April 7, 2017

The Angels got home runs from Cameron Maybin and Kole Calhoun in their home opener, and beat the Mariners 5-1 at the Big A on Friday night.

Jesse Chavez gave up only 4 hits and 1 run in 5 2/3rd innings of work, as the Halos improved to 3-2 on the season.

“We played a good game,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We didn’t play a perfect game, but we played really good defense early. We scratched out a couple runs and we kept going.”

Mike Trout started the scoring for the Angels with a sacrifice fly in the 1st inning.  Albert Pujols made it 2-0 in the 3rd after Kyle Seager bobbled a grounder that would have been an inning-ending double play with the based loaded.

In the 6th, Chavez ran into some trouble.  Mitch Haniger, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz all singled in a span of seven pitches, making it 2-1.  However, Jose Alvarez got the Angels out of the inning.  Bud Norris, Andrew Bailey, and Blake Parker shut down the Mariners in each of the next 3 innings to secure the victory.

Maybin’s solo blast in the bottom of the 6th inning made it 3-1.  It was his first home run as an Angel, which sailed into the right field stands.  Calhoun would extend the lead to 5-1 on his 2-run bomb in the 7th.

Prior to the game, the Angels put Garrett Richards on the 10-Day DL after he suffered from a cramp in his bicep on Wednesday night.  An MRI showed that there was no structural damage to the elbow that gave him trouble last season.

Game 2 of the series will be Saturday night  at the Big A.  Ricky Nolasco will go for the Angels, and he’ll go up against Mariners’ ace Felix Hernandez.