Jesse Winker hit a grand slam and Marco Gonzales survived a couple of scares to pitch six quality innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 6-3 Sunday afternoon to split the four-game series.
Gonzales (7-11) allowed three runs on eight hits. The left-hander walked one and struck out seven. Paul Sewald worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 14th save of the season.
Gonzales collided with Angels on-deck hitter Shohei Ohtani while backing up a play at the plate in the top of the third inning — Phil Gosselin was thrown out trying to score from second on Taylor Ward’s single to left. Gonzales stepped on Ohtani’s foot and tumbled to the turf. Gonzales got up limping while Ohtani hopped around on one foot for several seconds, but both players stayed in the game.
With a runner on first in the top of the fourth, Gonzales took a liner from Jo Adell off his right ankle. After a couple of practice pitches, Gonzales gave the bench a thumbs-up.
The Mariners took the lead in the bottom of the first. Adam Frazier and Mitch Haniger walked and Eugenio Suarez hit a one-out double to left to make it 1-0.
Left-hander Tucker Davidson (1-3), making his Angels debut after being acquired from Atlanta at the trade deadline as part of the deal for closer Raisel Iglesias, ran into more trouble in the third.
With one out, Ty France and Haniger singled and Suarez walked on a full count to load the bases. Winker pulled a 2-0 fastball down the right-field line, the ball staying just fair to increase Seattle’s advantage to 5-0.
The Angels got a couple of runs back in the fourth as David Fletcher grounded a double down the left-field line after a single by Luis Rengifo and Adell’s liner.
The Mariners tacked on a run in the fifth as Suarez led off with a single and Winker walked. With two outs, Sam Haggerty doubled into the right-field corner to score Suarez, with Winker thrown out at the plate.
Fletcher drove in another run in the sixth on a groundout after Adell led off with a single and Max Stassi doubled to left.
Davidson gave up all six Seattle runs on six hits in four-plus innings. He walked five and fanned one.
–Field Level Media
