Angels blast M’s again
Kendrick’s home run gives L.A. second straight walkoff win
ANAHEIM, Calif. — The translation of the Biblical name Eliezer means “God is help,” and the Mariners for a while did indeed receive some divine-looking intervention from their new catcher.
Eliezer Alfonzo looked unworldly at the plate in the early going of Sunday afternoon’s series finale, clubbing a three-run homer, managing three hits his first three times up, driving in four and scoring twice.
But the Mariners needed even more help than that in a 9-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, especially in a ninth inning that saw closer David Aardsma fail to corral a double-play grounder before serving up a decisive three-run homer.
Howie Kendrick’s blast over the wall in right-center, a second straight walkoff blast yielded by Seattle’s bullpen, seemed a foregone conclusion in a game the Mariners spent five innings frittering away.
“We’ve got to be able to rely on our bullpen for more than six runs (allowed),” Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said in a stunned postgame clubhouse.
Despite rolling up a 7-2 lead by the fifth inning, the Mariners never looked comfortable.
In the ninth Aardsma walked Hideki Matsui leading off – one of nine walks given up by Mariners pitchers – then, with one out, failed to snag a hard shot back to the mound by Mike Napoli. If he’d caught the ball, Aardsma had a shot at a game-ending double play.
Aardsma allowed a second runner, then saw Kendrick destroy his full-count offering.
The game’s ending spoiled the day for Alfonzo, a 31-year-old journeyman who matched his career highs in hits and RBIs.
Angels 9, Mariners 7
| Seattle | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| I.Suzuki rf | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .342 |
| Figgins 2b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .205 |
| F.Gutierrez cf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .290 |
| Bradley lf | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .220 |
| M.Sweeney dh | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .282 |
| Jo.Lopez 3b | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .228 |
| Kotchman 1b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .193 |
| Alfonzo c | 5 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | .600 |
| Jo.Wilson ss | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .276 |
| Totals | 37 | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Los Angels | AB | R | H | BI | BB | SO | Avg. |
| E.Aybar ss | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .243 |
| M.Izturis 3b | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .241 |
| B.Abreu dh | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | .277 |
| H.Matsui lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | .235 |
| Frandsen pr | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .429 |
| J.Rivera rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .226 |
| Napoli 1b | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .254 |
| H.Kendrick 2b | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .256 |
| Bo.Wilson c | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .077 |
| Willits cf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .250 |
| Totals | 33 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 5 |
| Seattle | 010 | 330 | 000—7 | 13 | 1 |
| Los Angeles | 200 | 012 | 103—9 | 10 | 0 |
E—Alfonzo (1). LOB—Seattle 10, Los Angeles 9. 2B—I.Suzuki (9), E.Aybar (10). HR—Alfonzo (1), off J.Saunders; H.Matsui (7), off Snell; H.Kendrick (3), off Kelley; H.Kendrick (4), off Aardsma. RBIs—I.Suzuki (10), Kotchman (19), Alfonzo 4 (4), Jo.Wilson (10), B.Abreu (27), H.Matsui 3 (27), J.Rivera (21), H.Kendrick 4 (27). SB—E.Aybar (7). CS—B.Abreu (5). RLISP—Seattle 5 (M.Sweeney, F.Gutierrez, Figgins, Bradley, Alfonzo); Los Angeles 5 (M.Izturis, Napoli 2, J.Rivera 2). RMU—M.Sweeney, M.Izturis. GIDP—Alfonzo. DP—Los Angeles 1 (H.Kendrick, Napoli).
| Seattle | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA |
| Snell | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 82 | 4.58 |
| Colome | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 5.29 |
| Texeira | 2/3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 5.30 |
| Kelley H, 2 | 2 1/3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 37 | 2.25 |
| Aardsma L, 0-3 BS, 3-14 | 1/3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 4.41 |
| Los Angels | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | NP | ERA |
| J.Saunders | 4 1/3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 86 | 5.09 |
| T.Bell | 1 2/3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 2.70 |
| Bulger | 1 1/3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 4.58 |
| Jepsen | 2/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5.60 |
| Rodney W, 4-0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3.05 |
IR-S—Colome 2-1, Kelley 3-1, T.Bell 2-2, Jepsen 1-0. IBB—off T.Bell (I.Suzuki). CI—Alfonzo. T—3:38. A—40,017 (45,285).