The Seattle Mariners got three hits apiece from Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez and a clutch performance by reliever Andres Munoz in a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif.
The Mariners scored single runs in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings and made it stand up, thanks to four scoreless innings by the bullpen, including 1 2/3 by Munoz.
The hard-throwing right-hander entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with Seattle leading 4-3 but the Angels threatening with runners on first and second and one out. Munoz, though, got pinch hitter David MacKinnon to hit into an inning-ending double play.
In the eighth, Munoz faced the top of the Angels’ order. He struck out Taylor Ward, then fell behind in the count 3-0 to Mike Trout, who already homered and tripled in the game, before intentionally walking him.
The strategy paid off as Munoz then struck out both Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh to end the inning.
Paul Sewald pitched the ninth to close it out and earn his sixth save.
Angels starter Michael Lorenzen (6-5) has struggled in June and his troubles continued on Friday against the Mariners.
With one out in the first inning, Julio Rodriguez walked, went to second on a single by Winker and scored on a single by Suarez to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.
The Mariners added to their lead in the third inning after a double by Winker and a walk to Suarez. Two outs later, Justin Upton singled home Winker for a 2-0 Seattle advantage.
Lorenzen was finished after just three innings, needing 85 pitches to get nine outs. He gave up two runs on four hits and four walks while striking out five.
The Mariners increased their lead in the fourth against the Angels bullpen, Rodriguez hitting a solo homer, his 10th of the season, off Oliver Ortega for a 3-0 lead.
Mariners starter Chris Flexen (3-8) held the Angels scoreless through three innings before Trout led off the fourth with his 22nd homer of the season, tied for second in the league behind Aaron Judge (27).
Taylor Trammell’s RBI single in the top of the sixth increased the Mariners’ lead to 4-1, but the Angels responded in the bottom of the sixth with two runs to make it 4-3. Trout had an RBI triple and Ohtani scored Trout with an RBI groundout.
Flexen allowed three runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
–Field Level Media
