Tough Loss for the Halos 
Well, Angels fans, it was a rough game against the Seattle Mariners, but we showed some fight! Here's the lowdown on tonight’s match-up where we fell short with a final score of 9-5.Shaky Start in the First Inning 
The game started on a tough note as the Mariners quickly racked up 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning, capitalizing on errors and timely hits. A painful reminder that we need to tighten up that defense. However, Taylor Ward swung back with a solo homer
in the bottom of the 1st, followed by Zach Neto hustling to steal second and third before Nolan Schanuel brought him home on a sac fly. By the end of the inning, we were down 5-2.Middle Innings Show Promise But Fall Short 
Despite some strong defensive plays, we couldn’t capitalize offensively in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings, missing several opportunities. The Mariners added insult to injury with a 2-run homer from Julio Rodríguez in the top of the 4th, extending their lead to 7-2.
But then, a flicker of hope! Mickey Moniak launched a 433-foot bomb and Brandon Drury followed with a homer to right-center in the 5th, shrinking their lead to 7-4. We were back in the game! 
However, consistent offensive production was still missing.Late Game Effort Falls Short 
Coming into the 6th, we narrowed the gap a bit more. Brandon Drury came through again with an RBI single, making it 7-5. Unfortunately, we stranded runners in scoring positions multiple times and our bullpen couldn’t keep the Mariners completely at bay. They tacked on runs in the 7th and 8th, extending their lead to the final 9-5.Despite Rendon and Moniak getting on base, we couldn’t bring them home in the 8th and 9th innings. Credit to the Mariners' pitchers, who shut us down in those critical moments.
Looking Ahead 
This game, as tough as it was, showed flashes of what our squad is capable of. Our offense, especially with home runs from Ward, Moniak, and Drury, can light up the scoreboard. If we can clean up those defensive lapses and capitalize more on runners in scoring positions, we'll bounce back stronger.Hang in there, Angels fans! On to the next one!
Let's keep the faith and root for our boys in the upcoming games! 
️Scoreboard for Mariners @ Angels (August 31st, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 2 |
| 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 0 |