The Angels beat the Mariners 5-4 to add a win to their now four-game winning streak, giving Joe Saunders his AL-leading ninth victory.
The Angel offense jumped out on top to score all five runs in the first four innings, all off Mariners starter Erik Bedard, to give themselves a 5-0 lead. This was the first time in 13 games that the Angels scored more than four runs. The Angels scored one in the first off Torii Hunter’s RBI-double and added two more in the second when Macier Izturis hit a two-RBI single to score Casey Kotchman and Robb Quinlan. The Angels rallied for two more in the fifth when Quinlan hit a leadoff double followed by a walk to Jeff Mathias. Izturis and Howie Kendrick then had back-to-back RBI-singles to make it 5-0.
Joe Saunders did give up four runs to the Mariners, though he was only tagged for one earned run. The Mariners scored one in the fourth when Jose Lopez hit a solo shot. They then had a three-run fifth inning, but all runs were due to two Angel errors, who came into the came with the second fewest errors in the AL. A fielding error by Kendrick and throwing error by Quinlan, both with two outs, allowed three Mariner runs to score to close the gap to 5-4. Saunders’ one earned run allows his ERA to drop to 2.63, tied for third best in the AL. He also earned his league-leading ninth win, with the help of Jose Arrendondo who held the eighth and K-Rod’s 1-2-3 ninth, all strikeouts, for his 23rd save.
The Angels now stand 12 games above .500, their best mark of the season. They go for the sweep this afternoon, with Jered Weaver facing Carlos Silva. Silva is 3-5 but winless in starts since April 17, including a win against the Angels on April 12. Weaver is 4-2 lifetime against the Mariners.
The Angels currently hold the best road record and will look to improve that to 19-11 with a win today.
Vlad is out of the lineup again today for the third straight game, but after a doctor visit he should be cleared for play this weekend.
