The Sports Xchange
Oct 1, 2017
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Kyle Seager hit a three-run homer in a five-run eighth inning and the visiting Seattle Mariners held on for a 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night.
Seattle right-fielder Mitch Haniger went 5-for-5 with three doubles.
The Angels took a 4-1 lead into the eighth, but the Mariners greeted reliever Cam Bedrosian with three consecutive singles before Seager blasted his 27th home run of the season over the fence in center for a 5-4 lead.
Yonder Alonso then followed with his 28th home run of the season to make it 6-4.
The Angels (79-82) are guaranteed to have back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since posting three straight losing years from 1992 to 1994.
Kole Calhoun had three hits, including a solo home run that broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth, and Luis Valbuena drove in two runs to lead Los Angeles.
Valbuena's sacrifice fly in the fourth provided the Angels a 1-0 lead, and his double off the wall in the sixth gave Los Angeles a 4-1 lead that held up until the eighth.
Valbuena walked and Calhoun singled to load the bases for Mike Trout in the eighth, but right-hander Edwin Diaz was brought in from the bullpen and he got the two-time American League Most Valuable Player to fly out to shallow right.
Angels starter Ricky Nolasco went 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run and seven hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Haniger delivered his fourth hit and second single to start the eighth. Robinson Cano then blistered a one-hopper under the glove of first baseman C.J. Cron.
Nelson Cruz singled up the middle to drive in Haniger, bringing up Seager. After he went deep, Alonso homered to nearly the same spot in center, the second straight night the Mariners hit back-to-back home runs.
Andrew Albers was a late replacement as the starting pitcher for the Mariners and the left-hander went 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits, striking out five and walking one.
Albers was making his sixth start of the season, five days after posting his first career save. Andrew Moore was the scheduled starter, but the right-hander was scratched because of a stiff neck.
Albers kept the Angels hitless the first time through the batting order, but Calhoun and No. 3 batter Justin Upton singled their second time up to put runners on first and third with two outs in the third. Albers escaped that threat by getting Albert Pujols to fly out to right to end the inning.
But Brandon Phillips and Cron singled in the fourth to put runners on the corners again, this time with one out. Luis Valbuena followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Phillips for a 1-0 lead.
Nolasco matched his career high by making his 33rd start of the season. He scattered four hits through the first three innings.
Trout threw out Haniger trying to score from second on Robinson Cano's soft single to center in the first inning, and the Angels ended the second with a 5-4-3 double play.
After a broken-bat single by Haniger with two outs in the third, Nolasco retired six in a row before rookie center fielder Jacob Hannemann hit his first career home run with two outs in the fifth to tie the score at 1.
Calhoun led off the fifth with his 19th home run of the season to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. After Upton doubled with one out in the inning, Albers was replaced by right-hander Dan Altavilla.
A wild pitch advanced Upton to third and Pujols grounded to short to score the second run of the inning for a 3-1 lead.
NOTES: Angels SS Andrelton Simmons and CF Mike Trout were voted co-MVPs by their teammates and RHP Yusmeiro Petit was voted Pitcher of the Year. ... Mariners RF Mitch Haniger went 5-for-5 on Saturday night for his 30th multi-hit game of the season in his 96th game with Seattle. ... Mariners CF Jacob Hannemann, who hit his first career home run on Saturday night, was making his second start for Seattle after he was claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 4.