Greinke and Angels Pen Strikeout 20 Mariners in 5-4 Win

Final Score in Anaheim: Angels 5 Mariners 4

Despite Mike Scioscia making terrible managing decisions, the Angels held on against the Mariners to keep pace in the Wild Card race.

Zack Greinke struck out 13 Mariners in five innings. Garrett Richards struck out the side in the sixth inning. Kevin Jepsen struck out two in 1.1 innings pitched and Ernesto Frieri recorded the 19th and 20th strikeouts of the ballgame for his 21st save of the season.

In the five innings he pitched, Greinke threw over 100 pitches. Richards looked sharp but Scioscia called in Soctt Downs. Two outs and three runs later that looked mighty stupid. Scioscia has been so concerned about the mileage on Greinke’s arm down the stretch, and yet Zack is the one guy who can walk away at the end of the year. This is the one arm Mike can gas without damaging future seasons under his watch.

Scioscia obviously thought that Scott Downs would get one of two righties he faced in between two lefties. He did not and then Scioscia left him in to face a righty batter. Oh dear.

The offense squeaked out two runs in the first off of Erasmo Ramirez. Greinke gave up a homerun while I was at In-N-Out Burger getting dinner, but everyone said it wasn't really a homerun, just that Seattle ha called the NFL to confirm and you know how that goes.

With the socre 2-1, Torii Hunter hit a two-run homerun in the fifth inning and an inning later Erick Aybar hit a wild solo shot just inside the foulpole and the front row of section 330.

The 2 Ks in Frieri's 1-2-3 ninth set an Angels record for strikeouts recorded n a 9-inning game.