ANAHEIM — While most of the Angels have been ice cold at the plate for a month, Mickey Moniak has been the exception.
Moniak hit two homers, including a walk off blast, to give the Angels a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
Jo Adell also hit a pair of homers, providing the Angels first two runs of the night. Adell has 20 homers this season.
Shortstop Zach Neto was pulled from the game in the top of the sixth inning, and the Angels did not announce any injury.
The Angels had a chance to get the go-ahead run home in the bottom of the eighth, but they failed to execute a suicide squeeze. Jack López, who was in Neto’s spot, got the bunt down, but it was only a couple feet in front of the plate, and it spun right back to catcher Cal Raleigh. He tagged Taylor Ward and then threw to first to get a double play.
Moniak tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.
Moniak has an 1.116 OPS in August. Dating back to mid June, Moniak has an .853 OPS over his last 213 plate appearances.
“Right now, he’s really choosing the pitches that he swings at, and when he gets them, he’s not missing them,” manager Ron Washington said before the game. “The pitches he was swinging at when things weren’t going his way, he’s taking them.”
The Angels’ first two runs came off the bat of Adell, who reached 20 for the season.
Adell had hit 18 homers in 619 plate appearances coming into this season, and he hit No. 20 in his 434th plate appearance of 2024.
Adell has now hit .273 with an .844 OPS in 109 plate appearances since scrapping his leg kick in favor of a toe tap about a month ago.
The four homers helped the Angels take Tyler Anderson off the hook for a loss on a night that he gave up four runs in four innings.
Anderson gave up a pair of solo homers to Justin Turner, on a fastball over the inside corner and changeup over the middle.
The other two runs that Anderson allowed came after the fourth inning should have been over.
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With two outs, Dylan Moore took off from first to try to steal second. Anderson had him picked off. First baseman Nolan Schanuel threw to second, but neither Neto nor second baseman Brandon Drury got to the bag in time. The throw hit umpire Mike Muchlinski, and Moore was safe at second.
Anderson then loaded the bases with two walks, just before giving up a two-run single to Julio Rodriguez, putting the Angels in a 4-1 hole.
Anderson got out of the inning, but didn’t return for the fifth.
Over his last nine starts, Anderson has a 5.19 ERA. It’s stained an All-Star season that began with him posting a 2.81 ERA through his first 18 starts.
More to come on this story.
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