The Mariners Play the Angels For the First Time in 2024!

The Mariners will welcome the Los Angeles Angels to T. Mobile Park over the weekend. This is a bit late in the season to meet a division rival for the first time. In 2023, after a four-game series against the Guardians, the Angels were the second team Seattle played. Los Angeles is 8.5 games behind Seattle.

Before today's game against the Yankees, the team’s record is 21–34. This record is deceptive because of the Angels’ challenging schedule. Entering Friday's game, the MLB Relative Power Index (RPI) has them with the second hardest strength of schedule, with the Mariners not far behind them sitting in 6th.

Not everyone would agree with me—Newsweek recently listed Los Angeles 26th in their national MLB power ranking. The team’s bullpen has the third-worst ERA in MLB. Time will tell.

The Angels' Starting Pitchers

José Soriano will pitch tonight. Reid Detmers will pitch on Saturday, and Griffin Canning will be on the mound for the series’ final Sunday game. The Mariners will get a break after 17 days of playing without one.

RHP José Soriano has a win-loss record of 2-5 and an ERA of 3.61. In 52.1 innings pitched, he allowed 24 runs, hit four batters, walked 23 players, and struck out 51 batters. This is Soriano’s second year in MLB. Our batters will want to watch out for Soriano’s fastball which can be 99 mph and his most frequent pitch, his 98-mph sinker. His splitter and slider are in the low nineties and his knuckle curveball hits a high of 86 mph.

The Mariners will have RHP Bryan Woo on the mound. Woo has a 1.48 ERA and a 2-0 win-loss record after 24.1 innings pitched.

LHP Reid Detmers has a win-loss record of 3-5 and an ERA of 5.76. In 59.1 innings pitched, he allowed 40 runs, hit two batters, walked 23 players, and struck out 67 opponents. Detmers’ ERA has moved from 1.19 to 5.80 in his last five games and some call for the Angels to let him go. Hopefully, for him, he can turn it around as he is only 24 years old. Detmers’ fastball reaches its highest velocity at 94.1 mph. He throws this pitch about half of the time.

He will face RHP Bryce Miller. Miller has a 3.48 ERA and a win-loss record of 4-5.

RHP Griffin Canning has a 2-4 win-loss record and a 5.08 ERA. In 56.2 innings pitched, Canning allowed 33 runs, hit three batters, walked 24 opponents, and struck out 57 players. Canning has the most experience of the Angels’ starting pitchers, having joined the team in 2019. Manager Ron Washington has praised his leadership and work ethic. Canning primarily throws his fastball, slider, and changeup. His fastball is in the low nineties and the other two are in the high eighties.

RHP Luis Castillo will pitch for the Mariners. Castillo has a 3.28 ERA and a win-loss record of 4-6.

Players to Notice in the Angels' LIneup

We will not see Mike Trout in the lineup. He tore his meniscus and has been on the 10-day IL since April 30 and underwent surgery on May 3rd. He should be back this season but the timing is uncertain.

Right Fielder Kevin Pillar has a batting average of .419 and an OPS of 1.188, although he was awful with the White Sox to start the season before being picked up by the Angels.

Second baseman, Luis Rengifo, has been hot too. He has four HRs out of 22 runs, 17 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. A veteran Angel, Taylor Ward has 29 runs, 11 home runs, 34 RBIs, with a BA of .271 at this point in the season.

The designated hitter, Willie Calhoun, is in his first year with the Angels. He has a .273 average after 88 at-bats. He has had the misfortune of being seriously injured in the face and the arm when hit by pitches. His injuries seem to be in the rear-view mirror this season.

The Series . . .

Statistically speaking, the Mariners should win all three games against the Angels. We will see, however, how tired they are. Hopefully, they can draw on some reserve energy and sweep the series! Go, Mariners!