OC Register: Angels spoil Mariners’ playoff hopes in season finale

[AngelsWin.com]

SEATTLE — The Angels crashed the party.

The Seattle Mariners, who were fighting for their first playoff spot in 20 years, sold out all three games this weekend at T-Mobile Park, but the Angels won two of three to extend the Mariners’ drought.

The Angels won, 7-3, on Sunday afternoon, getting home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh, ending a disappointing season with a flicker of happiness.

The Angels finished 77-85, in fourth place in the American League West. It was their sixth consecutive losing season.

Even if the Mariners would have won on Sunday, they still would have missed the playoffs because the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both won on Sunday, taking the two American League wild-card spots. The Mariners’ playoff drought is the longest in the majors.

Angels manager Joe Maddon had said all weekend that he wanted his players to soak up the atmosphere from a jam-packed ballpark in Seattle and aspire to creating something similar in Anaheim next year.

Although the Angels were playing for nothing but pride and the Mariners were playing for their postseason lives, the Angels showed no signs of rolling over for the Mariners. Even in the game the Mariners won this weekend, the Angels had a lead into the eighth inning.

On Sunday afternoon the Angels never trailed, taking a lead on Ohtani’s homer to lead off the first inning. It was Ohtani’s 46th homer of the season – two shy of the major league lead – and his 100th RBI.

The Angels extended their lead to 4-0 in the second. After the Mariners scored a couple of runs, Walsh rebuilt the lead to 6-2 with his 29th homer, in the fourth inning. Walsh finished the season with 98 RBIs.

Reid Detmers got the ball for his first major league game since Aug. 21, before he was placed on the COVID-related injured list.

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Because of the time off, Detmers had not been fully stretched out as a starter, so he was only able to throw 60 to 70 pitches, and he lasted just 43. Detmers was charged with two runs in 1-2/3 innings.

Angels relievers then held the Mariners to one run over the rest of the game, though.

NOTES

Before the game, the Angels added some depth to their bullpen by activating Junior Guerra from the injured list before the game. He had been out with a left hamstring strain. They optioned left-hander Jhonathan Diaz, who started on Saturday. …

Taylor Ward was placed on the injured list with a right adductor strain, which he suffered on Thursday afternoon. The move cleared a spot for Detmers to be activated. …

Brandon Marsh did not start on Sunday because his foot was still sore from hitting first base awkwardly on Saturday night, Maddon said. Marsh entered the game for defense in the sixth inning.

More to come on this story.

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