Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Hisashi Iwakuma shut down the Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim and the Seattle Mariners avoided a three-game sweep with a
2-1 win.
Iwakuma won his fourth straight decision after he tossed 7 1/3 scoreless
innings. He gave up five hits and struck out seven without issuing a walk.
Over his last five starts, Iwakuma is 4-0 with a 1.09 earned run average.
Miguel Montero continued his dominance against Angels ace Jered Weaver (16-4).
Montero picked up two hits, including his 15th home run of the season.
In his career against Weaver, Montero is 5-for-8 with four home runs.
The Mariners chased Weaver from the game after 5 1/3 innings. He gave up two
runs on eight hits en route to the loss. Weaver also matched a career high
with four walks and only three strikeouts.
Montero gave the Mariners their first run when he crushed an 0-1 fastball over
the left-field fence in the fourth inning.
Seattle added to its lead in the fifth inning when Carlos Peguero skied a fly
ball over the right-field fence to put the Mariners up two.
The Angels chased Iwakuma from the game in the eighth inning when Maicer
Izturis and Chris Iannetta delivered back-to-back, one-out singles. But Josh
Kinney got Mike Trout and Torii Hunter to fly out to end the threat.
The Angels finally scored when Kendrys Morales worked a one-out walk and
pinch-runner Vernon Wells moved to second base on a defensive indifference
against Tom Wilhelmsen in the ninth inning. Howie Kendrick lined a two-out,
two-strike single to left to score Wells. After Kendrick stole second,
Wilhelmsen induced a flyout from Erick Aybar to end the game and pick up his
22nd save.
The Mariners threatened to score in the second inning after Montero singled
and moved to second when Justin Smoak walked. Peguero lined a two-out single
to right, but Hunter gunned down Montero at the plate to end the frame.
In the third inning, the Angels also had a runner thrown out at home. Aybar
led off with a base hit, stole second and moved to third when Ackley missed
the catch at second. Izturis followed with a ground ball to third baseman Kyle
Seager, who threw home and retired Aybar.
Game Notes
The Mariners have won 16 of their last 19 games at Safeco Field ... Only
Curtis Granderson (5) and Alex Rodriguez (5) have hit more home runs against
Weaver than Montero ... The Angels went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring
position and stranded six ... Seattle went 1-for-5 with runners in scoring
position and left seven on base.
The Sports Network