Offense stalls, Mariners drop second game of split doubleheader, 7-1
Aside from Luis Torrens’ solo homer in the fifth inning, there was little offense to enjoy for a healthy crowd at T-Mobile Park as Angels starter Reid Detmers impressed through seven frames.
Seattle (58-51) dropped the second game of a split doubleheader to its American League West rival on Saturday night, 5-1, providing little run support for starter Chris Flexen after a 2-1 victory earlier in the day in Game 1.
“To be honest, I was hoping for a better nightcap,” manager Scott Servais said in his opening postgame remarks. “I will give a ton of credit -- I thought Detmers, their starter, was really good.”
Mitch Haniger returned to Seattle’s lineup Saturday night, garnering applause when the Mariners announced pregame lineups and earning a standing ovation before his first major league at-bat since April 29.
Haniger finished 1-for-3 with a double and walk in his return, but Torrens’ blast represented all of Seattle’s run production.
“It’s good to have (Mitch) back,” Servais said. “It’s been a long time.”
Through two frames, Flexen had only walked one, and Detmers was perfect through six batters. Neither team logged a hit until Angels left fielder Magneuris Sierra reached on an infield single to lead off the third inning.
Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford attempted to barehand the ground-ball single, but couldn’t pick the ball cleanly. Angels right fielder Taylor Ward followed with a stand-up double to right center, out of Haniger’s reach on the warning track.
Sierra slid head first into home, safe by a mile. For the second time in Saturday’s doubleheader, Los Angeles had pounced for the game’s first run.
Flexen retired Shohei Ohtani next on a lineout to center field, but failed to prevent further damage for long. Angels catcher Max Stassi drove a ground-ball single out of Crawford’s reach again, and Ward coasted home for Los Angeles’ second run of the frame.
Sam Haggerty broke up Detmers’ way-too-early perfect game bid with a two-out single to left field in the third.
Center fielder Mickey Moniak padded the Angels’ lead with a towering leadoff home run in the top of the fourth. The blast carried 384 feet from home plate, landing roughly 20 rows up the right field seats at T-Mobile Park. One fan tossed the ball back onto the outfield grass, to the home crowd’s pleasure.
Flexen settled down, retiring the next seven batters and holding the Angels from another hit until the sixth. He mixed five pitches, mainly using a four-seamer on some 44 percent of his offerings.
Ward’s previous double and Moniak’s homer both came on the right-hander’s fastball, and Flexen’s best pitch was his changeup, which generated five whiffs.
Luis Torrens reignited a crowd of 27,065 with a two-out solo homer to right center in the fourth, his first of the season.
Haggerty immediately followed with a double that plugged underneath the left field wall — later advancing to third base on a wild pitch from Detmers — but was stranded when Adam Frazier struck out.
“What we saw today, that was vintage Luis Torrens,” Servais said. “Getting on the high fastball and driving to the opposite field like that... you just haven’t seen it consistently. I thought his at-bats tonight were good.”
In the sixth, Angels shortstop David Fletcher poked a two-run home run just over the left field wall and into Edgar’s Cantina. The blast carried 354 feet, and would not have been a home run at any other stadium in baseball.
Alas, Seattle trailed, 5-1. The deficit widened.
Ty France led off the sixth with a single, but was later stranded when Eugenio Suarez grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Matt Brash entered to pitch the top of the seventh, officially ending Flexen’s outing at six innings, during which he allowed five earned runs on six hits and struck out five while walking two. He threw 108 pitches, including 71 for strikes.
“Inconsistent is the best word to describe (Flexen’s) outing today,” Servais said. “Unfortunately, the mistake to Fletcher hurt and really opened up the game for them.”
Brash retired the side in order in the seventh, capped by a swinging strikeout of Ohtani, who was fooled by a bending slider down and inside.
Crawford and Torrens added singles in the seventh, which brought Frazier, the game’s tying run, to the on-deck circle. But Haggerty couldn’t muster a third hit, instead striking out as T-Mobile Park exhaled a collective sigh.
Detmers had escaped with a pair of runners aboard after throwing 105 pitches. His stellar outing lasted seven full innings, featuring six hits, one earned run, a walk, and six strikeouts.
He tied Flexen for a game-high 18 whiffs, nine of them with a slider used for more than 40 percent of Detmers’ offerings.
“Really good riding fastball, effective slider, and he landed the curveball tonight,” Servais said of the opposing pitcher. “He was on top of his game ... and we didn’t get a whole lot going.”
Reliever Brennan Bernardino — Seattle’s 27th man for Saturday’s doubleheader — posted a clean eighth inning.
With two outs in the eighth, Haniger doubled to center field, dropping a ball just beneath Moniak’s glove, and Angels reliever Ryan Tepera proceeded to hit Suarez with a pitch.
Seattle was, again, a swing away from closing the deficit to one, but Carlos Santana flew out to right field to end the frame.
“I was feeling a lot of energy all day today, really excited to get back out on the field and rejoin the team,” Haniger said Saturday night. “I’ve been itching to get back ever since I got hurt, and I’ve just (made) sure I’m feeling good, my body is ready to play every day, and (I’m) checking all of the boxes.”
Bernardino recorded a throwing error to first base in the ninth on an infield tapper from Moniak, airmailing the ball beyond France and into foul territory in right field. Fletcher later singled, scoring Moniak, and the Angels extended their lead to five.
Crawford recorded his second error of the day in the ninth inning — his first was in Game 1 — allowing Ward to reach on a fielder’s choice. Ohtani then drove in Andrew Velazquez on a sacrifice fly to make it 7-1.
Angels reliever Oliver Ortega secured Game 2 of Saturday’s doubleheader, retiring Seattle’s home half of the ninth inning in order.
“A split, never great,” Servais said. “I think the more concerning thing (is) we haven’t swung the bats well so far in this homestand and this series.”
This story was originally published August 6, 2022 at 10:13 PM.
