Major League Baseball
LA Angels 7, Seattle 6
When: 10:10 PM ET, Friday, May 13, 2016
Where: Safeco Field, Seattle, Washington
Temperature: 76°
Umpires: Home - Jim Reynolds, 1B - Nic Lentz, 2B - Mark Ripperger, 3B - Fieldin Culbreth
Attendance: 34579

SEATTLE -- The way things have been going for the Los Angeles Angels, Friday night was starting to look awfully familiar. Then C.J. Cron and the bats came alive just in time to snap a six-game losing streak and shoot a little life into what was beginning to look like a morbid season.

Cron's solo shot in the eighth inning helped the Angels chip away at an early four-run deficit, then he delivered the big hit with a two-run, bases-loaded single in the top of the ninth inning for a 7-6 comeback win over the Seattle Mariners.

"We can use that momentum for the rest of the season," starter Nick Tropeano said after the Angels rallied from a 5-1 deficit to end their biggest slide of the season.

Los Angeles (14-21) rallied from a 5-1 deficit and eventually took the lead on Cron's one-out bloop single to shallow right. Pinch runner Shane Robinson came around from second base to score the go-ahead run, giving Los Angeles its first lead since the top of the fourth inning.

Afterward, Angels manager Mike Scioscia downplayed the significance of the streak-ending victory.

"We won a game today," Scioscia said. "We weren't carrying any thoughts of what happened last week. We won a game. That's it."

Seattle (21-14) suffered its second blown save in as many games, with closer Steve Cishek (2-2) giving up three singles and a walk after inheriting a 6-5 lead going into the ninth. Six of the Angels' seven runs came after Mariners starter Nathan Karns left the game in the seventh.

"It's going to happen," Seattle manager Scott Servais said. "As good as our bullpen's been, I believe in them and we'll give them the ball tomorrow night."

Los Angeles reliever Joe Smith (1-2) earned his first win of the season, while Fernando Salas earned his first save since 2011 with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.

The Angels avoided their first seven-game losing streak since 2010 with the win.

The Mariners (21-14) got solo home runs from Nelson Cruz and Chris Iannetta and a bases-loaded triple from shortstop Ketel Marte that gave them a 5-1 lead in the sixth.

Cron's solo homer in the eighth cut the lead to 6-4, then third baseman Jefry Marte added an RBI double to pull the Angels within a run.

Cishek, who had just one blown save in 12 opportunities heading into Friday night, came on with a 6-5 lead in the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to Kole Calhoun. Mike Trout grounded into a fielder's choice, then designated hitter Albert Pujols singled to put runners on first and second. Cishek then walked Daniel Nava, loading the bases before the Mariners had a meeting on the mound. Cron made contact on the first pitch, sending a blooper that fell just past Seattle's Marte at shortstop and in front of left fielder Nori Aoki for a single, bringing in Trout for the tying run from third before Robinson easily beat the throw to score from second for the go-ahead run.

"The bases were loaded, so I thought (Cishek) had to come and challenge me with something right away, and he did," Cron said. "I didn't get much of it, but I got enough."

Salas, filling in for injured closer Huston Street after Smith threw 20 pitches in the eighth, finished off the win with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

"It was nice to win," Cron said. "We hit a rough patch where nothing was going right, for some reason. It was a nice little comeback for us, and we'll take it for sure."

The Mariners, who had won their previous seven games that were decided by one run, took a 2-1 lead on Cruz's solo home run in the fifth, then Ketel Marte broke the game open with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth. Marte hit a low fly ball into the gap, and the Angels' Calhoun dove for the ball in right field, allowing all three baserunners to score as Seattle pulled out to a 5-1 advantage.

The Angels' Calhoun had an RBI on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, pulling Los Angeles to within 5-2. Trout followed that with a bloop double to right field, scoring Johnny Giavotella from third base to cut the Seattle lead to 5-3. Albert Pujols then struck out, stranding runners at second and third to end the top of the seventh.

Iannetta, a former Angel, hit a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to put the Mariners ahead 6-3.

Tropeano allowed two runs off five hits over five innings. He left the game with the Angels trailing 2-1 before Los Angeles reliever Jose Alvarez loaded the bases and served up the three-run triple to Marte.

Seattle's bullpen gave up five hits and four runs while allowing two inherited runners to score as well.

Karns allowed three runs off six hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Mariners.

Ketel Marte's bases-loaded triple ended up being the Mariners' only hit with runners in scoring position. Seattle went 1-for-12 while leaving 11 runners on base.

Seattle third baseman Kyle Seager had doubles in two of his first three at-bats but was left stranded on both occasions.

Second baseman Robinson Cano went 1-for-5 while extending his hitting streak to 12 games with an eighth-inning triple.

Cruz gave the Mariners a 2-1 lead with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot in the fifth. Cruz hit the two-out home run to right-center field for his first Safeco Field home run since April 11.

NOTES: RHP Jhoulys Chacin is scheduled to make his Angels debut Saturday after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves earlier in the week. Chacin (1-2, 5.40 ERA in five starts with Atlanta) was dealt to Los Angeles for minor-league LHP Adam McCreery on Wednesday. ... The last time the Mariners lost a series was April 11-13, when the Rangers took two of three games from Seattle at Safeco Field. The Mariners have won seven series -- two by way of sweeps -- since and earned a four-game split. ... The last time the Angels have lost more than six consecutive games was April 30-May 6, 2010, when they had a seven-game losing streak. ... Entering Friday's game, the Mariners had a 19-7 record since April 13. That matched the Chicago Cubs for the best record in baseball over that span.
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
LA Angels   Seattle
Nick Tropeano Player Nathan Karns
No Decision W/L No Decision
5.0 IP 6.1
3 Strikeouts 5
5 Hits 6
3.60 ERA 4.26
Hitting
LA Angels   Seattle
Jefry Marte Player Chris Iannetta
2 Hits 2
1 RBI 1
0 HR 1
4 TB 5
.500 Avg .667
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Hits HR TB Avg LOB K RBI BB SB Errors
LA Angels 13 1 20 .342 19 7 7 4 1 0
Seattle 10 2 23 .278 20 9 6 7 0 0