Los Angeles Angels vs Seattle Mariners Match Player Stats On Sep 09, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 10, 2017

SEATTLE -- Nelson Cruz's 32nd home run of the season and another strong outing from Andrew Albers led the Seattle Mariners to an 8-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night as the Mariners continue to cling to hope of a wild-card berth.

Cruz hit a three-run homer that gave Seattle (71-71) an 8-0 lead in the fourth inning, while Albers threw six shutout innings. The Mariners moved to within three games of Minnesota in the race for the second American League wild-card spot while Los Angeles (72-70) remains two back.

The Angels have lost three in a row.

Albers (4-1) allowed only five hits while earning his second straight victory. He has allowed one run over 12 innings during that span.

Seattle's Robinson Cano had three hits, including two doubles, and a pair of RBIs. Mitch Haniger went 3-for-4 while coming a double short of hitting for the cycle on a night when Seattle piled up 11 hits.

Los Angeles avoided the shutout when late-inning replacement Eric Young Jr. hit an RBI single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

The Angels lost starting pitcher Andrew Heaney to shoulder soreness in the bottom of the third inning and manager Mike Scioscia to an ejection in the fourth.

Cruz's three-run homer and a pair of RBIs from Cano led the Mariners to an 8-0 lead through the first four innings. Cano had an RBI double in the third and added an RBI single in the six-run fourth before Cruz homered.

Heaney, who came off the 60-day disabled list three weeks ago, had to come out of the game because of discomfort in his throwing arm in the third inning. He threw his 60th pitch with one out in the third, drawing a 2-1 count on Seattle's Kyle Seager, when he started pacing the mound in obvious discomfort.

Scioscia and a team trainer came out to check on Heaney, who eventually handed over the ball and walked to the dugout. Heaney allowed two runs and four hits over 2 1/3 innings.

In the fourth, Scioscia got thrown out for engaging home plate umpire David Rackley in an argument during a visit to the mound. Scioscia gave Rackley a few more choice words before leaving the field.

Haniger had a hand in Seattle's first two runs on the way to a 2-0 lead by hitting his 11th homer of the season in the first inning and scoring on Cano's double in the third.

It was Cano's 30th double of the season, giving him 13 consecutive seasons with at least 30 doubles. Cano and Hall of Famer Stan Musial are the only two players in major league history to record 13 straight seasons of 30 doubles or more.

NOTES: Seattle starters Felix Hernandez, James Paxton and Hisashi Iwakuma all threw simulated games at Safeco Field during the Angels series. Manager Scott Servais said he hopes to get Hernandez and Paxton back in time for the upcoming seven-game road trip, while Iwakuma's return still appears to be a long shot. ... Seattle OF Jacob Hannemann made his major league debut in the sixth inning. Mariners C Mike Marjama, who made his debut Sept. 3, had his first plate appearance Saturday and flew out in the eighth. ... CF Mike Trout was among four starting position players who came out of the game in the sixth, with the Angels trailing 8-0. ... The Mariners and Angels are scheduled to wrap up their three-game series in Seattle on Sunday afternoon. The teams will meet again in the final series of the regular season Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1.