KCHW NEWS REPORTS

Just hours after the Seattle Mariners made the first major move ahead of the trade deadline by acquiring slugger Josh Naylor, their existing lineup delivered a power surge of its own. Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena, and Jorge Polanco each homered to fuel a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night, opening a seven-game road trip on a high note.

The victory came shortly after Seattle acquired Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for pitching prospects Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi. Naylor is expected to bring a much-needed boost to the team’s offensive production at first base and add depth to the batting order.

Seattle gained ground in the AL West standings with the win, as division rival Houston fell to the Oakland Athletics.

Logan Evans earned his first win since May, working five innings and allowing just one run. Despite some command issues, Evans pitched effectively in high-pressure situations, stranding runners and relying on his changeup to set up outs.

Rodríguez ended a brief home run drought by sending his 15th of the season just over the right-field wall. Moments later, Arozarena continued his red-hot stretch with a 110-mph laser over the left-field fence, tying him for the MLB lead in homers since June 30 with 11. Cal Raleigh and Mitch Garver added hits during the three-run frame that chased Angels starter Yusei Kikuchi from the game.

Polanco added insurance in the eighth with his 16th homer of the year, a solo shot that padded the Mariners’ lead.

The bullpen held steady through the late innings, though not without drama. Carlos Vargas’s balk in the seventh helped the Angels trim the lead to 3-2 before Polanco’s homer. In the ninth, Andrés Muñoz worked through a jam after a wild-pitch strikeout, an infield hit, and a walk to load the bases. On the next pitch, Nolan Schanuel lined out to left where Arozarena made a knee-high catch to seal the win.

Muñoz earned his 23rd save of the season, a new career high, as the Mariners continued to gain momentum—and firepower—just in time for the season’s stretch run.