Only one active franchise in Major League Baseball has never had a 100-loss season.
That distinction will be on the line for the Los Angeles Angels (62-99) when they wrap up the season Sunday afternoon against the host Seattle Mariners (75-86).
The Angels, who started play in 1961, tied a team record for most franchise losses in a season, set in 2024, with Saturday’s 8-4 loss to the Mariners.
“We’re trying to go out there and win, obviously,” Angels manager Kurt Suzuki said. “We know (100 losses) has been talked about over the last few weeks. But (Sunday), we’re going to come here and be ready to play.”
Bryce Teodosio hit a two-RBI single in a four-run sixth inning Saturday as the Angels rallied from a 4-0 deficit.
Mariners pinch hitter Taylor Ward, who spent his first eight MLB seasons with the Angels before splitting this season between Baltimore and Seattle, hit a tiebreaking, two-run single in the seventh inning. J.P. Crawford hit a two-run homer on the next pitch from Mitch Farris to send the Angels to the loss.
The Mariners got a scare in the fourth inning when prized prospect Kade Anderson took a 103.8-mph line drive by the Angels’ Christian Moore off his pitching arm.
“I thought the worst,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “Certainly, watching him kind of react and then kind of holding his arm down. I thought maybe something had broken or whatever.”
Anderson was diagnosed with a bruised left forearm and after the game showed the seam marks left by the ball.
“It got me pretty good,” said Anderson, who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, with four hits and one walk allowed and four strikeouts. “It’s not a great feeling by any means.”
Anderson, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU, went 2-2 with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts since being recalled from Double-A Arkansas.
“That’s the beauty of the offseason,” the 22-year-old said. “You get to take a look back at what happened this season, and I just feel like there’s a lot of improvement for me going into this offseason. I’ve learned a lot of things that going into next season will be very beneficial.”
The Angels on Sunday will start veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (1-6, 4.88 ERA), who spent his first three seasons with the Mariners from 2019-21. The Mariners will counter with right-hander Logan Gilbert (12-11, 3.81), their Opening Day starter.
Kikuchi didn’t get a decision in a 9-7 loss to the Athletics on Tuesday in West Sacramento, Calif., in a game in which he gave up two runs on seven hits over 5 1/ 3 innings. In his start before that, on Sept. 16, he suffered a 7-2 loss to the visiting Mariners as he allowed five runs (four earned) over 4 1/3 innings, on five hits and five walks.
Kikuchi is 1-3 despite a 2.11 ERA in seven career starts against Seattle.
Gilbert has dropped his past two starts. He was tagged for four runs on a season-high 10 hits over four innings Tuesday in a 7-0 loss to the visiting Houston Astros. He pitched well Sept. 15 in Anaheim, Calif., but was beaten 2-1 by the Angels despite a quality start.
Gilbert is 4-5 with a 3.84 ERA in 12 career starts vs. the Angels.
–Field Level Media
