Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – David Freese’s two-run homer backed eight
stellar innings from C.J. Wilson and helped the Angels rebound from an Opening
Day loss as they downed the Mariners 2-0 on Tuesday.
Wilson (1-0) retired the final 17 batters he faced and only allowed two hits
with one walk. He threw 63 of his 96 pitches for strikes and fanned a pair.
The performance was a welcome sight for the veteran after pitching to an ugly
4.51 ERA last season.
Freese followed Albert Pujols’ double in the fourth with an opposite-field
blast off James Paxton (0-1), who was otherwise solid over six innings.
The only real trouble Wilson faced came in the second inning when the Mariners
had runners on first and second and one out. The left-hander retired Logan
Morrison and Mike Zunino to leave two on, and after Rickie Weeks singled with
one away in the third, the Mariners did not have a single batter reach base.
Huston Street tossed a perfect ninth to collect his first save and finish off
the brisk two-hour, 13-minute affair.
Game Notes
Wednesday’s rubber match of this season-opening three-game series pits
Seattle’s Hisashi Iwakuma against the Angels’ Matt Shoemaker … Paxton, who
came in 5-0 with a 1.69 ERA in seven starts at Safeco Field, struck out five
and gave up four hits … The Angels recorded just five hits one day after
recording four in the opener.
