Seattle @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 21, 2013 ) Seattle 5, LA Angels 6

Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez returns to the mound in Sunday’s series finale after a 20-day absence to see if he can regain his form against the host Los Angeles Angels, a team that regularly torments him. Hernandez hasn’t pitched since suffering an oblique injury on Sept. 2 and seeks to beat a Los Angeles team against which he has an 8-13 career record. Angels starter C.J. Wilson has won nine consecutive decisions and is 3-0 versus the Mariners this season.

Angels star Mike Trout has feasted against Hernandez, recording a .405 average in 37 career at-bats - including two doubles, two triples and a homer. Los Angeles won the first two games of the series to improve to 7-1 at home against the Mariners this year and increase its late-season run to 21 wins in 28 games. Seattle’s Raul Ibanez hit his 29th homer of the season in Saturday’s loss to tie Ted Williams (1960) for most homers by a 41-year-old but couldn’t prevent the Mariners from losing for the 11th time in 13 games.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), FSN West (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Felix Hernandez (12-9, 3.01 ERA) vs. Angels LH C.J. Wilson (17-6, 3.36)

Hernandez has lost four consecutive decisions and owns a bloated 7.84 ERA during the stretch. He is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against Los Angeles this season, losing the most-recent outing on Aug. 23 despite striking out 10 in six innings. Hernandez is 5 2/3 frames away from reaching 200 for the sixth consecutive season.

Wilson enters with a 13-start unbeaten streak, last losing on July 5 against Boston. He improved to 4-0 in September when he stymied Oakland on Monday, allowing one run and four hits in seven innings. Wilson has a 1.77 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 20 1/3 frames against Seattle this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Angels OF Josh Hamilton is batting just .169 with one homer and 18 strikeouts against Hernandez.

2. Ibanez, who hit his 300th career homer on Saturday, is 3-for-23 with a homer and nine strikeouts versus Wilson.

3. Los Angeles INF Andrew Romine is 4-for-7 with three RBIs in the series and batting .400 during a five-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Angels 5, Mariners 4