Mariners Meet Los Angeles Angels for First Time this Season

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – OCTOBER 03: Mitch Haniger #17, Kyle Seager #15, Jarred Kelenic #10 and Jake Fraley #28 of the Seattle Mariners embrace in the ninth inning as Seager is pulled from the game against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park on October 03, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /

The last time the Seattle Mariners met the Los Angeles Angels, Seattle watched its playoff hopes slip away in heartbreaking fashion in October of last year.

Beginning Thursday night, the Mariners will take on the Angels in a rare five-game series (Saturday will consist of a doubleheader with games at 1:10 and 7:10pm PT), with the final game of the series taking place on Sunday afternoon.

After starting the season strong with a 24-13 record through 37 games and leading the American League West, the Angels have been in all sorts of a funk since: they dropped an infamous 14 games in a row from May 25th through June 8th, and have now lost six series in a row.

Seattle started to gain momentum right around the time when the Angels began spiraling downward, winning four series in a row starting on May 27th. Since June 10th, however, the Mariners have dropped three-game series at home to the Red Sox and Twins.

The five-games series is set to feature Shohei Ohtani, Michael Lorenzen, Patrick Sandoval, and Noah Syndergaard on the mound for the Angels, while the Mariners will send out George Kirby, Robbie Ray, Chris Flexen, and Logan Gilbert; the nightcap on Saturday is currently slated to be a bullpen game for both teams, leaving lefties Marco Gonzales and Reid Detmers out of the series.

Taylor Ward and Mike Trout are having All-Star caliber seasons for Los Angeles (each with an OPS over 1.000), and Ohtani has begun to heat up at the plate as well; the two-way phenom laced a triple last night to end (former Mariner) Tyler Anderson’s no-hit bid in the 9th, and is currently working on a 10-game hitting streak.

The Mariners will welcome JP Crawford back to the lineup on Thursday night, where he will assume leadoff duties moving forward. Seattle will lean on All-Star hopefuls Ty France and Julio Rodriguez to continue to produce near the top of the order, and Jesse Winker will return to the 3rd spot of the order after stroking the ball well in last night’s loss to the Twins.

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