Seattle Mariners Make Good Day Better With 4-2 Win Over Los Angeles Angels

The Seattle Mariners put a nice bow on an eventful day with a trio of home runs en route to a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at Angel Stadium. The Mariners improved to 55-48 with the victory.

Seattle gained ground in the American League West to move five games behind the Houston Astros and gained a half-game lead for the second AL Wild Card spot over the idle Boston Red Sox.

Minutes before first pitch, news broke the Mariners acquired 2024 All-Star first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's expected to report to the team Friday.

"Great ball game tonight. Great way to come back, get that road trip started," Seattle manager Dan Wilson said in a postgame interview. " ... Just a great job all around tonight, and obviously coming on the heels of the news prior to the game of getting Josh Naylor. It's exciting."

The Mariners started the game with a small disadvantage.

Seattle starting pitcher Logan Evans allowed three straight one-out hits to Los Angeles in the bottom of the first. The second of those hits was an RBI single from Nolan Schanuel that put the Angels in front 1-0.

That remained the status quo until the Mariners struck back in the top of the fifth.

Julio Rodriguez knotted the game at 1-1 with a solo home run to right field. Randy Arozarena hit a two-run home run to left field two at-bats later to bolster the M's lead to 3-1.

Rodriguez's homer was his fifth to opposite field out of 15 this season.

"I feel like, as a hitter, I'm able to do all those things," Rodriguez said after the game. "Drive it opposite field, and also hit a ball left-center gap. I just feel like that's the type of hitter I am and when I do that consistently, I can definitely help the team win a lot more."