SEATTLE — Marco Gonzales pitched into the ninth inning after Dan Vogelbach hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth, lifting the Seattle Mariners over the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Tuesday night to move to 7-1 for the first time in franchise history.
Gonzales (3-0) was hoping to pitch the first complete game in baseball this season, but a one-out walk to Mike Trout and a single to center by Andrelton Simmons ended his night.
Anthony Swarzak, who came off the injured list Tuesday, earned the save in his first appearance of the season by striking out Albert Pujols and getting Jonathan Lucroy to ground out to second.
Gonzales allowed four hits and retired 17 consecutive hitters from the second inning until the seventh. He didn’t walk anyone until Trout in the ninth. He struck out three.
Vogelbach also doubled in the third inning. He didn’t know he was starting until an hour before the game when Edwin Encarnacion was a late scratch because of left-hand discomfort after getting jammed in an at-bat Monday night.
The Angels scored a run in the second after a leadoff double by Jonathan Lucroy. Angels starter Trevor Cahill pitched five scoreless innings before the Mariners tied it in the sixth with doubles by Dee Gordon and Mitch Haniger.
ROSTER MOVES
Mariners: RHP David McKay was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma to make room for Swarzak, part of the seven-player deal with the Mets on Dec. 3, 2018. He missed most of spring training and the first seven regular season games with a right shoulder inflammation.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Shawn Armstrong (left oblique strain) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma later this week in Sacramento.
UP NEXT
Mariners LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-0, 2.53) will make his third start Thursday in Chicago when the Mariners start a three-game series against the White Sox. It will be Kikuchi’s first start since his father died of cancer over the weekend. The Japanese pitcher chose to remain with Seattle, respecting the wishes his father expressed when they last saw each other during Seattle’s season-opening series in Tokyo.
