Los Angeles @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 3, 2016 ) LA Angels 10, Seattle 3

The Seattle Mariners are fortunate to have a chance to win this weekend's series against the Los Angeles Angels considering how quickly they have fallen behind, but they're likely not feeling as good about their fading playoff chances at the moment. The Mariners eye only their fourth victory in their last 14 outings Sunday when they host the rubber match of a three-game set with the Angels.

Seattle used a nine-run second inning to rally after falling behind by four runs before even getting a chance to bat in Friday's 11-8 triumph, but it yielded six more first-inning runs in Saturday's 10-3 setback. The Mariners won five of seven to climb a season-best 10 games over .500 on Aug. 22 — pulling within six games of Texas in the American League West and one game of Baltimore for the last wild-card spot — but their recent slide has widened those gaps to 12 1/2 and five, respectively. Since falling a season-worst 21 games under .500 on Aug. 20, the Angels have won nine of 12 on the strength of strong pitching, allowing three runs or fewer in each victory. The offense joined the party in a big way in Saturday's rout, belting five homers — including two each from Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun — for a rare power outburst from the team with the second-fewest home runs in the AL (138).
TV: 4:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), ROOT (Seattle)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH Matt Shoemaker (9-13, 3.91 ERA) vs. Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (14-10, 4.01)
Shoemaker won for the third time in as many outings in Monday's triumph over Cincinnati, allowing two runs on seven hits with no walks and seven strikeouts over as many innings. Since posting a 9.12 ERA over his first five turns this season, the Eastern Michigan product has recorded a 2.96 ERA over his last 21 starts. Shoemaker is 1-2 with a 5.82 ERA versus the Mariners in 2016, although he managed to secure the victory against Seattle on Aug. 18 after permitting two runs over seven frames.
Iwakuma fell to 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA over his last three trips to the mound following Monday's loss to Texas, giving up five runs on six hits across only three innings. The 35-year-old has surrendered four home runs during his slide and is in danger of matching his career high in that department from 2013 if he yields another homer before the end of the season. Pujols (6-for-48) and Mike Trout (9-for-44) have each struggled mightily against Iwakuma, who is 8-4 with a 2.84 ERA in 17 appearances (16 starts) versus the Angels.

WALK-OFFS
1. Pujols' 51st two-homer game Saturday gave him 588 for his career, allowing him to pass Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for sole possession of ninth place on the all-time list.
2. Mariners 2B Robinson Cano doubled on Saturday to become the fourth player in big-league history to record 30 doubles in 12 consecutive seasons. He is the only player to do so over the first 12 seasons of his career.
3. Seattle RF/DH Nelson Cruz has 35 career homers versus the Angels, 14 more than he has against any other opponent.

PREDICTION: Angels 5, Mariners 2