Crawford has 4 hits, Rodríguez homers in Mariners’ 6-2 victory over Angels
By JOE REEDY
AP Sports Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — J.P. Crawford tied a career high with four hits, Julio Rodríguez was 3 for 5 with homer and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-2 on Saturday night despite Shohei Ohtani going deep for the third time in five games.
Eugenio Suárez also had three hits as the Mariners set a season high with 16 hits and snapped the Angels’ five-game winning streak.
“A really good night offensively. A lot of good at-bats deep in counts and guys grinding to get hits,” manager Scott Servais said. “That’s the kind of process you want to see with the swing decisions. We hit a lot of balls up the middle the other way. We stayed to the big part of the field.”
Ohtani is tied for third in the majors with 18 home runs. He has gone 12 for 28 during a seven-game hitting streak.
“I mean, this is as good a place as I’ve seen him locked in,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “The home run gets us right back in the game as it did last night. A big at-bat there.”
It is the third time in his seven years in the majors that Crawford has had four hits. It also came at a good time after he was mired in a 1-for-17 slump in his last five games. Suárez also was struggling, with only two hits in 22 at-bats during the first six games of the trip.
“Everyone was dialed in. It was good to watch,” Crawford said. “It was a good bounce back”.”
Gabe Speier (2-1) got the win.
Rodríguez started the scoring with a two-run shot off Patrick Sandoval (3-6) in the third inning. The Mariners’ center fielder, who was last season’s AL Rookie of the Year, is batting .366 over his last 16 games (26 for 71) with five home runs and 15 RBIs.
“I’ve been missing some of those in the middle. I felt that the shows the pitcher they were able to get away with something,” Rodríguez said. “So being able to get those and drive in some runs for the team is key.”
Rookie Bryan Woo had a better outing in his second big-league start. The right-hander, who was rocked for six runs in two innings in his June 3 debut at Texas, struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings and gave up two runs on four hits.
His only major mistake came in the third inning, when Ohtani connected on an inside slider for a two-run homer to right field. It was the third time this season the Japanese two-way superstar has gone deep in back-to-back games.
After a base hit by Crawford, Rodríguez drove Sandoval’s changeup over the wall in center for his 12th homer of the season. Ty France followed with a double down the left-field line and came home on Teoscar Hernandez’s single to make it 3-0.
After Ohtani’s home run, the Mariners responded with a pair in the fourth on RBI singles by Tom Murphy and Crawford.
Suárez provided more insurance with an RBI single in the seventh.
TOSSED
Nevin was ejected for the third time this season after Ohtani was called out on strikes on a slider from Speier that appeared to be just outside of the strike zone.
“Our dugout was chirping quite a bit and I was done. I was pointing to put the pitcher in and he (home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi) thought he saw something,” Nevin said. “I’ll take those. I don’t want any of my coaches or players getting thrown out. So I’ll take that and then once you go out, you’re gonna get a good talk.”
SANDOVAL’S STRUGGLES
Sandoval dropped his fifth straight start. The left-hander struck out eight but allowed 10 hits and five runs.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels: RHP Ben Joyce was placed on the 15-day injured list with ulnar neuritis in his right arm. RHP Gerardo Reyes was called up from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill the roster spot. … OF Jo Adell was optioned to Triple-A after OF Hunter Renfroe came off the paternity list. … C Max Stassi (left hip strain) was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Reyes on the 40-man roster.
UP NEXT
Mariners RHP Logan Gilbert (4-3, 3.80 ERA) is set to face RHP Griffin Canning (4-2, 4.47 ERA) on Sunday.
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