Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 15, 2013 ) Seattle 8, LA Angels 5

The Los Angeles Angels have floundered out of the gate and are only 1 1/2 games ahead of struggling Seattle as they open a four-game road series against the Mariners on Thursday. Los Angeles was routed 11-3 by the Texas Rangers on Wednesday and gave up 22 runs in the three-game series to fall four games below .500. Seattle finished a 1-5 road trip with a 10-3 loss to the Houston Astros and has lost 15 of 21 games.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge held a closed-door meeting following Wednesday’s defeat and also has demoted weak-hitting shortstop Brendan Ryan (.143) from the starting lineup in favor of Robert Andino. “We are not off to the start we’d like, for sure,” Wedge said after the meeting. “But we have the players in there to be a good team and that is what bothers me more than anything. We just have to peck away and get this thing turned around.” The Angels have a 4.88 staff ERA, second-worst in the majors ahead of the Astros. Los Angeles is 2-6 on the road.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Garrett Richards (1-0, 2.55 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Brandon Maurer (1-3, 7.45)

Richards is making his third start of the season. He is coming off a superb outing in which he struck out eight and allowed two hits while tossing seven shutout innings against the Detroit Tigers. Richards moved into the rotation after Jered Weaver was lost with a left elbow injury. He is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in six appearances (one start) against the Mariners.

Maurer didn’t make it out of the first inning against the Astros on April 9 but has bounced back with two solid outings. He gave up seven hits in 12 2/3 innings in two starts against the Texas Rangers, splitting the decisions. Maurer, who has allowed four homers in 19 1/3 innings, was a 23rd-round pick by Seattle in 2008.

WALK-OFFS

1. Seattle 3B Kyle Seager is batting .383 during a career-long 13-game hitting streak.

2. Angels 1B Albert Pujols hasn’t homered since April 6 and OF Josh Hamilton hasn’t gone deep since April 14.

3. Mariners OF Michael Saunders (shoulder) is expected to start an injury rehab assignment within the next few days.

PREDICTION: Angels 7, Mariners 5