Luis Castillo pitched seven scoreless innings as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 5-1 Sunday afternoon to sweep the three-game series between the American League West rivals.
Luke Raley homered and was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Mitch Garver added a three-run double for the division-leading Mariners, who have won seven of their past eight games.
The last-place Angels, who have lost eight of nine, avoided a second consecutive shutout by scoring an unearned run in the ninth inning. Kevin Pillar drew a one-out walk, took second on defensive indifference, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Zach Neto’s two-out grounder into center field.
Castillo (5-6) continued his rebound after losing his first four starts of the season. The right-hander allowed just two hits — a ground-rule double to left-center field by Taylor Ward with two outs in the first inning and a one-out single by Kyren Paris in the third — and struck out six with three bases on balls.
Angels starter Griffin Canning (2-5) nearly matched Castillo. The righty gave up one run on four hits in 6 2/3 innings, with one walk and four strikeouts.
Raley broke a scoreless tie with two outs in the fourth inning by lining a 1-2 sinker from Canning just over the right field wall. It was Raley’s second consecutive game with a home run and his sixth of the season.
The score remained 1-0 until the eighth. The Mariners’ Josh Rojas and Julio Rodriguez drew one-out walks off Matt Moore, who was replaced by Luis Garcia. With two outs, Ty France hit a grounder to short that Neto couldn’t handle, the error loading the bases. Raley was hit by a pitch to make it 2-0 and Garver scored all three runners with a liner into the left field corner.
Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel missed third consecutive game with a sore left thumb.
–Field Level Media
