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 But thanks in part to Iwakuma's performance, there is still a
remote chance that he might get another shot on the mound before all
is said and done.
Iwakuma's best start in more than a month resulted in a 4-3 Mariners
win over the Los Angeles Angels and kept the Mariners' slim
postseason hopes alive for another day.
An Oakland victory earlier in the evening put the Mariners (85-75)
in a must-win position in the American League wild-card race. The
next loss by Seattle or win by the A's will knock the Mariners out
of postseason contention.
"We're getting ready to play our 161st game, and it's a very
meaningful game," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "That's a
hell of a year. We'll see what happens."
Designated hitter Kendrys Morales, right fielder Michael Saunders
and left fielder Dustin Ackley all homered for the Mariners in a
game in which the Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun and center
fielder Mike Trout also homered.
Calhoun and Trout went back-to-back off Iwakuma in the sixth inning.
Trout's home run was his 36th of the season, moving the MVP
candidate ahead of Chicago's Jose Abreu and Toronto's Jose Bautista
for the third-highest total in the American League.
Iwakuma (15-9) snapped a three-start losing streak but had to leave
the game in the middle of an at-bat because of tightness on his
right side.
Iwakuma cruised through five innings of two-hit shutout ball before
giving up the back-to-back home runs in the sixth. After getting the
first out of the seventh inning and getting to a full count on
Angels third baseman David Freese, Iwakuma was taken out of the game
for what the Mariners were calling "precautionary reasons." Iwakuma
threw his 80th pitch of the night and then stretched his right side
and his back, bringing a visit from a team trainer. He was then
taken out of the game, having allowed two earned runs off four hits
over 6 1/3 innings.
"It's not a big thing," Iwakuma said through a translator. "I was
way too open on the slider, and I felt a stretch in my back. But it
was no big deal."
McClendon said that Iwakuma underwent post-game tests on the muscle
and "checked out fine."
Angels starter Jered Weaver needed 106 pitches to get through his
six-inning outing while allowing three home runs. In the process,
Weaver (18-9) allowed nine hits and four earned runs -- both marking
his highest totals of September -- and saw his streak of three
consecutive winning starts come to an end.
"I think it could be attributed to (Weaver) being sick a few days
ago, so he's fine," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He'll bounce
back ready to go on Thursday (in the AL Division series)."
Los Angeles (98-62) already clinched the AL West but needs to win
its final two games to cap off a 100-win season for the second time
in team history. Despite the loss, the Angels clinched homefield
advantage throughout the playoffs because of a Baltimore loss
earlier in the day.
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"It's a great accomplishment for those guys in the room," Scioscia
said. "It gives you a great sense of accomplishment, but I think we
all know what our challenges are in front of us. We want to finish
strong these next two games and be ready for next Thursday."
Seattle won despite a shaky ninth inning from closer Fernando
Rodney, who inherited a 4-2 lead but gave up two hits and a run
before retiring the final two batters to finish off his AL-best 48th
save of the season.
The Mariners used three home runs to jump out to a 4-0 lead after
five innings.
Former Angel Morales put Seattle ahead 1-0 with a leadoff home run
in the bottom of the second inning. Two batters later, Saunders
added a two-run shot for a 3-0 lead.
Ackley's leadoff homer in the fifth pushed the lead to 4-0 off
Weaver.
Despite the shaky ninth, that was enough to keep the Mariners alive
for another day.
"We couldn't ask for more, especially after the way we played the
last five or six games," Ackley said. "To still be in it is
awesome."
NOTES: Los Angeles was without OF Josh Hamilton (shoulder, ribs)
again Friday night. He has played in only one game since Sept. 4 but
is expected to be available for the postseason. Hamilton might take
batting practice before Saturday's game. ... Seattle RHP Felix
Hernandez is still listed as Sunday's starter, but that could change
if the Mariners are eliminated before the regular-season finale.
Hernandez has already thrown 230 2/3 innings this season and has
shown signs of wearing down over the past few starts. ... The
Mariners announced their minor league awards Friday, with 3B/1B D.J.
Peterson and OF/1B Jordy Lara sharing honors as co-players of the
year. Peterson, the Mariners' first-round pick in the 2013 draft,
hit .297 with 31 home runs and 111 RBIs in 123 games at Class A High
Desert and Double-A Jackson. Lara also played at High Desert and
Jackson this season, hitting .337 with 26 home runs and 104 RBIs in
135 games.
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