Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    Twitter
    Sportspress Northwest
    Twitter
    Home » Game recap: Mariners 3, Angels 2
    Baseball

    Game recap: Mariners 3, Angels 2

    SPNW StaffBy SPNW StaffMay 4, 2015Updated:May 5, 201513 Comments3 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Takeaway

    Felix Hernandez improved to 5-0 to begin a season, a career first, striking out eight Angels in a 3-2 victory Monday in Anaheim, averting a season-high five-game losing streak for the Mariners (box score). All runs came on solo homers — Nelson Cruz, Logan Morrison and Seth Smith for the Mariners, Matt Joyce and David Freese for the Angels.

    The Mariners (11-15) and Angels (11-15) are tied in the season series 3-3.

    Essential moment

    The seventh inning had two: Cruz with his major league-leading 14th homer, and one out later, Morrison with his fourth. Up to those points, starter Matt Shoemaker had held the Mariners to one single (Kyle Seager), a walk and a hit batter.

    Hitters

    Cruz became the fifth player in MLB history to hit 14 homers in the season’s first 26 games. No one has hit 15 in 27.  The other four: Cy Williams (1923 Phillies), Mike Schmidt (1976 Phillies), Albert Pujols (2006 Cardinals) and Alex Rodriguez (2007 Yankees). Entering the game, Cruz led the majors in several offensive categories, including home runs (13), RBI (25), slugging percentage (.788) and OPS (1.170).

    Morrison and Cruz also combined on a 9-4 double play in the sixth when Mike Trout ran too far from first on a flyout to right. Cruz’s throw and Morrison’s pick were perfect.

    Smith’s homer in the eighth proved the game-winner.

    Pitchers

    Hernandez was lifted after seven innings and 102 pitches. He gave up six singles, but the only score was a solo homer to Joyce, his first, in the seventh. Carson Smith gave up a hit but no runs in the eighth. Former Angel Fernando Rodney, who didn’t pitch the four-game sweep by the Astros, earned his eighth save despite a home run to Freese with one out, then a walk with two out. But C Mike Zunino cut down a pinch runner attempting to steal second to end the game.

    Words

    Manager Lloyd McClendon, on Cruz’s home run:  “That was pretty big — their pitcher (Shoemaker) was pitching pretty well. He had us shut down. Probably that was the only pitch he left up to Cruz all day.”

    Noteworthy

    With Hernandez on the mound,  the Mariners are 8-0 vs. the Angels dating back to Sept. 22, 2013 (he is 5-0) . . . Before Monday, over his last eight starts vs. the Angels (since 8/23/13), Hernandez had 77 strikeouts for a 13.59 K/9.0 IP average . . . With two first-inning strikeouts, Hernandez became the all-time strikeout leader among  Venezuelan-born players, breaking a tie with Johan Santana . . . Mariners won the season series last year 12-7, but lost two of three in the season-opening series in Seattle . . . Mariners have won eighth of their past 12 in Anaheim . . . McClendon said before the game that in the injury absence of CF Austin Jackson, Justin Ruggiano will get the majority of starts in center. Also, Brad Miller might play the outfield besides short. McClendon cautioned that Miller is not the fall guy for the team’s offensive travail:  “He’s not the forgotten man.  He’s certainly not the culprit in all of this.”

    Next

    The second in the three-game series is 7 p.m. Tuesday: LHP James Paxton (0-2, 5.74) vs. RHP Garrett Richards (2-1, 3.00).

     

    Share. Facebook Twitter Reddit LinkedIn Email

    Related Posts

    Writers need to get out of baseball’s Hall of Fame voting, or fix it

    January 26, 2022

    Remember baseball? Mariners? They are doing things

    January 21, 2022

    Signing of Ray wakes echoes of Cano, but Mariners are different

    December 2, 2021

    13 Comments

    1. Topcatone on May 4, 2015 10:30 pm

      If we are going to do anything in the playoffs we need a closer.

      • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:33 pm

        He’s 5th in AL in saves.

