Final Score: Los Angeles Angels 2, Seattle Mariners 3 (10 innings)
In what's becoming an early season theme, the Angels were unable to score with 2 outs. Leaving a total of 7 runners in scoring position and a total of 11 runners left on base, the Angel offense wasted a good outing by #7 starter Shane Loux. Making his first major league start since August 27, 2003, Loux allowed just 2 runs over 5.1 innings, scattering 5 hits and issuing 3 walks.
Also wasted in the game was a dominating 3 innings by Darren Oliver. Rumored to be moving into the Halo rotation, Oliver entered the game in the bottom of the 6th, stranding Griffey, Jr. who had walked to lead-off the inning. Oliver then worked out of a small jam in the 7th when Kenji Johjima led off with a single to center and was bunted over to second. The inning ended when Yuniesky Betancourt grounded out and Endy Chavez flew out. Looking like he still had plenty left in the tank, a good sign if a move to the rotation is in his future, Oliver struck out the side in the 8th inning before giving way to Scot Shields in the 9th..
All the best pitching in the world will go to waste unless the Angels start getting the timely hits. Having scored 4 or less runs in five of their first seven games, the Halo offense sputters with runners on base. Other than a monster home run to leftfield by Torii Hunter (his 2nd of the year), the Angels' bats have remained silent when it counts. Howie Kendrick stranded 5, three of which came from an inning-ending strike out with the bases loaded in the 5th inning, and Kendry Morales failed to drive in any runs with the based loaded in the 8th when he popped out weakly to second to end the inning.
Relieving Oliver in the bottom of the 9th, Scot Shields allowed a lead-off double to Franklyn Gutierrez to open the 10th. Betancourt laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt along the third base line, which Shields threw into right field allowing Gutierrez to score the winning run.
