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 Right fielder Kole Calhoun scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of
the 10th inning, giving the Angels a 3-2 win over the Seattle
Mariners on Sunday in front of 38,387 at Angel Stadium.
"We fought hard," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We were just
grinding all day, and we got it done."
Right-hander Trevor Gott (1-0) earned his first major league victory
after pitching a perfect 10th inning.
Los Angeles loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th with no outs.
Second baseman Johnny Giavotella and Calhoun hit singles before
right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen intentionally walked center fielder Mike
Trout.
The Mariners employed a five-man infield, with left fielder Dustin
Ackley positioned on the right side, and designated hitter Albert
Pujols hit into a double play that forced Giavotella at home.
With a 2-2 count on third baseman Kyle Kubitza, Wilhelmsen (1-2)
threw a changeup between catcher Mike Zunino's legs, allowing
Calhoun to score the winning run.
"I thought it was a good pitch, but it was too down for (Kubitza) to
chase," Zunino said. "(Wilhelmsen) does have one of the harder
changeups, and you have to be able to shift as quickly as you can,
one way or another. I thought I almost got there, but I must have
been a little late to get my glove down."
The Angels broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth. Shortstop
Taylor Featherston hit a leadoff single up the middle and moved to
second base on Giavotella's sacrifice. Calhoun followed with another
single up the middle to score Featherston.
However, with Los Angeles one out from victory in the top of the
ninth, Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager hit a solo home run into
the right field stands against closer Huston Street to tie the
score. The homer was Seager's 12th of the year.
"In that situation, you never get too many good pitches to hit,"
Seager said, "so you just try to capitalize when you get a pitch you
can handle."
The Angels put the potential winning run at third base with two outs
in the bottom of the ninth, when first baseman Efren Navarro doubled
down the right field line and advanced on a wild pitch. Mariners
right-hander Fernando Rodney defused the threat by getting
Featherston to ground out.
Seattle took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning after Angels
left-hander Hector Santiago retired the first 10 Mariners he faced.
"I hit all my spots, for the most part," said Santiago, who
attributed his success to throwing "early strikes, off-speed pitches
in fastball counts and fastballs in off-speed counts."
In the fourth, Mariners left fielder Franklin Gutierrez lined a
one-out single to left field, took second base when second baseman
Robinson Cano walked and scored on designated hitter Nelson Cruz's
line-drive double off the right field wall.
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Cano moved to third on Cruz's double, but Seattle left both runners
in scoring position. Seager lined out, and right fielder Mark Trumbo
struck out.
Right-hander Felix Hernandez finished with eight strikeouts in six
scoreless innings while permitting just one hit and three walks.
After Hernandez exited, Los Angeles tied the score in the seventh
against the Seattle bullpen.
Mariners left-hander Charlie Furbush hit third baseman David Freese
with his first pitch. Kubitza pinch-ran for Freese and moved to
second base on a sacrifice by pinch hitter Daniel Robertson.
After right-hander Mark Lowe relieved Furbush, pinch hitter Erick
Aybar slapped a single to left field, bringing home Kubitza.
Santiago conceded just one run, two walks and three hits in seven
innings while striking out six.
"Hector Santiago is throwing the ball the best he has in his whole
life, right now," Scioscia said. "There's no doubt he's throwing the
ball as well as the top 10, the top five pitchers in our league,
however you slice it up."
NOTES: A fan ran onto the field in the top of the sixth inning,
approached CF Mike Trout, then ran to the infield grass and
pretended to throw a pitch before being apprehended. ... Seattle 2B
Robinson Cano returned to the lineup after leaving Saturday night's
game in the seventh inning with dizziness. Cano was struck in the
head by a throw during a double play, but he passed Major League
Baseball's concussion protocol. ... Mariners RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
(strained right lat muscle) will make his second rehab start Tuesday
for Triple-A Tacoma. ... Los Angeles SS Erick Aybar did not start
for the second consecutive game due to a tight left hamstring,
though he again entered as a reserve. ... Angels manager Mike
Scioscia needs two wins to tie Davey Johnson for 28th place in
career victories. Scioscia has 1,370 after Sunday
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