Mariners Game Recap: M’s Stay Hot, Take Down Angels in the Big A

King Felix quieted the Angels’ bats on Monday night, as the Mariners won 3-2 in the series opener in Anaheim.

The Seattle Mariners continued their hot play on Monday night, as they took down the Los Angeles Angels, 3-2, at Angel Stadium. Felix Hernandez (7-4, 3.34 ERA) was credited with the win for the Mariners. Ricky Nolasco (4-10, 5.13 ERA) was on the losing end for the home side. Edwin Diaz was flawless in the final frame to earn his seventh save of the season.

The Angels got on the scoreboard first, pushing across a run in the home half of the second inning. King Felix retired the first two men he faced with ease, but Cliff Pennington kept the inning alive with a double. Nick Buss plated Pennington with a ground-rule double to give Los Angeles a 1-0 lead.

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Seattle stormed back to take the lead in the top of the fourth. Nelson Cruz led off the frame by working a walk, and Kyle Seager followed suit to give the Mariners a pair of baserunners with none out. Adam Lind singled home Cruz from second base to knot the game. Mike Zunino yanked a ground ball that found it’s way into left field to score Seager. Z’s RBI single gave the M’s a 2-1 lead.

The Mariners added to their cushion in the fifth inning. Cruz provided some instant offense for Seattle with two outs, crushing a slow breaking ball over the wall in left-center field for a solo home run. The Boomstick’s 30th roundtripper of the season made it 3-1.

Los Angeles countered in the home half of the inning. Mike Trout stepped into the box with two out and the bases empty. Trouty always hits Felix hard, and he tore into an 80 mph curveball for a solo home run. The dinger shrunk the Mariners’ lead to just one run.

Hernandez was lifted from the game after allowing 2 runs on 4 hits across 6.2 innings. King Felix struck out 8 Angels and walked 4 en route to picking up the win. 2016 has proven to be a challenge for Felix, but he is now 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA since the calendar flipped to August.

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Tom Wilhelmsen entered the game with two out in the seventh inning to face Trout with runners on first and second base. The Bartender fell behind the superstar centerfielder, but fought back to induce an inning ending fly out. Wilhelmsen was asked to work the eighth for the Mariners as well, and he turned in a scoreless frame to preserve the slim 1-run lead.

Scott Servais called on rookie phenom, Edwin Diaz, to shut the door in the ninth. Diaz has been nearly unhittable since being inserted as the M’s closer, and the fireballing 22-year-old sat down the side in order to secure the win for Seattle.

The Seattle Mariners (63-54) will battle the Los Angeles Angels (49-69) in the second game of a four-game set on Tuesday night in Anaheim. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm from Angel Stadium. The Mariners will enter play having won eight of their last nine ballgames. Ariel Miranda (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will be on the bump for the M’s, and Jhoulys Chacin (2-6, 6.00 ERA) will get the ball for the Halos.