OC Register: Angels drop bullpen game to Mariners, as Nelson Cruz homers again

[AngelsWin.com]

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  The Angels’ Mike Trout doubles during the first inning of Thursday’s game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  Seattle Mariners’ Ben Gamel scores past Los Angeles Angels third baseman Jefry Marte on a sacrifice fly by Dee Gordon during the second inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Seattle Mariners’ Ben Gamel celebrates in the dugout after scoring on a sacrifice fly by Dee Gordon during the second inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, sits with manager Mike Scioscia before a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Odrisamer Despaigne throws against the Seattle Mariners during the first inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Seattle Mariner hits a three run home run in the fourth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Nelson Cruz #23 of the Seattle Mariner hits a three run home run in the fourth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Francisco Arcia #37 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looks on as Nelson Cruz #23 of the Seattle Mariners crosses the plate after hitting a three run home run in the fourth inning of the game at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  Seattle Mariners’ Nelson Cruz, left, celebrates after his three-run home run with Mitch Haniger during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Junichi Tazawa, of Japan, throws against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Junichi Tazawa #47 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitches in the fifth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Mike Leake throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at bat in the fourth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  The Angels’ Justin Upton watches the flight of his home run during the seventh inning of Thursday’s game against the Mariners. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Mike Leake #8 of the Seattle Mariners stands on the mound after giving up a solo home run to Justin Upton #8 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the seventh inning of the game at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 13: Justin Upton #8 is congratulated at the dugout by Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium on September 13, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)

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  The Mariners’ Ryon Healy gets out of the way of a high pitch during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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  Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, left, laughs with manager Mike Scioscia before a baseball game against the Seattle Mariners in Anaheim, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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ANAHEIM — This season marks the end of Nelson Cruz’s contract with the Seattle Mariners, so the Angels might want to encourage the 38-year-old to retire.

The Mariners’ designated hitter blasted his 50th career homer against the Angels, providing the big blow in the Angels’ 8-2 loss on Thursday night.

Cruz, who played much of his career in the American League West with the Texas Rangers and Mariners, has hit the second most homers against the Angels.

He trails only Alex Rodriguez, who hit 70 regular-season homers against the Angels. Rodriguez began his career with nine seasons in Seattle and Texas.

Cruz’s fourth-inning homer against Noé Ramírez doubled a 3-0 lead, sending the Angels on the way to a game that was not in character with their recent solid play.

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The Angels had won nine of their previous 13 games – albeit with nine of those games against the Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox – with good pitching throughout.

The pitching highlight in this game was Parker Bridwell returning to throw two scoreless innings.

Bridwell had been a revelation in 2017, coming over from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for cash considerations and posting a 3.64 ERA in 21 games. This season Bridwell figured to be, at worst, rotation depth to cover them in case of injuries.

As the starters above him were dropping, though, Bridwell was having elbow problems of his own that cost him most of the season on the disabled list. He had surgery to clean up bone chips in July.

He trotted to the mound in the sixth inning to face the heart of the Seattle order. After allowing a leadoff single to Robinson Canó, Bridwell got a strikeout and a double play. He retired the side in order in the seventh, completing a clean outing.

The Angels’ only offensive highlight was Justin Upton’s 27th homer, his first since Aug. 14, before he missed time with a lacerated finger and then a concussion. A night earlier he snapped an 0-for-15 drought.

Otherwise, it was an ugly bullpen game for the Angels.

Although the Angels now have four healthy starters – Andrew Heaney, Jaime Barría, Matt Shoemaker and Felix Peña – they nonetheless had two bullpen games this week because Manager Mike Scioscia wanted to give his starters an extra day of rest toward the end of a long season.

On Tuesday night, it all went just about perfectly, with Jim Johnson opening a game in which the Angels used eight relievers to pitch a two-hit shutout against the Texas Rangers.

This time, Odrisamer Despaigne started, and the script didn’t flow so nicely.

Despaigne allowed the first three batters of the game to reach, with Canó’s single driving in a run. Johnson began throwing in the bullpen. An out later, Ryon Healy drove in another with a sacrifice fly.

Despaigne gave up back-to-back singles to start the second, and the bullpen door revolving door began to spin. Johnson got through the second and Taylor Cole worked out of bases-loaded jam in the third.

In the fourth, the game got away when Ramírez left a sinker over the middle of the plate to Cruz.

More to come on this story.

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