Out of Right Field: Recap, takeaways from the Mariners’ 11-10 win over the Los Angeles Angels
Jay Bruce hit a run-scoring, pinch-hit single in the ninth inning as the Seattle Mariners, despite blowing an eight-run lead, snapped a six-game losing streak with an 11-10 victory against the host Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
Ryon Healy hit two home runs and drove in five runs and Omar Narvaez went 3 for 4 with a home run and four RBIs for the M’s, who improved to 9-1 on the road.
Healy broke out of a 0-for-17 slump with a three-run homer in the second inning off Angels starter Chris Stratton, giving the Mariners a 4-0 lead.
Narvaez’s three-run shot in the seventh made it 10-2.
The Angels scored seven runs in the bottom of the seventh and tied it at 10-all on a solo homer by David Fletcher leading off the eighth.
Anthony Swarzak (2-0) got the victory and Roenis Elias pitched the ninth for his third save in as many opportunities.
Of note
Felix Hernandez pitched six-plus innings, allowing four runs on nine hits. He walked one and struck out three. Hernandez made his 28th career start at Angel Stadium, the most by an opposing pitcher. That broke a tie with Bert Blyleven. It was also the 200th road start of Hernandez’s career. … The M’s left 14 runners on base, including the bases loaded in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
By the numbers
20: The number of batters to come to the plate in the seventh inning. The Mariners batted around in scoring three runs but left the bases loaded. The Angels sent 11 to the plate and scored seven times.
Our take from right field
After getting six quality innings from Hernandez, the M’s should have never sent him out for the seventh. He’d thrown only 88 pitches, but he sat on the bench for nearly a half-hour as the M’s batted around in the top of the inning, taking a 10-2 lead. Hernandez allowed a single and a double before being pulled and reliever R.J. Alaniz was awful, getting one out before allowing a two-run homer, single and back-to-back run-scoring doubles.
Up next
The M’s continue their four-game series Friday in Anaheim against the Los Angeles Angels. LHP Marco Gonzales (4-0, 3.19 ERA) is scheduled to go against Angels RHP Felix Pena (0-1, 3.65). Game time is 7:07 p.m.