Jo Adell’s pinch-hit grand slam not enough to save Angels in loss to Mariners
SEATTLE — Ty France hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Angels 5-4 on Friday night.
The homer put some buzz back into the crowd of 40,001, after Jo Adell erased Seattle’s four-run lead with a pinch-hit grand slam for the Angels in the seventh inning off reliever Tayler Saucedo.
Trent Thornton started the frame and gave up two walks, a fielder’s choice and a double in relief of starter Bryan Woo, who gave up just three hits on 66 pitches over six innings.
Woo, who didn’t throw his mid-week bullpen due to what manager Scott Servais called “arm stuff,” has a 2-0 record and a 1.30 ERA in five starts since coming off the IL on May 9.
Aaron Judge hits a two-run home run and Juan Soto hits a bases-clearing triple to power the New York Yankees to an 8-3 win over the Angels.
“Just doing the little things still,” Woo said. “Just getting ahead and making sure I’m in good counts, filling up the zone with whatever I’ve got. I think it’s a lot less trying to nitpick and just trusting my stuff, letting it play.”
After Thornton loaded the bases by walking Logan O’Hoppe in the seventh, Servais brought in Saucedo, who promptly gave up the grand slam to Adell to knot the game 4-4.
Cal Raleigh drove in Seattle’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the first off starter José Soriano, and France drove in two more with a double off the top of the right field wall.
Raleigh made it 4-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Adell’s pinch-hit grand slam was the first for the Angels (and first given up by the Mariners) since May 26, 2012, when Alberto Callaspo hit one off Felix Hernandez in Seattle.
But France’s 417-foot shot off Angels reliever Matt Moore (1-2) put the Mariners back in front for good.
“That was nice,” France said. “Woo pitched a heck of a game. (Saucedo), one bad pitch and they were back in the game. It’s been a grind of a year, so to be able to help the team like that, it was awesome.”
France is hitting .450 over his past six games.
MLB has integrated its official statistics with those from the Negro Leagues, meaning Josh Gibson eclipses Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb at the top of key categories.
“All of those things coming together for him, huge. Huge for us,” manager Scott Servais said. “It’s a big bat. We’ve seen it get hot before and then stay hot for a long time. He’s got the ability to do that. So, he’s in a great spot right now.”
Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth inning for his 12th save. Ryan Stanek (3-0) got the win.
The game ended when Muñoz picked off Kevin Pillar at first base. Pillar ran to second, but France threw to second baseman Dylan Moore for the final out.
“I thought we did a good job of coming back into this ballgame,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We had the right people in the game.”
Up next: Angels left-hander Reid Detmers (3-5, 5.76 ERA) will start on Saturday opposite Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (4-5, 3.48 ERA).
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