Trout delivers in the ninth
Three-run double gets Angels back to .500 after they blow a 3-0 lead.
ANGELS 6, SEATTLE 3
SEATTLE — Mike Trout looped a three-run double just inside the left-field line with two outs in the ninth inning, and the Angels cooled off the Seattle Mariners with a 6-3 victory on Thursday night.
Trout’s bases-clearing hit off Seattle closer Edwin Diaz (2-5) came after the Mariners staged a three-run rally of their own in the eighth inning to tie the score at 3all. Diaz had major control problems in the ninth, walking three batters, including Cameron Maybin on a 3-2 pitch to bring Trout to the plate. Trout pulled a 1-1 breaking ball and just kept it fair.
The surging Mariners were coming off a 6-3 trip to move into the second wild-card spot in the American League. Along with the ninth-inning problems, the Mariners saw ace James Paxton leave in the seventh inning with a strained left pectoral muscle.
Seattle used the long ball to rally in the eighth inning. Jean Segura hit his seventh home run of the season against Angels reliever Bud Norris, and the duo of Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz continued to come through for the Mariners. Cano drove a two-out double into the left-center field gap off Norris (2-5) and Cruz followed with his 27th homer of the season and fifth in the past five games to pull Seattle even.
Cam Bedrosian pitched the ninth for his fourth save.
The Angels got a brilliant start from Tyler Skaggs, who pitched shutout ball into the seventh. Skaggs gave up five hits and struck out five in his second start since coming off the disabled list.
C.J. Cron hit a solo homer in the second inning and Andrelton Simmons added a two-run shot in the fourth, both off of Paxton.