Kyle Hendricks reached a career milestone Friday night by securing his 100th major league win, helping the Los Angeles Angels to a narrow 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Angel Stadium.
The Angels, listed as slight home underdogs with pregame betting odds around +110, relied on six innings from Hendricks, who allowed four runs on eight hits. He struck out two and walked two while earning his third win of the season. The 35-year-old right-hander, known for his control and finesse, navigated through a critical moment in the fifth inning when Seattle had runners on second and third with two outs. Hendricks induced a groundout from Randy Arozarena to escape the jam and preserve the one-run lead.
The Angels’ bullpen maintained that margin with a strong effort. Ryan Zeferjahn set down the Mariners in order in the seventh inning. Reid Detmers followed in the eighth, striking out two of the four batters he faced, and closer Kenley Jansen delivered a perfect ninth to notch his 13th save of the season.
Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller dropped to 2-5 after surrendering five runs on six hits over five innings. The loss extended the Mariners’ skid to four games, putting pressure on a team battling for consistency in a competitive American League West race.
Los Angeles pulled ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning with two timely hits. Jo Adell, who had been hit in the helmet by a 94-mph fastball earlier in the at-bat, reached base and stole second. Chris Taylor followed with an RBI double, and Nolan Schanuel added a run-scoring single to give the Angels a 5-4 lead.
Taylor, signed by Los Angeles after his release from the Dodgers in mid-May, also played a key role earlier in the game. In the third inning, he singled with two outs, stole second base, and scored on Zach Neto’s RBI single to tie the game at one. An inning later, Travis d’Arnaud erased a 3-1 deficit by hitting a two-run homer following a Jorge Soler single, bringing the score to 3-3.
The Mariners scored in the third with an RBI single by J.P. Crawford. They added two more runs in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Rowdy Tellez and a groundout by Leody Taveras.
Seattle nearly tied the game in the sixth when Taylor sent a deep drive to center field. However, Julio Rodríguez made a leaping catch at the wall to end the inning. Rodríguez playfully walked the warning track before revealing the ball, drawing mixed reactions from the home crowd.
Detmers’ performance out of the bullpen has been notable in recent weeks. After a rough start to the season with an ERA above 10 through his first dozen appearances, the former starter has settled into a relief role. He has allowed just one earned run over his last 12 innings, spanning 11 appearances, and lowered his ERA to 5.81.
The series continues Saturday night, with Luis Castillo (4-3, 3.03 ERA) scheduled to start for Seattle. The Angels will counter with Jack Kochanowicz (3-7, 5.34 ERA).