Cal Raleigh had two hits and three RBIs, while Josh Naylor added two hits and two RBIs as the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-2 on Wednesday night.
Seattle broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth. Randy Arozarena reached base three times and scored three runs as the Mariners kept their postseason hopes alive with nine games remaining.
The Angels had a chance to respond with the bases loaded in the fifth, but Seattle reliever Carlos Vargas recorded consecutive strikeouts to end the threat.
Mariners Strike Early Against Kikuchi
Seattle made Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi work immediately.
The Mariners collected three hits and scored twice during a 37-pitch first inning.
Arozarena played a central role in the early pressure before Raleigh brought home the game’s first run with a sacrifice fly.
Naylor followed with an RBI single, giving Seattle a 2-0 advantage.
Kikuchi eventually escaped the inning, but the lengthy opening frame forced him to work from behind both on the scoreboard and with his pitch count.
Los Angeles later erased the deficit and pulled even at 2-2.
The tie held until Seattle’s offense broke through again in the fifth.
Raleigh Breaks Tie in Fifth
Kikuchi ran into control problems with one out in the fifth.
He walked Arozarena and Dominic Canzone, putting two runners aboard for Raleigh.
The Mariners catcher capitalized.
Raleigh drove an RBI double into left field, bringing Arozarena home and giving Seattle a 3-2 lead.
The Angels then intentionally walked Julio Rodriguez to load the bases for Naylor.
Los Angeles appeared to have an opportunity to limit the damage when Naylor hit a ground ball toward first baseman Vaughn Grissom.
Grissom made a sliding backhand stop and attempted to start a potential double play.
His throw to second base sailed into left field.
Two runs scored on the error, extending Seattle’s lead to 5-2.
What had been a tied game quickly became a three-run advantage for the Mariners.
Vargas Escapes Bases-Loaded Threat
Los Angeles had an immediate opportunity to answer in the bottom of the fifth.
The Angels loaded the bases and brought the potential tying run to the plate.
Seattle turned to Vargas with the inning still in danger.
The reliever responded with six straight strikes.
Vargas struck out Josh Lowe on three pitches before facing Christian Moore.
Moore also went down on three pitches.
The consecutive strikeouts ended the inning and preserved Seattle’s 5-2 lead.
The escape proved to be one of the game’s key sequences.
Los Angeles had created an opportunity to cut into the deficit immediately after Seattle’s three-run inning but came away without a run.
Vargas eventually earned the win and improved to 1-0.
Seattle Adds Two More Runs
The Mariners continued to create separation in the sixth.
Canzone delivered an RBI single to bring home another run.
Raleigh then added his third RBI of the night with another run-scoring single.
The two hits increased Seattle’s lead to 7-2.
Raleigh finished with two hits and three RBIs, contributing to the scoring in three different situations.
His first-inning sacrifice fly opened the scoring. His fifth-inning double broke the 2-2 tie, and his sixth-inning single helped put the game out of reach.
Naylor also finished with two hits and two RBIs.
His first-inning single produced one run, while another two runs scored on the fifth-inning play that ended with Grissom’s throwing error.
Arozarena Helps Drive Seattle Offense
Arozarena consistently created opportunities for the middle of Seattle’s lineup.
He walked, singled and scored three times.
His fifth-inning walk started the decisive rally after the game had been tied at 2-2.
Canzone followed with another walk before Raleigh put Seattle back in front.
Arozarena’s ability to reach base gave Raleigh and Naylor repeated opportunities to produce runs.
The Mariners finished with seven runs after entering the fifth tied with Los Angeles.
Their five runs across the fifth and sixth innings decided the game.
Kikuchi Takes Loss
Kikuchi struggled with Seattle’s lineup from the beginning.
His 37-pitch first inning included three hits and two runs as Raleigh and Naylor each drove in a run.
The Angels eventually pulled even, but Kikuchi could not preserve the tie in the fifth.
Walks to Arozarena and Canzone set up Raleigh’s go-ahead double.
The intentional walk to Rodriguez then loaded the bases before Grissom’s throwing error allowed two more runs to score.
Kikuchi took the loss and fell to 1-6.
The fifth inning proved particularly costly because Los Angeles had a chance to answer in the bottom half.
Vargas’ consecutive three-pitch strikeouts prevented the Angels from taking advantage.
Mariners Keep Postseason Hopes Alive
Seattle entered Wednesday with little margin for error in the postseason race.
The Mariners remained 5 1/2 games behind Texas and Houston in the American League West after the win.
They also sat 6 1/2 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the third AL wild-card position with nine games remaining.
Wednesday’s result kept Seattle mathematically in contention.
The Mariners relied on several productive performances to secure the win.
Raleigh drove in three runs, Naylor had two hits and two RBIs, and Arozarena scored three times.
Canzone also contributed an RBI single after reaching base during the decisive fifth-inning rally.
For Los Angeles, the missed opportunity with the bases loaded in the fifth prevented the club from responding when the game was still within reach.
Seattle added two more runs an inning later and protected the five-run margin from there.
Up Next
The Mariners travel to Colorado, where right-hander Bryan Woo is scheduled to start Friday night against the Rockies.
Woo enters the matchup with a 12-9 record and a 3.88 ERA.
The Angels remain in Anaheim to open a series against Minnesota on Thursday night.
Right-hander Walbert Ureña is scheduled to start for Los Angeles with a 9-10 record and a 2.88 ERA. The Twins will counter with right-hander Taj Bradley, who enters at 11-6 with a 3.81 ERA.