Jose Soriano pitched 7 2/3 strong innings as the Los Angeles Angels defeated host Seattle 5-1 on Tuesday night, preventing the Mariners from regaining sole possession of first place in the American League West.
Luis Rengifo, making his return from the injured list, hit a two-run single to cap a five-run fifth inning for the Angels, who won their third consecutive game.
The injury-depleted Mariners – center fielder Julio Rodriguez (high right ankle sprain) and shortstop J.P. Crawford (broken right hand) were placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday – lost for the seventh time in their past eight games.
Soriano (6-7) allowed one run on three hits. The right-hander walked three and struck out five.
Mariners All-Star Logan Gilbert (6-6) took the loss, though just one of the five runs he surrendered in 6 2/3 innings was earned. The right-hander gave up four hits, walked one and fanned eight.
Gilbert retired the side in order in each of the first four innings before running into trouble in the fifth.
Logan O’Hoppe lined Gilbert’s first pitch of the inning into center field for Los Angeles’ first hit. Nolan Schanuel lined the next pitch to right for a single. Brandon Drury then reached on a throwing error by third baseman Josh Rojas to load the bases.
That seemed to rattle Gilbert, who walked Mickey Moniak on four pitches to bring home the game’s first run. Zach Neto dropped a bunt down the first-base line. Gilbert fielded it while sliding to the ground, but his throw to the plate from his knees was high and wide, the error allowing two runs to score. With two outs, Rengifo lined a two-run single to center to make it 5-0.
Seattle got a run back in the bottom of the inning as Jason Vosler, making his Mariners debut, led off with a double to right. Vosler took third on a wild pitch and, after Dylan Moore walked, scored when Cade Marlowe grounded into a double play.
The Mariners loaded the bases in the eighth on a single by Marlowe and two walks, but reliever Ben Joyce got Jorge Polanco to fly out to the warning track in center to end the threat.