Wilhelmsen retires Trout in critical situation

ANAHEIM — Tom Wilhelmsen has made many better pitches in his six seasons with the Mariners, but he may never have made a bigger one than Monday’s full-count curve to Mike Trout that the Angels star drove deep to left field in the seventh inning, only to see it die in the glove of Norichika Aoki at the warning track.

Wilhelmsen thrust his arms in the air as the ball settled into Aoki’s mitt, knowing he’d got away with one as Trout came up just shy with runners on second and third and the Angels trailing by a run. Instead of a three-run blast and a gut punch to the Mariners momentum, Seattle held on for a 3-2 win and Wilhelmsen, well, he found himself standing at his locker later wearing the team’s celebratory “Swelmet” awarded by third base coach Manny Acta to the key player following every win.

“I fell behind everybody and now I get the Swelmet on Felix’s 150th win and Nelson Cruz dropping moon-landing shots,” Wilhelmsen said with a wry smile from underneath the blue-painted Darth Vader helmet. “It was great to get a win today. They’re all good, but on this day especially.”

Wilhelmsen was rightfully in a good mood after helping the Mariners win for the 11th time in their past 13 games. When things are going well, good things seem to keep happening. And seeing Trout tee off on a poorly-placed 82-mph curve over the heart of the plate, but not get rewarded with his second homer of the game, was cause for joy in the Mariners clubhouse.

“I thought it was well struck,” Wilhelmsen said. “I like to send things out to the …

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