Mariners can’t escape early deficit in 8-4 loss to Angels

Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, top, watches his double as Seattle… The Angels are 1 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros for the second wild card and also have to fight off the Minnesota Twins to claim that spot. Giavotella had been sidelined for five weeks because of a temporary nerve disorder that causes double vision…. “Guys can tell that we’re right in the thick of things and every game is important. This is something I love to be a part of”.

“It’s right where you want to be, definitely”, said Pujols, who hit his 557th career homer.

Giavotella, who spent the past week at the team’s instructional league camp in Arizona getting his timing back, said his recovery from the ailment was “a very gradual process”, and it wasn’t until a week ago that he felt close to 100 percent, still having some problems seeing out of the corner of his left eye without getting dizzy.

The Los Angeles Angels are still competing for a post-season berth but there is little room for error at this point.

Right-hander Garrett Richards (15-11) conceded only two hits and two walks after the second inning to earn his second consecutive win.

1B Logan Morrison opened the ninth with his 17th home run into the Mariners’ bullpen in the 10-4 loss to the Royals. “We’ll put him in there, might have to mix and match a little bit and fold him in”. As a team the Mariners are hitting.250 with Nelson Cruz hitting.310, Robinson Cano hitting.282, and Kyle Seager hitting.274. Vidal Nuno (1-4) gave up four runs on his first 14 pitches, and he was chased in the fifth after yielding nine hits and five runs.

“When I first got here today, there was a buzz in the locker room,” said Giavotella. “Trout got that bloop, then I was trying to go in on Pujols and missed my spot, and it was a 3-1 ballgame”. Second baseman Johnny Giavotella hit a run-scoring single in the fourth and an RBI triple in the sixth.

Friday marked the 51st anniversary of Dean Chance becoming the first pitcher in Angels’ history to win 20 games and the 36th anniversary of the Angels winning their first division title.

Pujols connected for his 37th homer, his biggest total in the $240 million slugger’s four seasons with the Angels. He has four homers off Felix, including one in Hernandez’s last start against the Angels.

The Seattle Mariners are closing out a disappointing season as they best they can hope for is to finish above.500.

For 10 days, while Johnny Giavotella waited around for his vision to heal, his mom visited from New Orleans to keep her son company.