Wade Meckler's big night helps Angels outlast Mariners

SEATTLE – The dominance of Los Angeles Angels starter Reid Detmers in the second half of the season has been one of the biggest highlights of of the year and in his last start of 2026 against the Seattle Mariners, Detmers put an exclamation point on what's been one of the most outstanding stretches of pitching in Angels history. 

Detmers went six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and two walks and striking out seven, bringing up his regular season strikeout total to 211, fourth-best in the American League. 

By putting up zeroes in his last six frames of the season, Detmers finished the season with a career-best 3.36 and 1.04 WHIP, putting a cap on what's been a remarkable redemption story from the heights of Detmers' 2021 no-hitter, to stints in Triple-A and in the Major League bullpen and finally culminating in him stepping firmly into the ace role for the Halos. 

Detmers exited the game with a 5-0 lead to put him on track for what became his seventh win of the season courtesy of an offensive explosion that was kickstarted by outfielder Wade Meckler, another one of the most delightful standouts of what's been an otherwise bleak season for Los Angeles. 

Mashin' Meckler

Meckler didn't wast any time getting things started for the Angels. He tripled down the right field line in his first at-bat and came home on a wild pitch by Seattle starter Bryce Miller to score the first run of the game. 

The Angels tacked on another run in the third inning when Meckler singled to advance outfielder Mike Trout to third and third baseman Vaughn Grissom followed with a single of his own to drive Trout home and improve the Angeles to a 2-0 lead.

Second baseman Christian Moore ripped a fastball at the top of the zone for a three-run home run in the sixth inning to keep his budding hot streak that started on Thursday going. Shortstop Zach Neto followed with a solo home run of his own in the seventh inning and with the Angels now leading 6-0, it seemed like victory was well in hand. 

But things are never certain in baseball. 

Mariners Strike Back

The Mariners worked two runs across out of a bases loaded situation that quickly got on top of reliever Sam Bachman in the eighth inning and even though Neto added some insurance in the top of the ninth with a RBI double, the Mariners were still determined to make things tight. 

Reliever Luke Murphy took the mound in the bottom of the ninth to close things out, but a walk to third baseman Weston Wilson and a wild pitch that allowed him to advance set the stage for outfielder Randy Arozarena to triple Weston home. 

Outfielder Dominic Canzone made matters worse with a two-run home run that cut the Angels lead down 7-5, but that was the last threat the Mariners would muster. 

Promising Youth

Murphy put outfielder Julio Rodríguez down with a fly out to shut the door on the Mariners for the Angels' 62nd win of the season, guaranteeing that the Angels will at least split the final series of the season with the Mariners. 

Meckler finished with a four-hit, two run day and Neto turned in three hits, a run and two RBIs of his own that, along with Detmers' stellar day, should give the Angels a preview of the young talent they can look forward to next season.