ANAHEIM, Calif. — Little known a week ago, Francisco Arcia is on such a wild ride now that he and his family members seem to have the ability to guide their own dream scenario.
The rookie had a homer and six RBIs on Saturday, giving him a major league-record 10 RBIs in two career games, and the Los Angeles Angels rolled to an 11-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners.
Talking to his brother earlier Saturday, Arcia, a native of Venezuela, marveled that he was going to face Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, who also hails from Venezuela.
“I talked to my brother and said ‘I am going to face one of the best pitchers from my country,'” Arcia said. “He (said), ‘Don’t worry, he’s going to throw a ball right down the plate and you’re going to hit it so hard.’ And that happened.”
Arcia faced Hernandez just once, drilling his RBI double to right field in the second inning. Before Arcia came to the plate in the third, Hernandez was replaced by Casey Lawrence. Arcia greeted Lawrence with a three-run homer to right.
After hitting a home run and collecting four RBIs in his major league debut Thursday, Arcia said it was a dream come true. Now that he topped it in his second game?
“Still the same, the same dream,” Arcia said. “I can’t believe it. I’m proud. I think of all the hard work I put into my career and now I can see it come true.”
Hernandez (8-9) gave up seven runs on six hits with two walks over 2 2/3 innings and has lost both of his starts since coming off the disabled list because of lower back stiffness.
Hernandez has given up 11 runs on 11 hits over 7 2/3 innings in his last two outings.
“It was the worst performance . embarrassing,” Hernandez said. “If we’re going to get to the playoffs it has to be better than this. That’s all I have to say.”
Neither Hernandez nor Mariners manager Scott Servais blamed the Hernandez’s performance on lingering effects from his back injury.
“He was fine from what I understand,” Servais said. “He just really didn’t have much. Fastball command wasn’t real good and the offspeed stuff didn’t have much bite or depth to it. When you walk out and don’t have much on the ball, you’re not going to get very good results.”
Mike Trout also homered for the Angels, delivering his 29th of the season off Hernandez in the first inning. Arcia and Ian Kinsler each had three hits for the Angels.
Nelson Cruz hit two home runs for the Mariners, his third multi-homer game this season and the 26th of his career. His 49 career home runs against the Angels are tied for second most with Rafael Palmeiro. Alex Rodriguez hit 70 against the Angels.
The Mariners are 3-4 since the All-Star break and have lost eight times in their last 11 games.
Angels starter Jamie Barria (6-7), who had lost six consecutive decisions, gave up two runs on five hits over six innings to earn his first win since June 1. The rookie opened the season 5-1 before losing six times over his next seven starts.
The Angels have won four consecutive games for the first time since winning six in a row from June 3-9.
LONG ROAD
Arcia had just 25 minor league home runs over 12 seasons in the Yankees, Marlins and Angels organizations. On Saturday became the first Angels player to hit home runs in his first two career games.
Before Arcia drove in 10 runs in his first two games, the previous record for RBIs in two career games was nine by Joe Cunningham of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. Cunningham was also the only player to have at least four RBIs in each of his first two career games until Arcia did it as well.
Arcia is the first Angels rookie with at least six RBIs in a game since Adam Kennedy had eight in 2000.
“I just tried to put the ball in play and make things happen,” Arcia said. “I can’t say enough.”
BACK IN THE SWING
Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani ended an 0-for-15 slide with a ringing double off the wall in right field in the eighth inning. The exit velocity was clocked at 113.2 mph, the hardest-hit ball for Ohtani this season.
“Tonight he found a hole and almost made a hole in the wall,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
HELP IS ON THE WAY
New Mariners RHP Sam Tuivailala was expected to arrive in Anaheim on Saturday evening and the plan is to have him on active roster for Sunday’s day game, according Servais. Tuivailala was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday for minor league pitcher Seth Elledge.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: LHP James Paxton reported no issues after a 32-pitch bullpen session Friday and is expected to return to the Seattle rotation Monday at home against the Houston Astros, Servais said. Paxton has been on the disabled list since July 13 with lower back inflammation.
Angels: Ohtani played catch for about 20 minutes from 90 feet as he slowly works his way to possibly pitching again this season, but Scioscia cautioned that the two-way player remains in the early stages of his recovery process from a sprained elbow ligament.
UP NEXT
LHP Marco Gonzales (11-5, 3.38) will make his first start for the Mariners on Saturday since taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning last weekend against the Chicago White Sox.
RHP Felix Pena (1-1, 3.34) will be making his seventh start and ninth appearance in an Angels uniform, coming off his first ever loss Tuesday against the White Sox.
