Ty France hits go-ahead homer as Mariners beat Angels 5-4

SEATTLE (AP) — Ty France hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning and the Seattle Mariners defeated the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 on Friday night.

The homer brought some excitement back to the crowd of 40,001 after Jo Adell erased Seattle’s four-run lead with a pinch-hit grand slam for the Angels in the seventh inning off reliever Tayler Saucedo.

Trent Thornton started the frame and gave up two walks, a fielder’s choice and a double in relief of starter Bryan Woo, who gave up just three hits on 66 pitches in six innings.

Woo, who didn’t pitch his bullpen midweek due to what manager Scott Servais called “arm stuff,” has a 2-0 record and a 1.30 ERA in five starts since coming off the IL on May 9.

“I still do the little things,” Woo said. “Just moving forward and making sure I’m in good numbers and filling the zone with what I have. I think it’s a lot less to nitpick and just trust my stuff and let it play out.

After Thornton loaded the bases by walking Logan O’Hoppe in the seventh, Servais brought in Saucedo, who promptly gave up the grand slam to Adell to tie the game at 4.

Cal Raleigh drove in Seattle’s first run with a sacrifice fly in the first off starter José Soriano, and France drove in two more with a double off the top of the right field wall.

Raleigh made it 4-0 with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Adell’s pinch hit grand slam was the first for the Angels (and first given up by the Mariners) since May 26, 2012, when Alberto Callaspo hit one off Felix Hernandez in Seattle.

But France’s 130-yard shot off Angels reliever Matt Moore (1-2) put the Mariners ahead for good.

“That was fun,” France said. “Woo threw a great game. (Saucedo), one bad throw and they were back in the game. It’s been a tough year, so to be able to help the team like this was great.”

France is hitting .450 over its past six games.

“All those things coming together for him, huge. Huge for us,” said manager Scott Servais. “It’s a big bat. We’ve seen it get warm before and then stay warm for a long time. He has the ability to do that. So he’s in a great place right now.”

Andrés Muñoz pitched the ninth inning for his twelfth save. Ryan Stanek (3-0) took the win.

The game ended when Muñoz picked off Kevin Pillar at first base. Pillar ran to second base, but France threw to second baseman Dylan Moore for the final out.

“I thought we did a good job getting back into this ballgame,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We had the right people in the match”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Angels 1B Nolan Schanuel was scratched from the lineup Friday with left thumb soreness. Schanuel was originally scheduled to start and was replaced at first base by Willie Calhoun.

NEXT ONE

Angels LHP Reid Detmers (3-5, 5.76 ERA) will start Saturday against Mariners’ RHP Bryce Miller (4-5, 3.48 ERA).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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