Flexen Flexes Again At Home, Mariners Beat Angels 2-0

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Chris Flexen pitched three-hit ball for seven innings in another home win, Luis Torrens added an RBI triple and the Seattle Mariners beat the Los Angeles Angels 2-0 on Saturday night.

David Fletcher of the Angels extended his hitting streak to 23 games.

Flexen (8-3), signed out of the Korea Baseball Organization following last season, struck out six. He improved to 6-2 in 10 starts at home as the Mariners won their third straight game.

"He's a great man on the mound," Torrens said of Flexen. "He's the man of the moment right now."

Flexen had multiple suitors in the U.S. in the offseason and even considered staying in Korea. Midway through the season, he's now Seattle's top starter.

"I 100% made the right decision," Flexen said. "I love being here. I love this organization."

Drew Steckenrider struck out the side in the eighth and Paul Sewald got Shohei Ohtani to strike out swinging on the way to his second save and a combined three-hitter.

Torrens tripled off Patrick Sandoval (2-3) with two outs in the sixth for a 2-0 lead. He was also instrumental in the fourth inning when he moved Mitch Haniger from first to third with a single, setting up Jake Fraley's RBI grounder.

Torrens has eight hits, two home runs, six RBIs and his only two career triples during Seattle's current eight-game homestand. He's also drawn a walk in six straight games, something no other Mariners player has done since 2015.

Torrens credits his recent surge on "my mentality," he said. "I'm starting to believe in myself and I've started to give all my effort when I'm playing."

Sandoval struck out six and gave up six hits over seven innings, but got no run support. In his last two games against the Mariners, he has struck out 16 over 13 innings, but is 0-2.

"I think Sandoval was outstanding," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. "That may have been his all-time high for pitches and innings thrown. I think it was important to stretch him out mentally more than physically."