Angels hope playoff-like atmosphere against Mariners is ‘taste of the future’

The Angels hope they will be back in a setting like this soon, playing October baseball in front of a nearly sold-out stadium.

For now, they will have to settle for a role as spoilers, opening a three-game game series Friday night against a Seattle Mariners team chasing a wild-card berth.

“I love it. I think it’s great. It should get your blood flowing,” manager Joe Maddon said before Friday’s game. “It’s a great little taste of the future, hopefully, for the guys. … This is what it’s supposed to feel like this time of the year, playing meaningful games.”

While the Angels are simply playing out the string this weekend, already guaranteed of their sixth consecutive losing season and seventh without a postseason berth, the Mariners entered the series tied for the second wild-card spot in the American League, hoping to earn their first playoff appearance since 2001.

“It’s way more meaningful for them than it is for us,” Maddon acknowledged. “But it’s a nice taste.”

Jared Walsh finishing strong

Maddon has praise Friday for first baseman Jared Walsh, who has been one of the team’s best hitters over the final stretch of the season.

After suffering a slump following his first appearance in the All-Star game, Walsh has finished his first full major league season with a hot bat. Entering Friday, he had a .315 batting average in 36 games since Aug. 19, including five home runs, 10 doubles, 22 RBIs, and only 27 strikeouts to 15 walks.

It has raised Walsh’s season batting average to .276, best on the team among qualified hitters. He is second on the club in home runs (27), RBIs (92) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (.838) — trailing only Shohei Ohtani in each category.

“It’s great, in a way, when you struggle on the major league level and then overcome struggling on the major league level,” Maddon said. “A lot of times guys come up in the minor leagues never having struggled before, and then they have their first one here and it can be destructive in a big way. But he’s handled it great. He doesn’t change his demeanor.”

Reid Detmers to start finale

Rookie left-hander Reid Detmers will start in Sunday’s season finale, Maddon said. The 2020 first-round pick hasn’t pitched for the Angels since August after going on the injured list amid the team’s COVID-19 issues at the end of that month.

Detmers made a two-inning start for triple-A Salt Lake last week, throwing 42 pitches. Maddon said Detmers will be on a limit Sunday of likely no more than 75 pitches.