Angels Sweep Mariners; Remain Within Reach Of Wild Card
ANAHEIM (AP) — Kole Calhoun drove in the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, and the surging Los Angeles Angels completed a sweep of the Seattle Mariners with their fifth consecutive victory overall, 3-2 Sunday.
David Freese homered in the fifth for the Angels (81-74), who remained a half-game behind Houston (82-74) for the second AL wild-card playoff spot. With eight wins in 10 games overall, Los Angeles also moved just three games behind the AL West-leading Rangers (84-71), with four games in Texas to end the season.
Pinch-hitter Mark Trumbo hit a tying homer off Fernando Salas (5-2) in the eighth inning for the Mariners (74-82), who lost their final five road games to guarantee their fifth losing season in six years.
Calhoun's single drove in pinch-runner Taylor Featherston after Johnny Giavotella led off the eighth by hustling to second base when center field Brad Miller was slow to throw back what would have been an ordinary single.
Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5) yielded eight hits over 7 1-3 solid innings, but Carson Smith replaced him and gave up Calhoun's drive, which clipped first baseman Jesus Montero's glove on the way to the outfield.
Mike Morin pitched the ninth to earn his first big-league save for the Angels, who lost AL saves leader Huston Street to an apparently serious groin injury on Saturday night.
Jered Weaver pitched five innings of four-hit ball in the final regular-season home start of his worst season in a decade in the Angels' rotation. The right-hander got an early hook from manager Mike Scioscia, who decided to rely on a bullpen missing its top two relievers after Street joined Joe Smith with late-season injuries.
Salas made the bullpen's only mistake to Trumbo. The Anaheim-area native and former Angels slugger hit a line drive that clipped the top of the fence, but was traveling too fast for Mike Trout to have a chance to repeat Saturday's mind-boggling catch above the wall.
Nothing happened in the first meeting between Weaver and Kyle Seager since their confrontation in Seattle last week. Weaver, angered by Seager's delay tactics in the batter's box, exchanged harsh words and then plunked Seager, leading to Weaver's ejection and Seager's declaration that the longtime ace quit on his team.
Seager, booed all weekend in Anaheim, flied out in the first and doubled in the fourth, getting the Mariners' first hit.
Angels catcher Carlos Perez threw out two Mariners on the basepaths in the fifth, catching Logan Morrison stealing before picking off John Hicks from second base.
Freese followed up his walk-off homer on Saturday night with his 13th shot, building on a strong finish to two middling seasons with the Angels. The third baseman will be a free agent this winter.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Mariners: James Paxton could start Wednesday if his torn fingernail has healed sufficiently.
Angels: Street was scheduled for an MRI later Sunday, but Scioscia said the injury looks "significant."
UP NEXT
Mariners: The Angels will be rooting for Roenis Elias (5-8, 3.94 ERA) when he takes the Safeco mound against Houston.
Angels: All-Star Hector Santiago (9-9, 3.47 ERA) takes the mound for the opener of their final home series against Oakland.
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