All things considered, the Seattle Mariners probably couldn’t have asked for a better start to their seven-game road trip leading into the trade deadline.
They will look to maintain the momentum when they face the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif., in the second contest of a four-game series.
Shortly before the Mariners took the field for an eventual 4-2 victory over the Angels on Thursday, it was announced that Seattle, in desperate need of offensive firepower, obtained first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of pitching prospects.
Naylor was a 2024 All-Star when he produced 31 homers and 108 RBIs for the Cleveland Guardians. This year, the pending free agent batted .292 with 11 home runs and 59 RBIs in 93 games for Arizona.
The Mariners followed that up by clubbing three home runs in the win versus Los Angeles, including the 15th by center fielder Julio Rodriguez to go along with his 20th stolen base. That put Rodriguez in the record books as the first player in major league history to hit 15 homers and steal 20 bases in each of his first four seasons.
Seattle left fielder Randy Arozarena continued his hot hitting with a two-run homer that proved to be the game-winner. It was his 11th home run since June 30, matching Arizona’s Eugenio Suarez for the most in the majors during that span.
“Great way to come back and get this road trip started,” Seattle manager Dan Wilson said. “Just a great job all around tonight. Obviously, coming on the heels of the news prior to the game of getting Josh Naylor, it’s exciting.”
Naylor is expected to be in uniform on Friday night.
“It’s a huge acquisition,” Wilson said. “Looking forward to getting him in here and getting in here quickly. Josh had a huge series against us when we were there. I think all of us are really excited to get to know him and welcome him into the Mariner uniform.”
Seattle was swept in a three-game series by the Diamondbacks from June 9-11 in Phoenix with Naylor going 8-for-12, including a walk-off grand slam, while driving in six runs and scoring three times.
“We are thrilled to add Josh as we make a push for the postseason,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said. “Josh’s ability to hit for both average and power is unique, and we are excited to not have to face him anymore.”
Seattle, second in the American League West, moved to within five games of the first-place Houston Astros with the Thursday win and also jumped a half-game ahead of the Boston Red Sox into the second wild-card spot.
Wilson will give the ball to All-Star Bryan Woo (8-5, 2.91 ERA) on Friday. The right-hander, who is 1-0 with a 3.38 ERA in six career starts against the Angels, is coming off a loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Woo gave up five runs (four earned) on six hits in six innings.
Right-hander Jose Soriano (7-7, 3.38 ERA) will get the start for the Angels, who have lost four in a row. Soriano is 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA in three starts against the Mariners last season. Including five previous relief outings, he has a career 2-0 mark with a 2.70 ERA vs. Seattle.
Mike Trout went 1-for-2 with a double, three walks and a run on Thursday for the Angels, who opened a 13-game homestand. Los Angeles loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth against Seattle closer Andres Munoz, but Nolan Schanuel, who had two hits and an RBI, lined out to Arozarena to end the game.
The Angels fell 5 1/2 games out of the final wild-card spot and 11 games behind the Astros with the defeat, but interim manager Ray Montgomery took exception when a reporter suggested his team is nearly out of the postseason race.
“When you have 60 games left, I don’t think you’re running out of time,” Montgomery said. “I do think there’s an atmosphere that these games matter maybe a little more than prior. But, at the same time, you have to keep it in perspective. …
“There’s still a long ways to go in the season. I like the atmosphere and I like the way the guys responded. We just couldn’t come up with the hit when we needed it.”
–Field Level Media
