Crawford’s Homer Anchors Mariners’ 8-4 Win Over Angels

Crawford Powers Late Surge

J.P. Crawford provided the offensive spark Seattle needed in the seventh inning, hitting a 403-foot home run to right field that plated Ward and sealed an 8-4 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The Mariners (75-86) finished off the regular season with a decisive win at T-Mobile Park, while the Angels (62-99) fell short despite a strong start from Ryan Johnson.

Early Struggles and Defensive Errors

Los Angeles took control early, leveraging defensive miscues and timely hitting to build a 4-0 lead by the middle of the sixth inning. The Angels scored in the second when Montes reached on a ground-rule double, allowing Young to score. They doubled their advantage in the fourth via a sacrifice fly from Rivas that brought Young home again.

Seattle’s defense struggled in the fifth, allowing two runs on an error that let Canzone score while Young advanced to second and Naylor to third. The Angels added more pressure in the sixth, capitalizing on throwing errors by center fielder Arozarena and others to load the bases.

Teodosio’s single scored Guzman, followed by sacrifice bunts and groundouts that plated two more runs, making it 4-2 before Seattle responded.

Pitching Performance and Turning Point

Angels starter Ryan Johnson pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three. Blake Weiman contributed one scoreless inning, but reliever Mitch Farris took the loss after giving up four earned runs in two frames, falling to 1-4 on the season.

For Seattle, Carlos Vargas earned the win (3-0), pitching 1.2 innings of hitless ball with one walk and no strikeouts. He was supported by Kade Anderson, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings with four hits allowed, one walk, and four strikeouts, and Michael Rucker, who added 1.2 scoreless frames with three strikeouts.

Crawford’s homer in the seventh broke a 4-4 tie and shifted momentum. Earlier in the inning, Ward had singled to center, driving in Young and Arroyo to knot the game at 4-4. The Mariners then pulled away with Crawford’s blast, extending their lead to 6-4 before adding two more runs later.

Final Notes

Seranthony Dominguez closed with a perfect inning, striking out one batter. Gabe Speier also threw a scoreless frame with one strikeout. Jose Ferrer pitched 0.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits and two walks.

The game drew 40,308 fans to T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Mariners improved their record to 75-86, while the Angels dropped to 62-99.

Sources

ESPN