ANAHEIM, Calif. — Regardless of their record, which will end with more losses than wins for the seventh consecutive season, and out of postseason contention since late June, the Los Angeles Angels are still capable of beating teams because of the power production by two hitters in their lineup.
On Sunday, the Mariners were reminded of just how much damage Luis Rengifo and Livan Soto can do in a 5-1 loss.
Wait, what?
OK, so on most days, the two hitters that can carry the Angels offense to victory are former MVP winners Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani.
But on Sunday, it was a one-time Mariners minor leaguer and a rookie making his first start at shortstop after making his MLB debut as a pinch runner on Saturday night.
Rengifo smashed home runs in his first two at-bats — a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first and a two-run homer in the third — off Mariners starter Marco Gonzales to give the Angels an early lead. Soto notched his first MLB hit in the third inning and was on base for Rengifo’s second homer and ended Gonzales outing in frustration and sullied the Mariners’ comeback hopes with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.
As for those other guys, Trout and Ohtani, they were a combined 1 for 6 with two walks and a strikeout on the day.
Sarcasm aside, the Mariners have gotten off to an abysmal start to their final record trip of the regular season, losing the first three games to fall to 80-65. They will wrap up the season series with the Angels and try avoid being swept in the four-game series on Monday afternoon.
The Mariners were behind two pitches into Gonzales’ outing after Rengifo yanked a cutter over the wall in left field for a solo homer.
The Mariners answered with their only run in the second inning. Dylan Moore doubled with two outs off Angels starter Reid Detmers and scored on Adam Frazier’s bloop single.
Rengifo’s homer in the third inning seemed somewhat preposterous and a testament to his physical strength. Gonzales threw a changeup purposely below the strikzone. Rengifo, who has biceps like a body builder, made a lunging swing on the pitch and muscled it more than 400 feet over the wall in left-center for a 3-1 lead.
After allowing leadoff single to well-traveled first baseman Mike Ford, who was a member of the Mariners this season, Gonzales gave up a one-out home run to shortstop Livan Soto, who was playing in his second MLB game.
Soto turned a first-pitch fastball that was inside and off the plate and managed to keep it fair. The fly ball landed just over the wall in left field to make it 5-1 and force Gonzales out of the game.
