Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 30, 2011 ) LA Angels 13, Seattle 6

THE STORY: Felix Hernandez makes his 24th career start against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, once again trying to beat a squad against which he’s had very little success. The ace pitcher of the Seattle Mariners is just 4-9 lifetime against Los Angeles and has come up empty twice this season despite allowing just four runs in 15 innings. Hernandez lost 2-1 on August 7 and received a no-decision in the Angels’ 4-2 victory on July 10. The Angels, who are 3 1/2 games behind first-place Texas in the American League West, will send Dan Haren to the mound. The teams split the first two games of the four-game series with the Angels cruising to a 13-6 victory on Tuesday.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Dan Haren (13-7, 3.19 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (12-11, 3.37 ERA)

Haren got pounded by Texas in his last start when he allowed seven runs (six earned) and 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings. He won three straight decisions prior to the loss. Haren is 2-0 with a 2.38 ERA in three starts against the Mariners this season. He allowed two runs and five hits in 8 2/3 innings while beating Seattle on July 10. Haren is 9-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 17 career starts against the Mariners. Ichiro Suzuki is a .259 hitter in 58 career at-bats against Haren.

Hernandez struck 10 while defeating Cleveland in his last outing for his fourth win in six starts. Hernandez gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings while recording 10 or more strikeouts for the seventh time this season. He needs five just strikeouts for his third straight 200-season. Hernandez is one win shy of matching last season’s victory total, when he won the American League Cy Young Award. Torii Hunter is batting .319 in 47 career at-bats against Hernandez.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (57-77): Seattle has lost 10 of 14 games. Ichiro Suzuki’s season-high hitting streak is at 13 games after his two-run single on Tuesday. Ichiro is batting .356 during his streak and is hitting .309 in 55 at-bats against the Angels this season. Miguel Olivo is 5-for-8 in the two contests against Los Angeles. The catcher had a .178 average in 146 career at-bats against the Angels prior to the series. Rookie Dustin Ackley is 5-for-7 in the series. Rookie pitcher Michael Pineda will make just three September starts before the club shuts him down. Pineda (9-8) has pitched 153 innings over 25 starts.

ABOUT THE ANGELS (73-62): Los Angeles has won eight of its last 11 games. Mike Trout once again showed why he is considered a future star with two homers and five RBIs in Tuesday’s victory. The 20-year-old Trout went down to drive low pitches out of the ballpark on both homers – a solo shot in the second and a three-run blast in the fourth. Trout has five homers and 13 RBIs in 21 major-league games. Maicer Izturis has two hits in each of his last five starts and is batting .455 over his last six games. Erick Aybar had two RBIs and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

FINAL PITCH: Ichiro has 265 hits in 198 career games against the Angels. Only George Brett (282), Carl Yastrzemski (281) and Cal Ripken Jr. (266) have more hits against the franchise.