Angels hope to turn things around vs. Mariners
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Now is not an opportune time for the LA Angels of Anaheim game set against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.
The Angels dropped the opener of this series last night by a 5-3 score and have lost three of four games since winning six in a row. Hisanori Takahashi served up a two-run homer to Mike Carp in the bottom of the eighth inning to suffer the loss and Mariners closer Brandon League closed the door in the ninth for his 32nd save of the season.
Joel Pineiro started for the Angels and allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings of work.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"We need depth in that rotation and Pineiro gave us a chance to win tonight," said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "We just couldn't follow through on it."
Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer and Erick Aybar extended his hitting streak to nine games with two hits and an RBI for Anaheim, which fell 3 1/2 games behind Texas for the top spot in the American League West Division. The Angels have homered in 19 of their last 20 contests.
Taking the mound for the Angels tonight will be Jerome Williams. He is 1-0 with a 4.82 earned run average in three games (1 start) and was roughed up in 1 2/3 innings of relief in Friday's 11-7 loss at Texas. Williams came in for a struggling Dan Haren and was reached for four runs and six hits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Williams, a right-hander, will face Seattle for the first time.
The Mariners were able to put the brakes on a three-game slide with last night's win thanks to Carp's big blast in the eighth.
"(It was a) first pitch slider right over the plate," said Carp. "I just put a real good swing on it. I wanted to move the runner over, that was my job, and I did more than that, which is good."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dustin Ackley recorded three hits and two RBI and Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 12 games by recording a pair of doubles and a run scored. Blake Beavan started for the M's and allowed three runs in seven innings of work in the no-decision. Tom Wilhelmsen earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning before League took the hill in the ninth.
Seattle is 1-3 on a seven-game homestand and will hand the ball to Anthony Vazquez in Tuesday's contest. The youngster made his major league debut in a 12-7 win at Cleveland last Tuesday and earned the win even though he was reached for six runs -- five earned -- and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings.
"You always wish you could do better, but we got the win, and that's the most important thing," Vasquez said after the game. "The run support helped a lot. I was able to relax a little bit and settle in. But when you miss your spots like that, sometimes they can make you pay up here."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vazquez is one of four rookies in the rotation.
The Angels have won eight of 13 meetings with Seattle this season and are 23-9 in this series since the start of the 2010 campaign.