SEATTLE — A long-awaited Mike Trout homer wasn’t enough to get the Angels a victory.
Trout hit his first homer in more than a month, completing the Angels’ comeback from an early four-run deficit, but they still lost, 7-6, in 12 innings to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night.
The Angels cashed in their automatic runners in the 11th and 12th innings, but they couldn’t get an insurance run either time.
Left-hander Sammy Peralta – the Angels’ eighth pitcher of the night and their last available reliever – couldn’t shut out the Mariners. He gave up a run in the 11th and two in the 12th.
Peralta gave up a game-tying hit to Eugenio Suarez to start the 12th. Victor Robles then reached on a bunt single. A Harry Ford sacrifice fly drove in the winner.
The Angels might have been able to put the game away earlier if Trout had delivered with runners in scoring position in the 10th or 12th. He struck out and hit into a double play.
Still, he could at least could take solace in the fact that the longest home run drought of his career is now over.
Trout had been sitting on 398 career homers since he last went deep on Aug. 6. He subsequently came to the plate 125 times before his fifth-inning homer, which tied the score, 4-4.
Trout, who has hits in six straight games, said after his two-RBI game on Wednesday afternoon that he’s been feeling better at the plate lately. He barely missed home runs with a couple of fly balls down the right field line earlier on Thursday night.
It should have been no surprise that Trout would end the drought in Seattle, because his 56 career homers against the Mariners are the most for any active player against any individual team.
His homer also capped a comeback in a game that looked like it might be a blowout loss.
Right-hander José Soriano was not sharp, and also was victimized by a critical defensive mistake behind him.
First baseman Logan Davidson fielded a grounder that should have been an inning-ending double play in the second. Davidson’s throw to second hit the runner, Luke Raley, and bounced into the outfield.
Soriano was unable to pick up his teammate. He allowed the next four hitters to reach on two walks and two doubles, and the Mariners scored four runs.
Soriano did manage to tack on two more scoreless innings, though, which was an encouraging sign because in other rough games he had trouble keeping the damage manageable.
Center fielder Bryce Teodosio helped him with a spectacular diving catch in the fourth.
Meanwhile, the Angels got those runs back. Davidson hit his first career homer, in the third. In the fourth, the Angels parlayed hits from Yoán Moncada and Taylor Ward into two runs with some good situational baseball. Chris Taylor drove in one with a fly ball and Luis Rengifo drove in another with a ground ball.
After Trout’s homer tied the score, Angels relievers Chase Silseth, Luis Garcia, Brock Burke, José Fermin and Kenley Jansen each pitched scoreless innings to keep it tied, into extra innings.
More to come on this story.