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Seattle Mariners

Mariners Log: M’s blow lead late, come back, lose to Angels in extras

Seattle Mariners right fielder Ben Gamel misses on a dive, allowing a double and a run driven-in by Los Angeles Angels' Albert Pujols in the 11th inning of a baseball game Tuesday, May 2, 2017, in Seattle. (Elaine Thompson / Associated Press)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

PAXTON WALKS FIVE IN SIX INNINGS BUT KEEPS DAMAGE LIMITED

What happened: Mike Trout and Albert Pujols combined to produce the go-ahead run in the 11th inning and the Seattle Mariners fell to the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 on Tuesday at Safeco Field.

Trout walked with one out in the 11th and came around to score when Ben Gamel laid out for Pujols’ liner to right instead of trying to keep it in front of him. The Angels tacked on a second run after Pujols stole third when James Pazos forgot about him on base, then came home on a non-coverted double-play chance.

M’s starter James Paxton did not have his finest game, but kept his team in it. Paxton gave up two runs – one earned – on five hits and five walks with six strikeouts. Paxton constantly worked out of trouble to limit the damage despite his lack of sharpness.

Line Outs

  • Paxton got Mike Trout to go fishing (see what I did there?) on a slider in the dirt to end the first inning.
  • The first two batters of the third inning reached on Paxton, then moved up on a wild pitch. Trout came up with one out and walked to bring up Albert Pujols.
  • The M’s dented the scoreboard in the third. With two down, Jean Segura walked and stole second. Ben Gamel followed with a walk and Robinson Cano singled to center to plate Segura. Nelson Cruz singled off the glove of third baseman Yunel Escobar and Gamel scampered home to make it 2-0.
  • In the fourth, Andrelton Simmons led off with a ground-ball single to left. Danny Espinosa lined out but Segura threw it away and Simmons moved up a base, then scored on Cameron Maybin’s ground-rule double.
  • The Angels tied it in the fifth. With one down, Trout doubled to left and took third on a wild pitch which also walked Pujols. Jefry Marte lofted a fly to medium center, but Jarrod Dyson’s throw was well up the third base line and Trout slid headfirst to avoid the catcher coming up the line.
  • 1B Danny Valencia hit a big fly in the sixth (2) and was really happy about it.
  • Reliever Tony Zych got a big K in the seventh. With two out and two on, he put three on the outside corner to Danny Espinosa – the third a nasty slider that Espinosa watched crease the corner.
  • Manager Scott Servais went to Edwin Diaz in the eighth, but the closer made a huge mistake to Kole Calhoun, missing the glove by a good eight inches, resulting in a two-run homer in the eighth to give the Angels a late lead..
  • Maybin made a terrific catch at the wall in the eighth on Guillermo Heredia’s bid to tie it.
  • Reliever Jean Machi made his Mariners’ debut with an uneventful 1-2-3 ninth inning.
  • The M’s rallied to tie it in the ninth against Bud Norris. With one down, Dyson singled past a drawn-in infield and after Segura struck out, Gamel walked. Cano worked into a 3-1 count and ripped a 90 mph cutter into left to bring home Dyson without a throw.
  • In the 11th with James Pazos pitching, Gamel went for the spectacular diving catch of a Pujols liner instead of playing it safe and keeping it in front of him. Rookie mistake as the ball got by him and Trout scored all the way from first for the go-ahead run.
  • Pazos fell asleep and let Pujols steal third base, then Luis Valbuena walked. Simmons hit a slow grounder to short, but Segura’s relay was lobbed a bit and Cano couldn’t convert the double play and Pujols scored to make it a two-run lead.

The Takeaway

You want your best late-game pitcher taking the highest leverage situations, but it hurts even worse when they aren’t having their best day. Diaz missed his spot to Calhoun and really paid for it. This was a tough one to take for the Mariners, who are still trying to climb out of the hole they dug themselves in the first 10 days of the season.

Tweet of the Game

Players of the Game

Hero: Robinson Cano. 3 for 5, two RBIs. If clutch existed, it was his clutch hit in the ninth to force extras.

Goat: Edwin Diaz. Homer and a walk. Not sharp.

Mariners Notes

Nelson Cruz extended his hitting streak to 11 games. During the streak, he’s hitting .436 (17 for 39) with 10 R, 4 2B, 5 HR and 16 RBI. The streak is fifth-longest of his career. Cruz had career-high 21-game hitting streak July 21-Aug. 11, 2015…James Paxton allowed one earned run in 5 1/3 innings. He has allowed one earned run or less in five of his six starts, zero in four. Paxton allowed an unearned run in fourth, snapping home scoreless streak at 18 innings. In his last seven home starts, Paxton has a 1.50 ERA (8 ER, 48 innings) with 50 strikeouts…Mark Rzepczynski retired the only batter he faced, a left hander in the sixth inning. Lefties are 0 for 17 against Rzepczynski this season…Danny Valencia hit his second home run of the season, his second in the last 5 games.

Next Game

Los Angeles Angels (15-13) at Seattle Mariners (11-16) at 7:10 p.m. at Safeco Field. RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 4.13) vs. Hisashi Iwakuma (0-2, 4.15).

What others are saying (and writing)

When a team is on the cusp of being either good or bad, oftentimes it is the little things that tip the scale either way. Last night, the scale tipped toward bad in the 6-4, 11-inning defeat to the Angels. … Before the game, the M’s made another series of roster moves. One has to wonder if Dan Vogelbach has received all his chances. Probably not.