Walsh’s clutch homer goes for naught in loss

SEATTLE -- It was all set up for the Angels to play spoiler against the Mariners for a second straight night.

First baseman Jared Walsh hit a dramatic three-run homer off closer Paul Sewald to give the Angels a one-run lead in the eighth, only for reliever Steve Cishek to give up the lead on a two-run single to Mitch Haniger in the bottom of the inning. It proved to be the difference in a 6-4 loss for the Angels on Saturday night at T-Mobile Park, as the Mariners kept their postseason hopes alive heading into Sunday’s season finale.

Angels manager Joe Maddon, however, was pleased with the way his team battled, and compared Walsh’s homer to the memorable game-tying grand slam off Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman on June 30.

"It's another big moment, just like he did against Chapman,” Maddon said. “Their guy Sewald has been virtually unhittable and we grabbed the lead. To pull that off would've been spectacular. We had it in our grasp and we lost it."

The Angels entered the eighth trailing by two runs when the Mariners elected to bring in Sewald to face the top of the order. Brandon Marsh and Shohei Ohtani drew back-to-back walks to open the frame, giving the Halos some life. Phil Gosselin followed with a strikeout before Walsh came through by crushing a first-pitch fastball a projected 437 feet to right-center field, quieting the frenzied home crowd.

“It was really exciting,” Walsh said. “All together, it was a great game. We came into a hostile environment, and to come up with a big hit is something special. It’s something we'd like to build off next year, playing these high intensity games."

It was the third hit of the game for Walsh, who has had an impressive stretch to close his first full season as the Angels' primary first baseman. He's hitting .329 (32-for-97) with three homers, nine doubles and 16 RBIs in 27 games since Sept. 1. And he's followed up his breakout 2020 season by hitting .277/.340/.505 with 28 homers, 34 doubles and 95 RBIs in 143 games entering Sunday's season finale. Walsh, who was an All-Star for the first time this year, has put himself in position to be one of the club’s most important players going into 2022.

"It's really important to finish the season with momentum,” Walsh said. “I'll address some things this offseason, but I'm pretty happy with how I've trended since September. It was a dream come true to play a season wire-to-wire. I learned a lot and have a lot to improve on, but I think it's gonna be exciting times in Anaheim moving forward. I think we're gonna get healthy and really good."

The Angels' lead was short-lived, however, as Cishek was charged with three runs in the bottom of the inning. The right-hander ran into control problems immediately, hitting Jarred Kelenic and walking Jake Bauers to put two on with nobody out. After a sacrifice bunt by Jake Fraley, the Angels decided to intentionally walk J.P. Crawford to load the bases. Cishek induced a soft grounder to third base from Ty France and Jack Mayfield was able to throw home and nab Kelenic for the second out. But Haniger proved to be the hero, connecting on a go-ahead single to left on a full count.

“Nobody feels worse than Cishek,” Maddon said. “He's an iron man. He's as steady as they can be. He had been pitching really well.”

The Angels now head into the final game of the season with one last chance to knock Seattle out of postseason contention. With rookie lefty Reid Detmers getting the start, Maddon said he’s excited to see how his team responds, as he believes it’s been a learning experience to play in front of big crowds.

"All our guys are getting a taste and they've responded really well,” Maddon said. “It's beautiful. This is what we want to make Angel Stadium into all year long. This is what we need to do. This is what it's supposed to look and feel like when you have that kind of a team that brings them in. That is what it's supposed to feel like, and we have to work really hard to get to that point."