Los Angeles @ Seattle preview
T-Mobile Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2012 ) LA Angels 5, Seattle 2
The Los Angeles Angels are certainly making themselves at home while visiting the Pacific Northwest. The Angels will vie for their eighth straight victory in Seattle on Sunday when they conclude their three-game series with the Mariners. Los Angeles posted its fifth straight victory and ninth in 11 outings after Mark Trumbo snapped a tie in the eighth inning with a two-run single en route to a 5-2 triumph.
The Angels' recent surge has allowed them to close to within 2 1/2 games of Baltimore for the second wild-card spot. Mike Scioscia's club will look to keep the good times going when ace Jered Weaver takes the mound on Sunday. After a dominating start to the season, Weaver is just 1-2 with a gaudy 6.75 ERA in his last four appearances.
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSW (Los Angeles), ROOT (Seattle)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (16-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (5-3, 3.40)
Despite dropping a contest on Aug. 12, Weaver has enjoyed considerable success versus Seattle. The 29-year-old is 12-5 against the American League West foe while registering a 1.16 WHIP. Weaver yielded five runs on seven hits in as many innings, but did not record a decision against Boston in his last start.
Iwakuma extended his winning streak to three games after allowing just one hit over six innings in a 5-2 victory over Minnesota last Sunday. Although the 31-year-old Japan native was stingy, he yielded a career-high four walks to drive up his pitch count. Iwakuma started the winning streak with a solid seven-inning outing versus Los Angeles on Aug. 11.
WALK-OFFS
1. Torii Hunter continued his torrid hitting by collecting three hits on Saturday to improve to 13-for-17 in his last four contests.
2. While not as hot as Hunter, Seattle's Jesus Montero has gotten the better of Weaver. Montero is 3-for-6 with three homers versus the hurler.
3. The Angels have won eight of the 12 meetings between the AL West rivals this season.