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Angels starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suarez hits an RBI single during the first inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners Julio Rodriguez, left, scores on a single by Eugenio Suarez as Angels starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen, right, watches along with home plate umpire Will Little during the first inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Chris Flexen throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani avoids a close pitch during the first inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Angels starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen throws to the plate during the second inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodriguez is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Chris Flexen steps off the mound after giving up a home run to the Angels’ Mike Trout during the fourth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Mike Trout, center, is congratulated by Shohei Ohtani, left, after hitting a solo home run during the fourth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani laughs as he talks to first base umpire Adrian Johnson after hitting a single during the fourth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ Matt Duffy, center, grounds into a double play during the fourth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. The Mariners won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suarez celebrates after hitting a double during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Angels relief pitcher Archie Bradley throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Taylor Trammell steals second base as Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo applies a late tag during the sixth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suarez scores a run past Angels catcher Max Stassi during the sixth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Eugenio Suarez celebrates after scoring a run during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh, right, ducks out of the way of a pitch as Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh grabs it during the sixth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. The Mariners won, 4-3. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Ryan Borucki of the Seattle Mariners throws to the plate during the sixth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Angels’ Jared Walsh flips his bat after striking out during the sixth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. Walsh went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the 4-3 loss. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani strikes out during the eighth inning of their game against the Seattle Mariners on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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The Seattle Mariners’ Justin Upton, right, yells after striking out with the bases loaded as Angels catcher Max Stassi walks away during the eighth inning on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Paul Sewald throws to the plate during the ninth inning of their game against the Angels on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Seattle Mariners relief pitcher Paul Sewald celebrates after striking out the Angels’ Brandon Marsh for the final out of their 4-3 victory on Friday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Japanese skateboarding Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome waves before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners on Friday at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Japanese skateboarding Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners on Friday at Angel Stadium. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Japanese skateboarding Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome reacts after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners on Friday at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Japanese skateboarding Olympic gold medalist Yuto Horigome reacts after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Angels and the Seattle Mariners on Friday at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
ANAHEIM ― On May 16, Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward made a quip about “the lesser guys” in the Angels’ lineup doing most of the damage on offense in a head-to-head game. The next day, a team set of red T-shirts emblazoned with the words “the lesser guys” were hanging from every locker in the clubhouse.
For a time, the T-shirts served as an appropriate motivational tool, a fashionable form of “bulletin board material.” As the team plummeted in the standings, the idea of “lesser guys” cut in the opposite direction.
On Friday night against the Seattle Mariners, the Angels’ top three hitters went 4 for 10 and were responsible for all three runs in a 4-3 loss. The rest of the lineup – the “lesser guys,” if you will – went 3 for 21 with seven strikeouts and grounded into two double plays.
The loss cost the Angels (34-39) a chance to gain separation from the team just behind them in the American League West. Seattle (33-39) now sits a half-game behind in the division.
Mike Trout went 2 for 3 with an RBI triple, a home run, and an intentional walk that matched Vladimir Guerrero’s career franchise record. Shohei Ohtani singled and drove in a run. Taylor Ward singled and scored a run from the top of the lineup.
It was not enough offense to erase an early 3-0 deficit – even on a night when the Mariners went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position and left 16 men on base.
Angels starter Michael Lorenzen labored through three innings, needing 85 pitches to record nine outs. It was his shortest start of the season. Lorenzen walked four batters, allowed four hits, and hit another.
“He got big pitches when he needed,” Nevin said. “He just didn’t have his command today.”
Lorenzen was more succinct: “I sucked tonight.”
Four batters into the game, the Angels were playing catch-up.
Julio Rodriguez walked, went to second on a Jesse Winker single, and scored on a single by Eugenio Suarez to give Seattle a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Winker singled in the third inning, then scored on a two-out, two-strike single by Justin Upton. The Mariners’ DH went 1 for 4 in his first game at Angel Stadium since he was designated for assignment by the Angels in April.
After Upton’s single, Lorenzen walked Adam Frazier to load the bases, prompting Oliver Ortega to get warm in the bullpen. Lorenzen retired Dylan Moore to get out of the jam. That was the end of his evening.
Fortunately, the Angels’ bullpen was well-rested following Shohei Ohtani’s eight-inning effort Wednesday and Thursday’s off-day.
Ortega pitched the fourth and fifth innings, allowing only a line-drive solo home run by Rodriguez. Archie Bradley got the next three outs, but not before Suarez hit a ground-rule double and scored on a flare to shallow right field by Taylor Trammell.
Andrew Wantz (1⅓ innings) and Aaron Loup (1⅔) did not allow a run over the final three innings. Loup escaped a bases-loaded jam of his own creation in the eighth.
Trout drew an intentional walk in the eighth inning, giving him 112 for his career to match Guerrero’s franchise record. He also became the all-time leader in career home runs (53) and extra-base hits (99) against the Mariners franchise.
After right-hander Chris Flexen (3-8) exited the game, the Angels mustered only two hits and seven strikeouts over the final four innings. They batted three times with runners in scoring position and went 0 for 3. Four times, they hit a ball 98 mph or harder for an out.
In the archetypal sequence of the night, Jared Walsh took a 96-mph fastball off his helmet in the sixth inning. He ran to first base, then waited as Seattle challenged the hit-by-pitch call.
To Walsh, the evidence was clear as day.
“There was a distinct ‘clink’ sound,” Walsh said. “I looked at the umpire (Will Little) and said, you heard that, right? He’s like, ‘yeah.’
The call was overturned. Walsh returned to home plate to finish the at-bat, the count now 3-and-2.
“The umpire was like, ‘I know for a fact it hit you, but there’s nothing I can do’,” Walsh said.
Walsh took Ryan Borucki’s next pitch for strike three. He finished 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.
Trout with #53 against the Mariners
@Angels | #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/ItdAKNU4WX
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 25, 2022
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) June 25, 2022
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