Mariners temper Angels’ opening day buzz  

Anaheim, CA (News4usonline) – The end result of the home opener for the Los Angeles Angels didn’t turn out what the team and manager Kurt Suzuki had hoped for. 

Seattle right-hander Bryan Woo put the cap on all of that opening day enthusiasm that Angel fans came to the ballpark with by pitching seven strong innings and allowing just one hit in a 3-1 road win by the Mariners at Angel Stadium. 

The Angels were held to that one hit (Oswald Peraza) until the bottom of the 10th inning. By that time, Seattle had given itself enough scoring cushion that it would make it difficult for the Angels to rally.

Los Angeles managed to come up with a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to save face, but that is where the rally stopped. 

Woo, who struck out six batters, practically gave out a pitching 101 class by putting the Angels’ offense, which had been extremely potent over the first two weeks of the season, on lockdown. 

The Angels came into the first game of a three-game series against the Mariners tied for the MLB lead in home runs (10) and walks (38). The Angels are also among the top teams in run scored (32) as well. 

And yet, against Woo, the Halos struggled offensively. For the game, the Angels collectively went 1-for-29. 

“The guy (Woo) is one of the best starters in the league, you know, and he was on his game tonight. He pitched well,” Suzuki said after the game. “When a guy like that pitches well, you just got to do your best and battle. I felt like our guys was battling…just couldn’t muster anything up.”

At one point during the game, centerfielder Mike Trout got under a pitch and appeared to carry it out of the ballpark. However, with the winds blowing fiercely, the ball caught up in the gusts and dropped right down at the warning track in left centerfield.  

Woo was not the only pitcher to play outstandingly in the evening. Angels pitcher Reid Detmers was up for the challenge, keeping Seattle’s bats just as quiet through six and two-third innings of work.

With Woo and Detmers locked in an early season pitching duel, not much came from either team’s offense.   

Earlier in the day, the Angels celebrated opening day festivities with their fans. There was a red carpet. Families showed up to get some free merchandise, and perhaps get a glimpse of one of their favorite stars. 

But when all of the pomp and circumstance goes away, the evening comes down to the game of baseball. The Angels entered their three-game series against the Mariners having dropped the previous series against the Chicago Cubs.  

The biggest question for the Angels at the start of this season has to be what direction will Suzuki lead the team in? In 2025, the Angels floundered  because of a lack of direction, though it was no fault of their own as former manager Ron Washington battled serious health issues. 

At 72-90, the Angels couldn’t get the season right with a missing-in-action Trout as well. Trout suffered a serious bone bruise injury, and that took the baseball superstar out of the lineup for a good portion of the season. 

With these two calamities hitting the team in the same season, the Angels failed to find their groove. Now, the Angels have Trout back. So where does that leave the Angels and their aspirations for the 2026 season? 

The Angels figure to be a more improved version of the team they put on the field during the 2025 season. How far will they go, nobody knows for sure. At this point, everything is a guessing game.

However, there are areas or flashes of potential from the Angels if you look at some of the numbers from what they’ve done so far. Suzuki spoke a little about the potential of this ballclub during his time with the media prior to the Angels taking the field against the Mariners.  

“Talent-wise, I believe in these guys,” Suzuki said. 

After playing the last two seasons of a long career with the Angels, Suzuki is excited he has been given the opportunity to take the helm and lead the team. 

“Yeah, you know, it’s definitely an awesome thing,” Suzuki remarked. “One, I played for this organization, and two, I played at Cal State Fullerton, right down the street, growing up watching the Angels, you know, from that time there with the World Series.