Ohtani hits 33rd, but Haniger’s slam lifts M’s past Angels

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This article was published 10/07/2021 (1593 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

SEATTLE (AP) — Shohei Ohtani left jaws agape, teammates stunned and fans nearly 500 feet away from home plate ducking for cover.

Ohtani had the most memorable shot of the night, no doubt.

Mitch Haniger hit the most important.

Ohtani became the sixth player to reach the upper deck of T-Mobile Park with a towering blast for his 33rd homer, but Haniger’s two-out grand slam in the eighth inning lifted the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels 7-3.

“He’s got that kind of power, that kind of talent,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “But at end of the day it’s only worth one, and (Hangier’s) was worth four. I liked (Haniger’s) a little bit better even if it didn’t go quite as far.”

“On deck I was just kind of rehearsing what I wanted to get from him. I was looking for a fastball and just see myself have success and then you get that feeling that I’m gonna do it, I’m gonna come through and it happened,” Haniger said. “I was just pumped up.”

The Angels had a 3-0 lead thanks to Ohtani’s solo homer off starter Marco Gonzales that soared into the top deck of right field. MLB’s Statcast projected the homer at 463 feet.

“That ball was far. It said 463. That can’t be 463,” Angels manager Joe Maddon said.

The ball landed above the fifth row of seats before hitting a concrete wall and ricocheting back down into the lower levels. It left the ballpark buzzing and his teammates — particularly Justin Upton — in disbelief in the Angels dugout.

“I think that Statcast was wrong. I think that ball was well over 500 feet. … I know we talk about Shohei all the time, but we’re not talking about them enough. It’s just incredible,” Angels starter Alex Cobb said.

A few fans sitting alone in the 300 level who said they wanted a peaceful place to watch the game while looking at the Seattle skyline suddenly had to duck out of the way as Ohtani’s blast reached a rarified section of the ballpark.

Ohtani leads the majors in homers, and this drive came three days before he’s set to appear in Monday’s All-Star Home Run Derby at Coors Field.

Unfortunately for Ohtani, the blast came in a loss.

“We had a nice thing going on then we gave them the momentum back,” Maddon said.

Shed Long Jr. barely missed a home run and settled for a two-run double off the top of the wall in the fourth inning off Cobb. Seattle finally pulled even on France’s two-out RBI single in the seventh off Steve Cishek.

Aside from the two homers, Gonzales rebounded well from an ugly outing in his last start. Gonzales allowed three runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings and threw a season-high 103 pitches.

Drew Steckenrider (3-2) pitched the eighth for the victory.

AWESOME OHTANI

Ohtani joined Joey Gallo (2020), Daniel Vogelbach (2019), Nomar Mazara (2019), Carlos Delgado (2001) and Mo Vaughn (1999) in reaching the upper deck. The Mariners said only Chris Carter (465 feet) in 2016 and Jose Abreu (464 feet) in 2017 have hit longer homers at the stadium.

Ohtani is the first player since Albert Pujols to in 2006 to hit 33 or more homers in his first 82 games of a season. He’s on pace for 61.

HITTING STREAK

David Fletcher led off the game with his first homer of the season, extending his hitting streak to 22 games, the longest for an Angels player since Garrett Anderson in 2008.

APPEAL HEARD

Mariners LHP Hector Santiago had the appeal of his 10-game suspension for using a grip-enhancing foreign substance heard on Thursday. The hearing lasted several hours and Seattle manager Scott Servais said Santiago was told a decision should come the middle of next week.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angles: Mike Trout will continue his rehab work through the All-Star break with more clarity on a rehab assignment likely coming out of the break, Maddon said. Trout has been out since mid-May due to a calf injury. … Upton was with the team in Seattle, but Maddon said he is not expecting Upton to be activated from the injured list this weekend.

ROSTER MOVES

The Angels recalled IF Kean Wong from Salt Lake and optioned RHP Aaron Slegers to Salt Lake. Maddon wanted the extra position player for the final series before the break.

Seattle sent RHP Damon Casetta-Stubbs to Cleveland to complete the June 10 trade that brought 1B/OF Jake Bauers to Seattle.

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Angels: LHP Patrick Sandoval (2-2, 3.86) makes his ninth start of the season and second against the Mariners. Sandoval threw six innings and struck out 10 but took the loss against Seattle on June 6.

Mariners: RHP Chris Flexen (7-3, 3.80) makes his 17th start. Flexen has been terrific at home with a 5-2 record and 1.99 ERA in nine home starts.

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