Mariners suffer another walk-off loss to Angels and fall into last place

ANAHEIM, Calif. – Well, here you are, Mariners. Last place in the American League West Division. Yep, you’ve hit bottom after Wednesday’s 4-3 walk-off loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium.

It was another numbing loss and a second straight walk-off defeat.

The Mariners had just tied the game in the ninth against Angels closer Huston Street when Carson Smith (0-2) started the bottom of the inning by walking David Freese on four pitches.

Erick Aybar’s attempted sacrifice turned into a force at second, but Johnny Giavotella followed by squirting a drive into the right-field corner. Aybar scored easily.

The M’s erased a one-run deficit in the ninth against Street (2-0) after Kyle Seager led off with a double. Seager went to third when Mike Zunino looped a single into center.

The runners held when Logan Morrison popped to short left, but Dustin Ackley tied the game with a sacrifice fly to deep left. That took Elias off the hook for a loss.

Street walked Taylor but held the tie by striking out Brad Miller.

That comeback was merely a prelude to heartbreak.

It’s unfortunate, actually, that this loss dropped the Mariners into the basement. This was an entertaining, well-played game where the biggest difference, until the end, was Mike Trout.

Trout hit a mammoth two-run homer in the third inning against Mariners starter Roenis Elias, who paid dearly for a poor five-pitch stretch. Trout also made a fabulous catch in the seventh on a Chris Taylor drive into the gap.

But it’s a loss – and the Mariners dropped to 11-17, which pushed them into the basement. And in losing six of seven after opening this 10-game trip with a three-game sweep at Texas … well, it’s hard to say it’s underserved.

L.A. lefty C.J. Wilson was winless in four starts since pitching eight innings April 7 in a 2-0 victory over the Mariners at Safeco Field in the season’s second game.

Wilson gave up two runs this time in seven innings, which came on a Seager homer in the fourth. Wilson was positioned for a victory before Street blew his first save this season in 10 chances.

Elias held the Angels to six hits in seven innings, but three – all for extra bases – came in succession in the third inning.

Trouble started when Collin Cowgill’s deep one-out drive clipped off the glove of center fielder Justin Ruggiano for a one-out triple.

Kole Calhoun drove Elias’ next pitch into the left-center gap for an RBI double, and Trout followed by crushing a 1-2 fastball deep onto the green batters’ eye beyond the center-field wall.