Mariners turn up offense against Angels, secure second win
J.P. Crawford’s patience sealed the second win of the season for the Seattle Mariners. In the eighth inning Wednesday night in Anaheim, with the Mariners clinging to a one-run lead, their second-year shortstop worked a 10-pitch at-bat.
After falling behind 0-2 with two outs, and Dee Gordon and Shed Long Jr. waiting in scoring position, Crawford watched three balls fall below the zone, and fouled off four more pitches before dropping a fastball into center field.
Both runs scored, the Mariners’ relievers hung on the final two frames, and Seattle picked up a needed 10-7 win in a back-and-forth game at Angel Stadium.
“He was just not going to give in,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said on a video call with reporters postgame. “J.P. is one of the best competitors we have on this ball club. You can just see the confidence growing day after day.”
It was the kind of competitive, energizing at-bat the Mariners (2-4) needed to cap a night full of offensive contributions up-and-down the lineup.
In their highest-scoring game in this first week of the season, the Mariners combined for 13 hits, with Crawford (2-for-3), Lewis (3-for-5), Seager (3-for-4) and Dylan Moore (2-for-5) all finishing with multi-hit nights.
“We really did dominate the strike zone tonight in the batter’s box,” Servais said.
The Mariners scored nine of their runs between the sixth, seventh and eighth, but took their first lead in the fourth.
Angels starter Andrew Heaney had faced the minimum in the first three innings before Crawford, Lewis and Seager strung together three singles. Evan White, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored on Seager’s to make it 1-0.
Seattle then erased a three-run deficit in the sixth, unloading for five runs. Crawford walked — he’s now tied for the major league lead with seven — to open the inning and push Heaney out of the game before Lewis and Seager again hit back-to-back singles, the second scoring Crawford. Tim Lopes then notched his third double in five games to score Lewis.
Moments later Moore hit and opposite-field three-run homer — his first of the season — to make it 6-4 Mariners. In the empty stadium, someone loudly called out “homer” as Moore’s bat made contact.
Seattle rallied again with two runs in the seventh to take the 8-7 lead they never lost. Long pinch hit for catcher Joe Odom, singled and Crawford walked for the second time. A grounder from Lewis and sacrifice fly from Seager — who drove in a run three at-bats in a row — pushed the runners across.
Lewis also singled again in the ninth, and is the current big league leader in hits following Wednesday’s win. He is 11-for-24 with two homers and five RBI in his first six games this season.
Justin Dunn became the second starter in the Mariners’ six-man rotation to avoid a loss in the first go-around. He left trailing 3-1 after a Shohei Ohtani three-run homer in the fourth, but Seattle’s five-run sixth got him off the hook.
In his first start of the season, the rookie right-hander was solid through three innings. He allowed a walk his first time through Los Angeles’ lineup, but nothing else, and struck out two.
“I felt really good,” Dunn said. “Big goal today was knowing they’re a very patient team so staying on the attack, fill the zone up, make them put the ball in play, make them swing.”
But, whatever fourth-inning jinx has been following the Mariners through the first week of this shortened season — they’ve now given up 15 runs, 13 hits, three homers and five walks in that frame in six games — was still evident Wednesday.
Crawford threw high on a routine ground ball to short to open it. White made a leaping grab, and touched his foot down on the base, but not in time to retire Mike Trout. It was Seattle’s fifth error in six games.
Dunn then issue a five-pitch walk to Anthony Rendon, and Shohei Ohtani scooped a breaking ball almost out of the dirt on an 0-2 count for his first homer of the season, and Los Angeles took a 3-1 lead.
I think if he didn’t hit it, it probably would have hit the dirt before it got to the catcher,” Servais said. “But, somehow. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that out of a left-handed hitter. obviously lefties like it down and in, but to stay inside that ball and get it in the air and hit it out of the ballpark, not too many guys I’ve seen do that.
“It was pretty crazy and you’ve got to tip your hat. Very talented player.”
Dunn then walked Justin Upton, was pulled with no outs after reaching 65 pitches, and finished allowing the three runs in three-plus innings with the pair of strikeouts and three walks. Ohtani’s homer was the only hit he gave up.
It wasn’t as deep into the game as the Mariners hoped Dunn would go even on a limited pitch count, but the more important takeaway was Dunn’s demeanor on the mound.
“Best we’ve seen him in a long time as far as his presence on the mound and attacking,” Servais said.
Nick Margevicius worked quick in relief, forcing a grounder to first base from Tommy La Stella, and picked another iffy throw from Crawford to complete a double play. Two innings later, Margavicius made another athletic attempt at a pop up in foul territory, but stumbled near the third base dugout, rolled, and was eventually removed from the game.
He allowed two hits — including a solo homer to Brian Goodwin that made it 4-1 Los Angeles in the fifth — but was otherwise pitching well before the fall. A few practice pitches after the foul ball, Servais called for Bryan Shaw in the bullpen.
With the Mariners carrying their 6-4 lead at that point, Shaw gave up a solo homer to Upton — No. 300 of Upton’s career — and RBI double to Goodwin that scored two, and the Angels retook a 7-6 lead.
According to ESPN stats, the at least six runs the Mariners have allowed in each of their games this season is the longest such streak in club history. It’s also the fourth-longest season-opening streak by any club since 1900.
Odom made his second consecutive start at catcher for the Mariners after Austin Nola (knee) was scratched from Tuesday’s series opener. Servais said Wednesday there is no structural damage in Nola’s knee, but he likely won’t play before the Mariners return home Friday.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 11:00 PM.
