Angels halt skid with late win over Mariners
SEATTLE -- C.J. Cron hit a solo home run and added the game-winning hit with a bases-loaded, two-run single in the top of the ninth inning, to help snap the Los Angeles Angels' six-game losing streak with a 7-6 win over Seattle on Friday.
The Angels (14-21) rallied from a 5-1 deficit and eventually took the lead on Cron's one-out bloop single to shallow right. Pinch runner Shane Robinson came around from second base to score the go-ahead run, giving Los Angeles its first lead since the top of the fourth inning.
Seattle (21-14) suffered its second blown save in as many games, with closer Steve Cishek (2-2) giving up three singles and a walk after inheriting a 6-5 lead going into the ninth. Six of the Angels' seven runs came after Mariners starter Nathan Karns left the game in the seventh.
Los Angeles reliever Joe Smith (1-2) earned his first win of the season, while Fernando Salas earned his first save with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.
The Angels avoided their first seven-game losing streak since 2010 with the win.
The Mariners (21-14) got solo home runs from Nelson Cruz and Chris Iannetta and a bases-loaded triple from shortstop Ketel Marte that gave them a 5-1 lead in the sixth.
Cron's solo homer in the eighth cut the lead to 6-4, then third baseman Jefry Marte added an RBI double to pull the Angels within a run.
The Mariners took a 2-1 lead on Cruz's solo home run in the fifth, then Marte broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth. Marte hit a low fly ball into the gap, and Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun dove for the ball, allowing all three baserunners to score as Seattle pulled out to a 5-1 advantage.
Los Angeles starter Nick Tropeano allowed two runs off five hits over five innings. He left the game with the Angels trailing 2-1 before Los Angeles reliever Jose Alvarez loaded the bases and served up the three-run triple to Marte.
Seattle's bullpen gave up five hits and four runs while allowing two inherited runners to score as well.
Karns allowed three runs off six hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Mariners.
The Angels' Calhoun had an RBI on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, pulling Los Angeles to within 5-2. Mike Trout followed that with a bloop double to right field, scoring Johnny Giavotella from third base to cut the Seattle lead to 5-3. Albert Pujols then struck out, stranding runners at second and third to end the top of the seventh.
Iannetta, a former Angel, hit a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to put the Mariners ahead 6-3.
Ketel Marte's bases-loaded triple ended up being the Mariners' only hit with runners in scoring position. Seattle went 1-for-12 while leaving 11 runners on base.
Second baseman Robinson Cano went 1-for-5 while extending his hitting streak to 12 games with an eighth-inning triple.
Seattle had won nine consecutive one-run games before Friday night's loss.
Cruz gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth. Cruz hit the two-out home run to right-center field for his first Safeco Field home run since April 11.
The Angels took advantage of Trout's third steal of the season to take a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Trout drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on left fielder Daniel Nava's two-out, RBI single to center -- the first Los Angeles hit of the game.
Seattle squandered chances in the second and third innings, leaving four runners stranded -- three in scoring position -- without any runs to show for it. The Mariners loaded the bases in the second inning but couldn't get a run in, then Seattle failed to take advantage of a leadoff triple by Nori Aoki in the third. Two groundouts and a pop fly to third kept the Mariners off the scoreboard in that frame.
Seattle loaded the bases again in the fourth, finally breaking through on a Leonys Martin sacrifice fly to center, scoring Seth Smith from third base to tie the score 1-1. Aoki, the next batter, struck out to make the Mariners 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager had doubles in two of his first three at-bats but was left stranded on both occasions.
NOTES: RHP Jhoulys Chacin is scheduled to make his Angels debut Saturday after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week. Chacin (1-2, 5.40 ERA in five starts with Atlanta) was dealt to Los Angeles for minor-league LHP Adam McCreery on Wednesday. ... The last time the Mariners lost a series was April 11-13, when the Rangers took two of three games from Seattle at Safeco Field. The Mariners have won seven series -- two by way of sweeps -- since and earned a four-game split. ... Seattle went into Friday's game having won their last seven games that were decided by one run. ... Los Angeles carried a six-game losing streak into Friday's game, the franchise's longest such streak since July 2015. The Angels also lost six in a row in Sept. 2014, when Los Angeles was swept in a three-game series at Seattle to end the regular season before getting knocked out of the American League divisional round in three games. The last time the Angels lost more than six consecutive games was April 30-May 6, 2010, when they had a seven-game losing streak. ... Entering Friday's game, the Mariners had a 19-7 record since April 13. That matched the Chicago Cubs for the best record in baseball over that span.