Field Level Media
Jun 12, 2018
Nelson Cruz hit two home runs to match Mike Trout as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 5-3 Monday night at Safeco Field in the opener of a three-game series.
Ryon Healy also homered and Wade LeBlanc pitched five solid innings for Seattle.
Trout hit two solo homers and Albert Pujols added another for the Angels.
Trout and Pujols both went deep in the first inning off LeBlanc (2-0), but those were the only two runs the left-hander allowed. LeBlanc gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five. It was the 10th homer of the season for Pujols and the 624th of his career.
LeBlanc allowed just one hit over the next three innings, an infield single by Justin Upton, before running into some trouble in the fifth.
Jabari Blash led off with a walk and moved to third an out later on a double by Martin Maldonado. LeBlanc intentionally walked Trout with two outs, but struck out Upton on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.
Angels left-hander Andrew Heaney (3-5), who pitched a one-hitter his last time out against Kansas City, had one of his worst starts of the season. Heaney went three-plus innings, allowing five runs on seven hits -- three of which were homers -- with one walk and two strikeouts.
Cruz's two-run shot to center field in the first inning tied the score at 2-2.
Leading off the fourth, Cruz again homered to center, his 15th of the season, to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead.
Kyle Seager then singled to center and Healy lined a homer over the fence in left-center to make it 5-2. It was Healy's 10th homer.
After Guillermo Heredia doubled down the right-field line and Denard Span walked, Heaney was replaced by Noe Ramirez, who got out of the inning without any more damage.
Trout led off the eighth with his 21st homer, a 459-foot blast that hit halfway up the batter's eye behind the center-field fence off right-hander Ryan Cook.
Mariners right-hander Edwin Diaz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his major league-leading 24th save of the season.
--Field Level Media