OC Register: Patrick Sandoval’s strong outing wasted as Angels hitters are quieted by Mariners

[AngelsWin.com]

• 

  Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts after striking out while looking to end the top of the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

• 

  Patrick Sandoval #43 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts during the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

• 

  Patrick Sandoval #43 and Max Stassi #33 of the Los Angeles Angels react while walking back to the dugout after completing the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

• 

  Paul Sewald #37 and Tom Murphy #2 of the Seattle Mariners celebrate after defeating the Los Angeles Angels 2-0 at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

• 

  Phil Gosselin #13 of the Los Angeles Angels makes a sliding catch during the eighth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

• 

  Ty France #23 scores off an RBI triple by Luis Torrens #22 of the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park on July 10, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Show Caption

of

Expand

SEATTLE — The Angels’ 2-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday was decided by two double plays they couldn’t turn and a bunch of hits they didn’t get.

Patrick Sandoval’s career-best seven-inning performance was wasted by the Angels’ lack of production at the plate, resulting in losses in the first two games of this final three-game series before the All-Star break.

The Angels had just three hits in seven innings against Seattle’s Chris Flexen, who has enjoyed a career renaissance after spending a year pitching in South Korea. Flexen had an 8.07 ERA with the New York Mets, mostly as a reliever, before going abroad, and since returning with a new cutter and a new slimmed down frame, he has a 3.51 ERA with the Mariners.

The Angels, who are trying to piece together a capable lineup without injured Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Justin Upton, did little against him.

One of the hits against Flexen came from David Fletcher, whose fourth inning single stretched his hitting streak to 23 games. That extended what was already the longest streak in the majors this season.

Related Articles

• Angels GM Perry Minasian is open to adding a ‘rental’ for the pennant race
• Alexander: Angels’ Shohei Ohtani is must-see TV
• Angels play sloppy game after Shohei Ohtani’s towering home run
• Mythbusting: Angels’ Shohei Ohtani takes plenty of batting practice, but not on the field
• Alexander: Baseball’s draft is coming up … blink and you’ll miss it

He equaled Garret Anderson (2008) and Jim Edmonds (1995) for the third longest streak in Angels history. Anderson holds the franchise record with a 28-game streak in 1998, and Rod Carew had a 25-game streak in 1982.

The Angels never really threatened against Flexen, getting just one runner into scoring position, and that was with two outs in the fifth.

Sandoval certainly couldn’t compete with that, even though he gave up just two runs on six hits.

Both of the runs he allowed were the results of potential inning-ending double plays the Angels couldn’t quite turn.

In the fourth, shortstop José Iglesias seemed to have trouble getting rid of the ball after the force at second, so Jake Fraley barely beat the throw at first to allow a run to score.

In the sixth, Fletcher fielded a routine grounder about six feet from the bag. Iglesias, seemingly unsure if Fletcher was going to flip him the ball, collided with Fletcher when he went to the bag himself. The ball then popped out of Fletcher’s hand and he couldn’t make the to throw to first.

The next hitter, Luis Torrens, then tripled down the right field line, driving in a run.

More to come on this story.

View the full article

[Angel Oracle]

WTH is Luis Torrens?   3-6 this series?