...
“The free bases, the extra 90 feet, it’s a big deal at this level. It really affects the pitching and the pitch count as the game goes along.”
In his first start of the season, Mariners rookie left-hander Justus Sheffield made quick work of the Angels in the opening two frames.
After giving up a leadoff walk, he was aided buy an impressive play by rookie first baseman Evan White, who snagged a liner off Trout’s bat and doubled off David Fletcher.
“He’s just so athletic,” Servais said. “Instinctive. That ball was smoked. To be able to grab that and turn it into a double play, big play just to kind of get the ball rolling for Sheff.”
Sheffield followed up by inducing four consecutive grounders to shortstop, and finished the first two innings facing the minimum.
But, a 39-pitch third inning derailed the outing. He issued a leadoff walk to Tommy La Stella, and after striking out Stassi, served up back-to-back base hits to Taylor Ward and Fletcher. Stassi scored on the first, giving the Angels a 1-0 lead they never lost.
Sheffield then got Trout swinging on a slider, but followed up with another walk to Rendon that loaded the bases. Justin Upton then hit a soft infield grounder, everyone was safe, and Los Angeles pushed the lead to 2-0.
Sheffield forced a pop up from Shohei Ohtani to prevent further damage.
“Certainly the common theme with us for our starters is running into that one inning where the pitch count is getting up there, and tonight was no different,” Servais said. “The walks have certainly played a role in the big innings that we’ve given up.
“I thought with Sheff tonight, we really hadn’t seen him do that. All spring and in summer camp he was just kind of attacking, and getting ahead in the count, and putting people away quickly. Not so easy tonight for him.”
Sheffield, who has made a point of attacking the strike zone in the past season to limit his walks, said it was frustrating to give up the free passes.
“I’ve really worked in the offseason, put in work and continued to work during spring training and summer camp,” he said. “For me to go out there and walk four guys is just unacceptable to this point.
“I’ve done that before. I’ve walked guys. That’s not me anymore and that doesn’t need to be me anymore going forward. Really going to be a focus point going into my work week.”
Sheffield returned for the fourth, but the situation didn’t improve. He reached his pitch limit after opening the inning allowing a base hit to Pujols and walking La Stella.
Nestor Cortes replaced him, and Stassi cranked a three-run homer to center four pitches later.
Sheffield finished tossing three-plus innings allowing the four runs on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts on 67 pitches.
“I think I kind of hit a wall after that (third) inning just trying to get out of it,” he said. “I feel like I exerted a lot of energy. But, still got to go out there in that fourth inning and get the first guy, get Pujols, and can’t be walking guys.
“That’s what it boiled down to tonight, putting guys on base.”
Cortes returned for the sixth and recorded two quick outs before attempting a slowed delivery against Pujols, who was having none of it, and deposited the 0-2 sinker in the left field seats to push the Angels’ lead to 6-2.
Zac Grotz ate up the final three innings for Seattle to preserve fresh arms in the bullpen for the rest of the series, and allowed four runs, including the Rendon homer, while walking three and striking out two. Both batters he walked in the sixth eventually scored.
“The guys that came out of the bullpen certainly made a few mistakes,” Servais said. “You do that against this club, leaving some balls in the middle of the plate, they’ll make you pay. There’s certainly a lot of power in that lineup over there.
“We’ve got things to work on, no question about it.”
The Mariners offense couldn’t keep up as Los Angeles continued to tack on runs.
An opposite-field solo homer from Tim Lopes — his first of the year — in the fourth, and a Shed Long Jr. grounder that scored Dylan Moore in the fifth accounted for Seattle’s only two runs.
Lopes and Moore each finished 2-for-4. Moore’s double in the fifth was the Mariners’ only extra-base hit.
Rookie Kyle Lewis has been one of the few bright spots for Seattle early on, and continued to produce Tuesday, finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of base hits and making an impressive diving catch in the sixth, showing his potential to become an everyday center fielder.
Catcher Austin Nola was a late scratch from the lineup after banging up his knee sliding into second base while in Houston. Servais said he entered the clubhouse with discomfort and would be further evaluated Wednesday. He was replaced by Joe Odom, who was promoted from the traveling taxi squad to make his big league debut. Odom appeared in 98 games with Triple-A Tacoma and Double-A Arkansas last season.
“(Nola) couldn’t go tonight, so that’s why we kind of pivoted,” Servais said. “That’s the value of having the taxi squad guys with you, and certainly with the catching situation. Joe Odom had a ton of history working with Sheff and (Justin) Dunn ... last year so we slid him right in there.
“I thought Joe did fine. He knows both of those young pitchers and really important for us to try to get as much out of those guys as we can.”
The Mariners have now tapped into their three-man traveling taxi squad twice after using Odom against the Angels and reliever Taylor Guilbeau in Monday’s series finale in Houston.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 10:02 PM.
