MARINERS-ANGELS
Cruz, Seager homer as Mariners edge Angels for 8th straight
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager homered to lead the Seattle Mariners past the Los Angeles Angels 2-1 on Wednesday night, extending their longest winning streak of the season to eight games.
The surging Mariners moved within 1 1/2 games of Toronto for the second AL wild card, with Detroit the only team in between at a game behind the Blue Jays.
Hisashi Iwakuma pitched into the seventh inning and earned his 16th win for Seattle (78-68), which completed a three-game sweep.
It’s the first time the Mariners have won eight in a row since July 2013. They have the longest active streak in the majors.
Cruz hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh off Jose Alvarez (1-3), his 37th of the season and fourth in four games. It was the slugger’s 10th home run this year against Los Angeles, more than any other Mariners player has hit in one season against a single opponent.
SEAHAWKS-BACK TO LA
No surprise Pete Carroll’s Seahawks 1st team visiting LA
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — During his decade in Los Angeles, Pete Carroll felt the void.
Even though USC football was the biggest thing in the Los Angeles area during the 2000s and Carroll was the architect behind the dominant Trojans, there was something missing in the football community without the NFL.
“It just didn’t feel right,” Carroll said. “There was a hole there that was so obvious. That’s why the league was so adamant and so diligent about staying with it and eventually getting it done.”
Perhaps it’s just coincidence — but most likely not — that Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks will be the first visiting NFL team to play in Los Angeles in 22 years when they face the Rams on Sunday. Six other teams will visit the Coliseum this season. Many of those will have a number of players from California, typically one of the top states for producing NFL players.
But few of those will match the connections and history that the Seahawks have.
Carroll has the most obvious history from his nine years as the head coach at USC. He arrived at USC under heavy scrutiny as a twice-fired NFL reject and made the Trojans champions again.
CARDINALS-SIMON
Cardinals claim ex-Seahawks CB Simon on waivers
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals have been awarded their waiver claim on cornerback Tharold Simon from the Seattle Seahawks.
To make room on the roster, the Cardinals waived/injured linebacker Lamar Luis (quad).
Simon was a fifth-round draft pick of the Seahawks out of LSU in 2013. He missed his rookie season with a foot injury and played in 11 games the past two seasons, five as a starter. He had 11 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed.
The Cardinals have had issues at the cornerback position opposite All-Pro Patrick Peterson.
At LSU, Simon was a teammate of Arizona defensive players Peterson, Tyrann Mathieu (TY’-ran MATH’-yoo) and Kevin Minter.
MLS-SOUNDERS-DEMPSEY
Clint Dempsey returns to practice for Seattle Sounders
TUKWILA, Wash. (AP) — Clint Dempsey returned to practice for the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday after missing time due to an irregular heartbeat, although it’s unknown whether he will play again this season.
General manager Garth Lagerwey told reporters that Dempsey had a procedure to address some of the issues due to the irregular heartbeat, but he was not at liberty to further discuss Dempsey’s medical condition. Lagerwey said he is “cautiously optimistic” Dempsey will be able to return this season.
Dempsey has been cleared to practice and exercise, but has not been cleared to play yet, Lagerwey said. When he’s been cleared, the team will consider his return to games.
Dempsey has been out since late August. He has missed two league games and two U.S. national team games in World Cup qualifying.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.