Mariners Log: M’s fall to Angels on Segura’s ninth-inning error

Fri., Aug. 11, 2017

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com (509) 459-5441

TROUT SCORES FROM SECOND ON EVENTUAL WINNING RUN

What happened: Jean Segura couldn’t come up with a chopper in the ninth inning, Mike Trout raced around from second to score, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 6-5 at Safeco Field on Friday.

With one down in the ninth, Trout drew a walk from James Pazos, and Albert Pujols followed with a line drive single to center. C.J. Cron bounced a chopper to short that clanged out of Segura’s glove and into short left and Trout raced around for the go-ahead run.

The M’s went quietly in the bottom of the inning against Yusmeiro Petit, who earned his second save of the season.

Nelson Cruz went 3 for 4 with his 28th home run of the season and a pair of doubles, and Mike Zunino cranked his 17th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth.

Mariners starter Marco Gonzales was lifted with one out in the fifth after a pair of hard-hit singles. He threw 64 pitches total, 41 for strikes. The rookie lefty allowed one run on four hits and a walk with no strikeouts. Emilio Pagan came on an got out of the inning unscathed.

Line Outs

The Angels took the first lead of the game in the second inning on Jefry Marte’s fourth homer of the season off a sinker that didn’t quite have enough action.
As he has so often int he past 10 days, Nelson Cruz answered in the bottom half with his 28th homer, measured at 425 to center.
In the fifth, Jarrod Dyson led off with a single and Mike Zunino blasted his 17th home run, estimated at 450 feet, well up into the upper grandstand in left field.
Back-to-back doubles by Robinson Cano and Cruz to lead off the sixth resulted in another run. Cano moved to third on Ben Gamel’s lineout to center, then scored on Dyson’s flared base hit to left to make it 5-1.
The Mariners lead evaporated in the seventh inning as Andrew Moore allowed four hits and a walk with two outs, the last of which was Andrelton Simmons’ two-run double to left. James Pazos in with runners on second and third in 5-5 tie to face Marte, and Marte flied out to right to end the disaster.
With one down in the ninth, Mike Trout walked and Albert Pujols followed with a line drive single to center. C.J. Cron bounced a chopper to short that clanged out of Jean Segura’s glove and into short left and Trout raced around for the go-ahead run.
Manager Scott Servais lifted Pazos in favor of Marc Rzepczynski and he walked Simmons to load the bases before Kaleb Cowart grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.

The Takeaway

This was another winnable game that the Mariners just couldn’t find a way to win. Moore was hit hard in a middle relief role and then the defense let them down in the ninth. Cruz seems to be trying to will the team to wins, but too many mistakes doomed them in this one. Not the best way to kick off Edgar Martinez weekend at Safeco.

Tweet of the day

Rugged loss for M’s as Angels rally from 5-1 deficit for 6-5 win. M’s, TB and Angels now tied at 59-58, half-game back of Twins for last WC.
— Greg Johns (@GregJohnsMLB) August 12, 2017

Players of the Game

Hero: Nelson Cruz. Clearly. We should rename this in his honor for now.

Goat: Jean Segura. He made a great diving play in the seventh, but the fairly routine double-play ball in the ninth escaped him. A shame.

Next Game

Los Angeles Angels (59-58) at Seattle Mariners (59-58) at 6:10 p.m. at Safeco Field. RHP Erasmo Ramirez (4-4, 5.10) hosts JC Ramirez (10-10, 4.21).

What others are saying (and writing)

The Mariners had a pitching plan in place yesterday. It was one born of necessity, not desire. But it didn’t work. … Jerry Dipoto made a move to acquire another pitcher. … And there was the roster move made when Paxton went on the disabled list. … The M’s pitching injuries don’t earn them any sympathy from the Angels, who are also fighting for a wild-card berth.