Logan Gilbert pitched four-plus hitless innings and struck out eight as the Seattle Mariners defeated the visiting Los Angeles Angels 7-3 Sunday afternoon in the season finale.
Jose Siri homered for the Angels, who suffered their franchise-record 100th loss of the season. They had been the lone active MLB team to never have had that many defeats.
Gilbert didn’t allow a baserunner until walking Moises Ballesteros leading off the fifth. Gilbert was then pulled by manager Dan Wilson to a standing ovation from the crowd at T-Mobile Park.
Gilbert struck out the side in the first inning to reach 200 strikeouts for the season. It was the second time he reached the milestone and he became just the fourth pitcher in franchise history to do so multiple times, following Randy Johnson (seven), Felix Hernandez (six) and Mark Langston (four).
The Mariners (76-86) struck first in the second inning. Cole Young reached on a one-out bunt down the third-base line and advanced to third on Jhonny Pereda’s double to left that fell just in front of a diving Wade Meckler. Young scored on Weston Wilson’s groundout to third.
Seattle extended its lead in the third. Randy Arozarena was hit by a pitch from Yusei Kikuchi (1-7), a former Mariner, and Dominic Canzone singled to left. Cal Raleigh grounded a single down the right-field line, scoring Arozarena and sending Canzone to third. After Julio Rodriguez popped out, Canzone scored on Josh Naylor’s groundout to second to make it 3-0.
The Angels got on the board in the sixth. Bryce Teodosio led off with a single to right and Zach Neto walked against Eduard Bazardo (4-4), who was replaced by Hoby Milner. Jose Siri moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt and Teodosio scored on Vaughn Grissom’s sac fly to right.
The Mariners answered with three unearned runs in the bottom of the inning off Trevor Martin. Young drew a one-out walk off Trevor Martin and Pereda singled to center. Young scored on a throwing error by Angels third baseman Denzer Guzman. With two outs, Arozarena hit a two-run double just over the outstretched glove of leaping left fielder Siri.
The Angels scored in the eighth as Neto drew a leadoff walk against Troy Taylor and Siri went deep to left.
The Mariners got their last run in the eighth as Leo Rivas and Michael Arroyo singled and, after a double play, Rivas scored on a wild pitch.
Kikuchi gave up three runs on six hits over five innings, with one walk and seven strikeouts.
