Felix Hernandez shines as Seattle Mariners rebound for 2-1 win over Los Angeles Angels – MLB Update
The American League’s Seattle Mariners came back with a dominating spell by Felix Hernandez to nip the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 in the second outing of the three-game series at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Tuesday, September 6.
Hernandez tossed perfect sliders and sudden changeups to restrict the Angels’ strong batting line-up to just four-hits and one run over his eight innings. He tossed 72 strikes of 111 pitches to take seven strike-outs to record his 14th win of
the season.
Due to hot weather Hernandez seemed little tired at the end and it was confirmed when he did not react to Eric Wedge’s decision to replace him with Brandon League.
"I can't lie, I was a little tired at the end, but it was hot," said Hernandez, who has pitched more than 200 innings for the fourth straight season. "I had to be honest. We had to win this game. It was important to us because we had that five-game losing
streak."
His win might not be helpful for the Mariners but it has caused serious problems for the Angels, who are looking forward to make a place in the post season teams. Angels have won 77 games and they might qualify for post season if they win at least 10 games
of their remaining games.
Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia is aware of the fact that his team will have to present their best offensive and defensive game to make a mark in this season. A little shakiness in the performance could prove a real blow, commented the Angels.
"We didn't do much on the offensive side to absorb any miscues, but I like our club defensively," Scioscia said. "We made a couple of miscues tonight, but all in all, it's been a huge strength of ours this year, and it'll be there for us in the next three
weeks."
Ervin Santana pitched solid but gave away two runs on seven hits over six innings. This led him to his tenth loss of the season and also a drop in confidence. Santana tossed only 68 strikes of 110 pitches and made only four strike-outs.
The Angels’ now have to retaliate not only in this series but also in the up-coming matchups against the New York Yankees and Oakland Athletics. A three game series with Yankees starting from September 9 will be a real test for the Angels as the Yankees’
batting powerhouse has gained their perfect impetus. They are leading the American League with 87 wins.
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