July 24th, 2024
Rhett Bollinger
@RhettBollingerSEATTLE -- It was all about redemption for the Angels in the series finale against the Mariners on Wednesday.
Right-hander Griffin Canning bounced back from a rough outing that saw him leave with elbow irritation to throw five strong innings, lefty José Quijada threw a scoreless frame in his first game back from last year’s Tommy John surgery and scuffling sluggers Willie Calhoun and Brandon Drury came through with key two-out RBI singles in the eighth inning. It all added up to a 2-1 win over Seattle to complete a series sweep at T-Mobile Park. The Angels have been a thorn in the side of the Mariners, winning six of seven against them over the last two weeks.
“Once again, it was good pitching, good defense and timely hitting,” manager Ron Washington said. “And I thought Canning was outstanding.”
Canning said his slider bothered him the most in his last outing against the A’s, but he threw it with conviction against the Mariners. Of his 94 pitches, 19 were sliders and he got four swings and misses with the pitch. Of his six strikeouts, three came on sliders.
The lone blemish for Canning came on a solo homer from Mitch Haniger in the second on a 3-1 fastball over the middle. It was one of four hits allowed by Canning, who also walked three but threw first-pitch strikes to 14 of the 21 batters he faced.
“I feel fine,” Canning said. “I’m still trying to figure out a few things. I had to grind through that one.”
Canning didn’t pitch deep into the game because of his pitch count but it was still a good sign for him, as he had been scuffling recently, posting a 5.95 ERA over his last eight starts, including allowing six runs over 3 1/3 innings against Oakland last time out.
“You go back over his last five or six games, and there were some situations out there where he caved in, but today he competed and got out of them,” Washington said. “It could’ve easily gotten out of control, but he made pitches when he had to.”
Canning's defense helped him on two critical plays that kept runs off the board in both the fourth and fifth innings. He loaded the bases with nobody out in the fourth but induced a hard grounder to third from Tyler Locklear.
Third baseman Luis Rengifo smothered it and touched third before firing home for a forceout at the plate. Canning then struck out Luke Raley on a 3-2 changeup to get out of the inning unscathed.
In the fifth, Canning allowed a deep drive down the right-field corner from Cal Raleigh with two outs and a runner on first base but Jo Adell made a sliding catch before crashing into the wall. It was another highlight play from Adell, who has made tremendous strides defensively this year.
“That was huge,” Canning said. “The double play was a big spot in the game that could have turned it into an ugly outing. So I'm really thankful for Luis making that play. And for Jo to finish it off right there.”
After Canning departed, Quijada threw a scoreless sixth inning in his first appearance since undergoing Tommy John in May 2023. Quijada could work his way into high-leverage roles going forward if he keeps it up.
“With his first batter, he was a little hyped up but he settled down,” Washington said. “But we needed to get him out there and I’m happy we did. And now he can feel a part of things.”
Nolan Schanuel sparked the late comeback with a leadoff single off reliever Gregory Santos, but it was Calhoun and Drury who came through with two outs despite their recent struggles. Calhoun, who was in a 1-for-16 skid, tied the game with an RBI single on a 1-1 fastball over the heart of the plate.
And after a balk from Santos and his departure from the game with an injury immediately afterward, Drury ripped an RBI single to left on a 1-0 sweeper from Trent Thornton to give the Angels the lead. Drury, who entered hitting .145 with no extra-base hits over his last 18 games after a stint on the injured list with a left hamstring strain, said he hopes the key hit will get him going.
“Any time you can come up with a big hit, it feels good, but it’s been a tough season for me, for sure,” Drury said. “So it felt good today and hopefully I can use this to keep it rolling for the next two-plus months.”
