ANAHEIM – The Seattle Mariners avoided a three-game series sweep on Wednesday night in Anaheim, relying on opportunistic hitting from catcher Cal Raleigh and clutch relief pitching to secure a 7-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Entering the series finale after consecutive losses, Seattle broke open a tight contest in the middle innings to salvage the final matchup of their division road set.
Raleigh led the offensive effort, going 2-for-3 with an RBI double, a sacrifice fly, and a late insurance single. As reported by Field Level Media, Seattle improved to 71-82 on the season, while the Angels dropped to 58-94 after stranding 14 runners on base throughout the evening.
Early Pressure and Pitching Strain
Seattle established momentum immediately in the top of the first inning against Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi. J.P. Crawford and Randy Arozarena opened with back-to-back singles, and Dominic Canzone drew a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Raleigh capitalized on the opportunity by lifting a sacrifice fly to bring Crawford home, followed by an RBI single from Josh Naylor to give the Mariners a quick 2-0 lead.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Kikuchi was forced to throw 37 pitches during that opening frame, setting an arduous tone for his outing. However, the Angels responded immediately in the bottom half of the first. After loading the bases with no outs on walks and hits against Seattle’s staff, Los Angeles trimmed the deficit to 2-1 on a sacrifice fly from Vaughn Grissom that scored Zach Neto.
The Angels drew level at 2-2 in the bottom of the second inning. Denzer Guzman led off with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Josh Lowe, and scored when Adam Frazier lined a one-out single. Despite constant pressure from the Angels’ offense, Seattle’s pitching staff managed to limit further damage during the opening stretch.
Fifth-Inning Breakthrough and Bullpen Heroics
The decisive juncture of the game arrived in the top of the fifth inning. With the score tied 2-2, Kikuchi walked both Arozarena and Canzone with one out. Raleigh then delivered the defining hit of the night, roping an RBI double down the left-field line to break the tie and push Seattle ahead 3-2. After Julio Rodriguez was intentionally walked to load the bases, Naylor hit a ground ball to first base. Grissom attempted to initiate an inning-ending double play, but his throw sailed into left field, allowing both Canzone and Raleigh to cross the plate and extending Seattle’s lead to 5-2.
Kikuchi’s night ended shortly thereafter. The left-hander allowed five runs—four earned—on five hits over 4 1/3 innings, walking five batters and striking out four on his way to his sixth loss of the season.
The Angels had an immediate chance to respond in the bottom of the fifth when they loaded the bases against Seattle’s bullpen. Reliever Carlos Vargas was called upon to protect the three-run cushion in high-stress conditions. Vargas executed flawlessly, striking out both Josh Lowe and Christian Moore on three consecutive pitches each to extinguish the threat without allowing a run.
Closing Out the Finale
Seattle added critical insurance in the top of the sixth inning against Angels relief pitcher Sammy Peralta. Back-to-back RBI singles from Canzone and Raleigh pushed the margin to 7-2, effectively putting the game out of reach for the home side. Vargas earned his first win of the season after pitching 1 1/3 scoreless frames, giving up just one hit while striking out three batters.
Despite generating 14 base runners, Los Angeles struggled repeatedly with runners in scoring position. Denzer Guzman turned in a standout individual performance for the Angels, going 4-for-5 with a run scored, while Zach Neto and Moises Ballesteros each added two hits. However, the team’s inability to convert run-scoring opportunities left them unable to complete the series sweep. Both teams now look toward the closing stretches of the regular season as they manage roster depth and evaluate player performance for future campaigns.