Randal Grichuk helps power Angels past Mariners in 11 innings

Logan O'Hoppe and Mike Moustakas exchange a double high-five.

By SHANE LANTZ

Associated Press

Sept. 11, 2023 Updated 11:51 PM PT

SEATTLE — Randal Grichuk drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the top of the 11th inning, and the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners 8-5 on Monday night.

Brandon Drury gave the Angels a 5-3 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the 10th before Julio Rodríguez tied it again with a two-run shot in the bottom half of the inning. It gave Rodríguez 30 homers to go with 36 stolen bases, making him the second-youngest in franchise history to join the 30/30 club behind Alex Rodriguez.

Julio Rodríguez is also just the fourth player in MLB history to join the 30/30 club at age 22 or younger. He finished the night with four hits.

In the 11th, automatic runner Kyren Paris advanced to third on Eduardo Escobar’s one-out single to right against Trent Thornton (0-2). Grichuk then singled to center to drive in Paris with the tiebreaking run. Gabe Speier got Brett Phillips to hit into a fielder’s choice with Escobar out at third. Grichuk scored when Eugenio Suarez misplayed Jordyn Adams’ grounder, with Phillips advancing to third. Nolan Schanuel followed with a run-scoring single to center. After Zach Neto walked to load the bases, Isaiah Campbell came on and got Drury to fly out.

“They whupped our tails a few weeks ago at home in four games, so just the energy in the dugout was great,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “There is a lot to unpack there in the last couple innings, I know, but the fight in these guys, and the at-bats, it just was really good.”

José Marte (1-0) gave up Rodriguez’s tying homer but got the win for Los Angeles. Jimmy Herget got the last three outs for his first save of the year.

The loss dropped Seattle out of playoff position — falling one-half game behind Texas in the AL Wild Card race, after the Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, 10-4.

“It’s a crazy one,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “A lot of plays go one way or the other and you’re probably on the right side of it. But at the end of the day, we didn’t get it done. We’ve got to execute in those big spots. We had those at-bats, and it didn’t happen for us tonight.”

The Mariners scored first on a sacrifice fly by Teoscar Hernandez and Cal Raleigh’s two-run homer in the first. The Angels’ Logan O’Hoppe tied it up with two homers, a two-run shot in the second and a solo homer in the fourth against Mariners starter Logan Gilbert, who allowed six hits and three runs over seven innings.

Last week, O’Hoppe said he was “disgusted” with his offensive performance, but seemed pleased after Monday’s game.

“I’m feeling better,” O’Hoppe said. “It’s clicking, so now I feel back to how I was before.”

Angels starter Reid Detmers retired 11 straight batters after allowing the homer to Raleigh, and gave up just two hits over his final six innings.

“I kind of knew their game plan coming in was looking for [fastballs] and sliders, so throwing in the changeup and working the fastball away was going to help a lot,” Detmers said. “That’s kind of what I stuck to after the first inning. Throwing more changeups, more curveballs, more fastballs just to kind of get them off their game plan.”

Notes: Schanuel extended his on-base streak to 18 games, setting a franchise record for longest on-base streak to start a career. ... Raleigh’s homer was his 28th of the season, breaking his own franchise record for most home runs by a catcher.

Injury updates: Shohei Ohtani was scratched from the lineup as he continues to deal with an injury to his right oblique. ... LHP José Suarez (shoulder) was activated from the IL, and RHP Gerardo Reyes was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Up next: Angels LHP Patrick Sandoval (7-12, 4.31 ERA) will start against Mariners RHP Bryan Woo (2-4, 4.50).