ANAHEIM — On the third try, Kyle Hendricks reached a significant milestone.
The right-hander picked up career victory No. 100 as the Angels beat the Seattle Mariners, 5-4, on Friday night.
“It’s one of those things, like, when you’re done playing, you look back, it’ll mean a lot,” Hendricks said. “Just in the heat of the moment, it was just a huge team win. Great team win tonight. Obviously division opponent, towards the top of the division. So that’s the focus. But for sure, when I get done, it’s going to mean a lot to me.”
It meant a little more because Hendricks, 35, tied former Angels pitcher Clyde Wright on the all-time victory list. Wright was Hendricks’ first pitching coach when he was growing up in Orange County. They began working together when Hendricks was 12.
“He came down to the clubhouse, which was super cool, and gave me a hug,” Hendricks said. “I told him, it only took 23 years after our first lesson.”
Besides Wright’s visit to the clubhouse, Manager Ron Washington said a few words to the team about Hendricks, to recognize the moment. Hendricks said his teammates wanted to give him a beer shower – which is the tradition after victory No. 1 – but he avoided that.
Hendricks gave up four runs in six innings, and the bullpen handled the rest without much trouble.
Right-hander Ryan Zeferjahn, who typically handles the best hitters before the ninth inning, went through the top of the Mariners’ order in the seventh. He pitched a perfect inning on 10 pitches.
Left-hander Reid Detmers, whose three-game nightmare stretch a month ago began with a game in Seattle, struck out two in a scoreless inning, including Mariners star Cal Raleigh.
Closer Kenley Jansen worked the ninth, retiring the side in order and then keeping the ball to deliver to Hendricks.
Hendricks had failed to get No. 100 in his two previous outings, even though both were decent starts. He had a quality start on May 25 against the Miami Marlins, but the Angels didn’t score. He left with a lead last weekend in Cleveland, but the bullpen let it get away.
Hendricks has done a good job keeping the Angels in games even though he has a 5.40 ERA. He’s left with the lead in six of his 12 starts, and they’ve never trailed by more than three when he’s left the game.
Hendricks gave up one run through the first three innings, with the Mariners putting little pressure on him.
In the fourth, they loaded the bases with no outs on a bloop single, and infield single – that could have been a double play if shortstop Zach Neto had handled it – and a walk.
Rowdy Tellez then hit a fly ball that was headed over the short right field fence for a grand slam, but Jorge Soler grabbed it. The Mariners got one run on a sacrifice fly, and then another on a groundout.
After that, Hendricks got through two more innings, allowing one more run.
The offensive support came mostly from the bottom of the lineup.
No. 9 hitter Chris Taylor had his first multi-hit game out of the seven he’s played with the Angels. Taylor singled in the third and scored on a Zach Neto hit, tying the game 1-1. In the fifth, he doubled into the gap in left-center, driving in Jo Adell with the tying run.
An out later, Nolan Schanuel lined a hit into right field, knocking in Taylor to give the Angels a 5-4 lead.
In between, Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run homer, his second of the season.
D’Arnaud’s bat is showing signs of life, with two hits on Friday after a three-hit game on Wednesday in Boston. His OPS is up to .648, the highest it’s been all season.
It was fitting that d’Arnaud would be a key offensive contributor in this game, because he’s also emerged as the personal catcher for Hendricks. Hendricks raves about working with d’Arnaud at every opportunity.
“Trav has been so good with me, going back, I would say the last five, really catching a groove,” Hendricks said. “He’s really learned me, and it’s just making things so much easier for me. So I can’t thank him enough.”
D’Arnaud said it’s been a joy to work with Hendricks, too.
“For me to be able to adjust on the fly with him has been fun,” d’Arnaud said. “Knowing that he’s not scared of any hitter is really fun, especially when you hump up and you don’t have 95. You’ve got 86, 87 and still to not be intimidated by anybody. For him to locate everything, anywhere at any time, and to try new sequences and try different things, is really fun.”
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