ANAHEIM, Calif. — Mike Trout homered for the eighth time in 10 games and the Los Angeles Angels stumbled the Seattle Mariners’ AL wild-card streak with an 8-7 victory Friday night that ended a four-game losing streak.
Trout homered in seven straight games, one shy of the major league record, before failing to hit one on Tuesday and Wednesday at Cleveland. He put the Angels up 5-3 when he led off the fifth with his 36th home run of the season, tying an Angel Stadium record by hitting home runs in a fifth straight home game.
Seattle (80-63) fell a game behind Toronto (82-63) for the first AL wild card and stayed a half-game ahead of Tampa Bay (80-64), which is in third and last place in the wildcard. .
“We’ve got 19 (games to play) and you’re not going to win all of them,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We are better than what we played tonight, we know that. But we did a lot of good things offensively and we’ll continue to do that in this series.”
The Angels’ Luis Rengifo threw deep from each side of the plate in his first career multi-homer game. He hit a solo homer in the third inning off the bat to right off Robbie Ray and a three-run homer off the bat to left in the sixth inning off Matthew Festa that put the Angels up 8-4.
“The (second) one is really big because it gives our bullpen a little bit of breathing room and they can use it a little bit,” Angels interim manager Phil Nevin said. “But he’s been really great for us and he’s stood out in big places, getting a hit when you need it and playing good defense as well.”
Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez hit his fifth leadoff home run, his 27th of the season. Carlos Santana went deep twice to bring his total to 17 and Ty France scored his 19th.
Angels starter Michael Lorenzen (7-6) allowed three runs on four hits in five innings.
France hit a two-run homer in the seventh off Andrew Wantz, but with the bases loaded, Sam Haggerty rolled for a late-inning double play off Jose Quijada.
Santana hit a two-run homer in the fourth and a solo shot with one out in the ninth off Ryan Tepera, who struck out Jesse Winker and retired JP Crawford with a flyout for his third save. Los Angeles’ bullpen allowed four runs in four innings.
“At the end of the game you have to throw more strikes,” Nevin said. “You’re going to give up hits, and I know you’re going to walk guys sometimes, but we’ve got to get better at throwing strikes when (the relievers) go out the gates.”
Ray (12-10) gave up five runs on eight hits in five innings, losing his second straight start.
“My last couple (of starts), I feel like I’ve been working too hard, throwing too many shots,” Ray said after also losing to the Atlanta Braves on Sept. 9. walk the guys, but just not being able to lock the guys up or have them beat someone up. I need to be a little better.”
HONORING IN GRAND A
Trout tied the Anaheim Stadium record of five straight games with home runs shared by Bobby Bonds (1977), Matt Nokes (1987) and Jim Thome (1995-96).
COACHES ROOM
Mariners: 3B Eugenio Suárez departed midway through the fifth inning with an injured right index finger. X-rays were “inconclusive,” according to Servais. … OF Mitch Haniger (back) was out of the starting lineup for the third straight game, but he hit before the game and did some running in the outfield with the possibility that he might return on Saturday. … INF/OF Dylan Moore (oblique) went 1-for-4 for Triple-A Tacoma at the start of a rehab assignment and could return during this series. … C Cal Raleigh (thumb) was injured sliding into first base this week and did not play.
Angels: INF David Fletcher (hand), who has been reduced to bunts for the past few at-bats, was out of the starting lineup and had a negative CT scan before entering the game in the sixth inning as a running back emergent. After the game, Nevin said that Fletcher will be placed on the disabled list.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Angels RHP Shohei Ohtani (12-8, 2.55) enters Saturday with a 1.83 ERA in his last 15 starts and 93 2/3 innings. Mariners RHP George Kirby (7-3 2.98 ERA) will attempt his third win in his fourth start against Los Angeles.
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