Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 29, 2011 ) LA Angels 3, Seattle 5

THE STORY: The Los Angeles Angels missed an opportunity to make up ground on idle Texas on Monday and trail the Rangers by 3 1/2 games in the American League West entering Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Mariners. Los Angeles lost the opener of the four-game series when Seattle’s Mike Carp belted a 432-foot game-deciding two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Mariners a 5-3 victory. The loss was just the third in 10 games for the Angels, who are just 20-22 against division rivals this season. Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak while winning for just the fourth time in its last 13 games.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Jerome Williams (1-0, 4.82 ERA) vs. Mariners LH Anthony Vasquez (1-0, 8.44 ERA)

Williams is making his second start and fourth appearance for Los Angeles. He hadn’t pitched in the major leagues since 2007 before the Angels recalled him in mid-August. Williams was impressive in his one start when he allowed one run and six hits in seven innings while beating Baltimore on Aug. 21. He gave up four and six hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief against Texas last Friday in his last appearance. Williams has never previously faced the Mariners.

Vasquez is making his second major-league start. He picked up the victory in his first outing on Aug. 23 despite allowing six runs (five earned) and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings against Cleveland. Seattle is currently going with a six-man rotation, which gives Vasquez the opportunity to make a bid to be part of the 2012 rotation.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (57-76): Seven of Seattle’s 10 hits on Monday were extra-base hits. Dustin Ackley had three hits and two RBIs, and the three-hit game was his fifth in 62 contests since being recalled in mid-June. Ichiro Suzuki had two doubles for his fifth multi-hit contest in six games. Ichiro has 51 multi-hit contests in 2011 and is batting .370 during a season-best 12-game hitting streak. He needs 47 hits over his final 29 games to reach 200 for the 11th straight season. Kyle Seager’s nine-game hitting streak ended but he did drive in a run with a sacrifice fly. First baseman Justin Smoak (nose) began a rehab stint at Triple-A Tacoma on Monday and is expected to be back with the Mariners later this week.

ABOUT THE ANGELS (72-62): Los Angeles had scored five or more runs in eight straight games before posting just three on Monday. Mark Trumbo continued his bid for Rookie of the Year honors with a two-run homer, his 24th of the campaign. Trumbo has five homers in 45 at-bats against Seattle pitching. Hot-hitting Howie Kendrick was hitless in four at-bats to halt an eight-game hitting streak. Kendrick hit homers in five of six games prior to Monday. Erick Aybar had two hits to stretch his hitting streak to nine games. Maicer Izturis had two hits and is 8-for-18 over the last five contests.

FINAL PITCH: Seattle is 4-2 at home against the Angels this season. Overall, the Mariners are 5-8 against Los Angeles.