Los Angeles Angels defeat Seattle Mariners 2-1 – MLB Update
Los Angeles Angels overpowered the Seattle Mariners 2-1 in the three-game series finale at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Sunday, August 7 to take the series 2-1.
Angels’ starter Ervin Santana tossed one of the best spells of 2011 to outduel his rival Felix Hernandez. Santana held the Mariners under constant pressure with his gritty sinkers and allowed his first run in the top of the ninth inning, when the Mariners’
first baseman Mike Carp launched one-run homer to right-field.
Apart from this, Santana punched out seven batters and allowed only one walk over spell expanded to 115 pitches, to grab his eighth win of the season. A win improved his record 8-8 with a 3.21 ERA in 24 starts this season.
Jubilant Santana said, "I'm doing the same things I've been doing the whole year. I have not changed. I had command of every pitch. Everything was working good."
Santana might have earned another complete game, if Carp could not have blistered him out of the park. He was about to become the first pitcher to follow a no-hitter with two complete games since Ken Forsch made it for the Houston in 1979.
"There's no doubt you come back (from a no-hitter) with some confidence, because it's quite an achievement," Angels’ manager Mike Scioscia said. "Ervin has continued his roll. It's good because we're going to need him down the stretch."
Jordan Walden carried the game after Santana and tossed 6 strikes of 9 pitches to snatch his 25th save of the season.
Angels’ Mark Trumbo launched a huge one-run homer against Hernandez to get a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Hernandez tossed a breaking ball to create variation in spell but Trumbo picked it up and sent it out of the park for his 22nd home-run
of rookie season. 471-feet estimation by the Angels confirmed it the longest home-run in Angels’ stadium in this season. Vernon Wells then drove in an RBI single to score the second run for the Angels in the seventh inning.
Mariners’ starter Hernandez lost his tenth game with despite having one of the highest strike-outs of his career. Taking twelve over eight innings could not save him from humiliating defeat. Two allowed runs and four hits became the cause of his defeat.
Hernandez now has 10-10 record with a 3.31 ERA in 25 starts this season.
Angels grabbed the series 2-1, taking the first game with 1-0 shut-out and dropping 5-1 in the second. After a one-day rest, the Angels now take on the strong New York Yankees at Yankees stadium on Wednesday, August 10. It will be a real test for the Angels,
as the Yankees’ batting is at their best right now, according to experts.
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