Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( May 14, 2016 ) LA Angels 9, Seattle 7

The Angels' Albert Pujols is starting to heat up and that could spell trouble for the American League West as visiting Los Angeles goes for a three-game sweep against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday. Pujols, a .310 career hitter, is 5-for-14 with two home runs and five RBIs in his last three games after belting a three-run shot in the ninth inning to give the Angels a 9-7 victory Saturday and raise his season average from .185 to .203.

Los Angeles (15-21), which has seven players — including 60 percent of its starting rotation and its closer — on the disabled list, has consecutive victories for the first time this month as it tries to stay in contention. The Mariners' eight-series winning streak (7-0-1) came to an end Saturday as they experience their first losing streak since dropping two straight in the middle of winning a pair of three-game sets with the New York Yankees and Cleveland in April. Seattle is 16-7 since that slide and leads Texas by a half-game in the AL West as it vie for its first postseason berth since 2001. The Mariners' Felix Hernandez passed Jamie Moyer to become the franchise's all-time winner with his 146th victory in his last outing and opposes Hector Santiago, who fizzled after a quick start.

TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH Hector Santiago (2-2, 4.07 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (3-2, 2.27)

Santiago allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings of an 8-1 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday and is 0-2 with a 6.46 ERA in his last three turns. The 28-year-old New Jersey native was 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA over his first four starts, including a 4-2 victory over Seattle on April 23 when he permitted two runs and four hits while striking out seven in six innings. Santiago, who has yielded seven home runs this season, is 3-2 with a 3.24 ERA in 13 games (five starts) versus Seattle and has had little trouble with Robinson Cano (3-for-19) and Nelson Cruz (3-for-13, solo homer April 23).

Hernandez allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings of a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Monday. The 30-year-old Venezuelan bounced back from his worst start of the season when he received a no-decision after permitting eight runs (four earned) and nine hits in four innings of the Mariners' 9-8 victory in Oakland on May 4. Hernandez is 14-15 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 47 starts against Los Angeles — 7-3 with a 1.55 ERA in his last 15 starts — and fares well versus Pujols (11-for-55, 14 strikeouts) while struggling with Mike Trout (.368 in 68 at-bats, five home runs, 15 RBIs, 21 strikeouts).

WALK-OFFS

1. Angels 3B Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup Saturday after missing Friday's game with a jammed thumb.

2. Cano, who leads the majors with 34 RBIs and shares the AL lead in home runs with 12, is batting .407 during a 13-game hitting streak consisting of every May contest with four home runs, 10 RBIs and 11 runs during that span.

3. Pujols has 568 home runs — one shy of tying Rafael Palmeiro for 12th on the all-time list.

PREDICTION: Mariners 3, Angels 2