Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 18, 2014 ) Seattle 3, LA Angels 1

The Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game slide to keep their fledgling postseason hopes alive, but cannot afford any more setbacks. The Mariners will try to earn a win and get some help when they host the Los Angeles Angels to start a three-game series that will end the regular season. Seattle is two games behind the Oakland Athletics in the race for the American League's second wild card while the Angels are battling for home-field advantage.

Logan Morrison hit a pair of go-ahead home runs in Thursday’s 7-5 win at Toronto as the Mariners survived using their bullpen to start and finish the game. Los Angeles is three games clear of the Baltimore Orioles in the race for the best record in the AL and took the final two of a three-game set at Oakland earlier in the week to set themselves up and do Seattle a favor at the same time. The Angels have some questions about the pitching rotation heading into the postseason, but looked strong in the final two games in Oakland.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jered Weaver (18-8, 3.52 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (14-9, 3.54)

Weaver is the lone consistent performer in the rotation at the moment and has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last eight outings. The California native struck out seven in as many innings while allowing three runs on five hits to beat Texas on Saturday. Weaver last faced Seattle on July 18 and yielded two runs in six innings without factoring in the decision.

Iwakuma’s struggles are part of the reason the Mariners are looking up at the competition in the wild-card race. The Japan native has lost his last three starts while allowing a total of 15 runs in 12 innings. Iwakuma started at Los Angeles on Sept. 15 and was lit up for seven runs on six hits and a pair of walks in 3 1/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Angels OF Josh Hamilton (chest) has missed 19 of the last 20 games and is not expected to play this weekend.

2. Morrison has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games and went 5-for-10 with four runs scored at Los Angeles from Sept. 15-18.

3. Los Angeles CF and MVP candidate Mike Trout left Wednesday’s game due to illness and is day-to-day.

PREDICTION: Angels 6, Mariners 3