    2. Da Kid on May 4, 2015 11:12 pm

      Typical Felix win. He absolutely MUST hold the opposition to two runs or less to have a 50/50 shot at winning. Tonight he needed three solo homers to overcome the Fernando Rodney, Drama Queen Factor. If it had been a one-run game going into the 9th, he would have come away with a no-decision.

      Aside from the three dingers, the line-up managed to muster just ONE single!

      F’ing brilliant pitcher, f’ing pathetic everyone else but Cruz.

      • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:29 pm

        Soon you’lll be cooing over Lomo.

    3. jafabian on May 4, 2015 11:23 pm

      Felix looks determined to yank back the Cy Young award from Corey Kluber, who’s 0-4 with a 4.62 ERA. The lineup really needs to focus on getting on base more. Solo HR’s can only carry a team so far.

      • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:28 pm

        Lowest OBP in MLB.

    4. Long-Time Mariners Fan on May 5, 2015 8:36 am

      About this Fernando Rodney – surf on over to MLB.com and find the article for last night’s game. There’s a video there of the last out – Zunino guns down Cowgill at second. Watch Rodney – the guy who gave up the home run to Freese and put the tying run on first with a walk. Watch Rodney – what he pays attention to (His Arrow Thing) and what he ignores (Zunino.)

      Is this what the 2015 Mariners are about? Because there’s a column for Wins and there’s a column for Losses, but there’s no column for Gestures.

      Official Scorer, please update the box score – Save: Zunino

      • coug73 on May 5, 2015 9:27 am

        Zunino, would be the first to say he did what he’s paid to do. Many ball players use gestures to release emotion during the game. Felix and Cruz come to mind. Oh, I read a story this morning that said McClendon called a slid step pitch delivery to hold the runner and Rodney delivered a strike giving Zunino a better opportunity to throw the runner out and Zunino delivered a good throw to Cano who placed the tag down quickly. Good play all around for the M’s.

        • Long-Time Mariners Fan on May 5, 2015 10:22 am

          After I posted this, I, too, read about the slide step and how it gave a big advantage to Zunino. Kudos to all involved for getting that out. A team effort and a victory for the team.

          I’m not sure what you mean above when you say “what he’s paid to do.” Paid to get the out? – I agree, and I can take those times when he doesn’t get the out and/or blows the save. That’s Ball.

          Paid to Shoot The Arrow? – uh, no. Unless Baseball has evolved into a Total Entertainment Experience, it’s…. oh, I see. Never mind.

          • coug73 on May 5, 2015 12:37 pm

            I meant Z’s paid to throw runners out as his job as catcher. Rodney and Z combined to set the runner up and give Z a better chance of getting the runner out a 2nd. Well done by all 3 players involved in the play. I don’t know what the Shoot The Arrow gesture is all about but it means the M’s win to me. LoMo seems to have fun with the STA.

          • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:27 pm

            Welcome to 2015. Don’t forget to tip your wait-acrobat.

        • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:26 pm

          Lots of good D throughout the game. Refreshing.

      • art thiel on May 5, 2015 10:25 pm

        Well said, LTMF. F-Rod’s chubby butt was pulled from the fire. At least a nod . . .

    • Follow @Art_Thiel on Twitter
    Use our affiliate link on Amazon

    Subscribe to Our Weekly Roundup

    Get the top stories sent to your inbox every Thursday.

    Art Thiel on KNKX 88.5FM

    Kirsten Kendrick's Q. & A. with Thiel can be heard every Friday during Morning Edition at 5:45am and 7:45am and again that same day on All Things Considered at 4:44pm. It also airs Saturday at 9:35am.

    Listen now!
    Latest Posts

    A few musings about sports journalism as the unwinding begins

    February 18, 2022

    Carroll’s staff makeover seeks to get Wilson back in the game

    February 16, 2022

    Arizona loss unmasks truths about Hopkins, UW hoops

    February 15, 2022

    Rams win a survivors contest called the Super Bowl

    February 14, 2022
    Twitter
    • Football
    • Baseball
    • NCAA
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Basketball
    © 2025 Sportspress Northwest

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.