Having won a three-game series at Anaheim with an 8-6 victory over the Angels Wednesday night, the Mariners (26-33) get Thursday off before beginning a three-game, interleague set with the Los Angeles Dodgers Friday at home. The San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants will follow the Dodgers into town.
The series with the Dodgers, who the best record in the majors at 36-21, will run Friday through Sunday. After another day off Tuesday, Seattle will play six in a row with the Padres (June 12-14) and Giants (June 15-7).
The Mariners are 12-10 all time against the Dodgers, a team they have not played since the 2009 season, or at Safeco Field since 2000. The Mariners Friday will start RHP Kevin Millwood (3-5, 5.90), who will be opposed by RHP Nathan Eovaldi (0-2, 2.84), who has never pitched against the Mariners.
Jason Vargas (7-4, 3.64) will pitch for the Mariners Saturday against LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-3, 2.55).
The Mariners have not named a Sunday starter. Earlier this week manager Eric Wedge said he felt that ace Felix Hernandez, ailing with a sore back, would probably be ready to go by the weekend. The Dodgers will use RHP Chad Billingsley (3-4, 3.80) Sunday.
LOG: Michael Saunders had three more hits Wednesday in the 8-6 win over the Angels and completed Seattle’s nine-game, 10-day road trip through Texas, Chicago and Anaheim 19-for-39 (.487). He delivered two homers and five RBIs while raising his batting average from .224 to .277 . . . The Mariners went 5-4 on the trip and scored 66 runs. The Mariners had 12 hits in the series clincher against the Angels, including two by Ichiro, who snapped a three-game hitless streak in which he went 0-for-20, the second-longest such streak of his 12-year career . . . Ichiro’s homer was his fourth of the season and the 99th of his career. He needs one to become the 12th Mariner with 100 homers . . . Kyle Seager had another big game, driving in four runs. Of Seager’s 36 RBIs this season, 22 have come with two outs . . . Reliever Shawn Kelley (1-2) collected the win in relief of starter Hector Noesi, but rookie Stephen Pryor got big outs when he induced the Angels to hit double-play balls in the sixth and seventh innings . . . Noesi allowed six runs on four hits and five walks and has allowed six home runs in his past three starts. Noesi has been taken deep 14 times this season, most on the staff . . . Tom Wilhelmsen collected his second save of the season . . . While the Mariners stranded eight against the Angels Wednesday, they also went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position . . . The first four hitters in the Seattle order, Ichiro, Dustin Ackley, Seager and Jesus Montero, went a combined 8-for-18 and scored five runs.
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road | Last 10 | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | 33 | 24 | .579 | — | 15-11 | 18-13 | 4-6 | Lost 1 |
| Angels | 29 | 29 | .500 | 4.5 | 16-14 | 13-15 | 6-4 | Lost 1 |
| Mariners | 26 | 33 | .441 | 8.0 | 9-13 | 17-20 | 5-5 | Won 1 |
| Athletics | 25 | 32 | .439 | 8.0 | 12-16 | 13-16 | 3-7 | Won 1 |