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Preview: Mariners (79-67) at Angels (92-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 15, 2014 10:05 PM EDT
Don't tell Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia that his team has the luxury of a 10-game division lead.
For the Seattle Mariners, luxury is a word that is certainly not in their vocabulary.
The Angels will become the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot if they win Monday night in the opener of a four-game home set.
Los Angeles (93-56) failed to record its first 11-game win streak in 50 years with Sunday's 6-1 home defeat to Houston. The Angels' AL West advantage over Oakland was cut to 10 games with their magic number to win the division remaining at four, but Scioscia took no solace in that.
"No one's using the word 'luxury' around here," said the manager, whose team last reached the playoffs in 2009. "We were out there trying to win every game."
Seattle (80-68) is 12 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in third place and will be eliminated from division title contention with a loss Monday. The Mariners are more worried about the wild-card standings, sitting 2 1/2 games behind the Athletics and one behind Kansas City.
Manager Lloyd McClendon's club capped a 2-4 homestand with Sunday's 4-0 loss to Oakland, dropping two of three to one of the teams it is chasing. The Mariners have won eight of their last 10 on the road ahead of this 11-game trip.
'We haven't been good. The good part is we are going on the road where we have been real good,' McClendon said. 'You want to talk about improbable, that's about as improbable as you get.'
Something may have to give Monday in an enticing matchup of terrific right-handers.
The Angels have won seven straight starts by Matt Shoemaker (15-4, 3.16 ERA) while the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma (14-7, 3.11) is 5-0 with a 1.75 ERA in seven career starts against Los Angeles.
Shoemaker set a franchise record for wins by a rookie Wednesday by allowing one run in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-1 rout at Texas, improving to 6-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his sizzling seven-start stretch.
"I think Shoe is one of the big reasons why we're even contending," Scioscia said. "When he got his chance to get in the rotation, to do what he did is spectacular for us."
Shoemaker captured his lone start against the Mariners, giving up three runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 7-5 win May 29.
Pitchers may want to talk to Iwakuma about his astounding success against Mike Trout, who is 4 for 22 off him for his worst average (.182) versus anyone he has at least 15 at_bats against.
Albert Pujols is 3 for 22 off Iwakuma and has one hit in his last 14 at_bats.
Iwakuma went 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six outings before surrendering four runs in 4 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Houston.
Howie Kendrick is 7 for 19 off Iwakuma and is wielding a hot bat. The second baseman went 22 for 44 with seven extra-base hits - two homers - and 14 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak that was snapped Sunday when he went 0 for 2.
Seattle's Dustin Ackley is expected to return to the lineup after missing two games with a sore left foot.
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 15, 2014 10:05 PM EDT
Don't tell Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia that his team has the luxury of a 10-game division lead.
For the Seattle Mariners, luxury is a word that is certainly not in their vocabulary.
The Angels will become the first team in baseball to clinch a playoff spot if they win Monday night in the opener of a four-game home set.
Los Angeles (93-56) failed to record its first 11-game win streak in 50 years with Sunday's 6-1 home defeat to Houston. The Angels' AL West advantage over Oakland was cut to 10 games with their magic number to win the division remaining at four, but Scioscia took no solace in that.
"No one's using the word 'luxury' around here," said the manager, whose team last reached the playoffs in 2009. "We were out there trying to win every game."
Seattle (80-68) is 12 1/2 games behind Los Angeles in third place and will be eliminated from division title contention with a loss Monday. The Mariners are more worried about the wild-card standings, sitting 2 1/2 games behind the Athletics and one behind Kansas City.
Manager Lloyd McClendon's club capped a 2-4 homestand with Sunday's 4-0 loss to Oakland, dropping two of three to one of the teams it is chasing. The Mariners have won eight of their last 10 on the road ahead of this 11-game trip.
'We haven't been good. The good part is we are going on the road where we have been real good,' McClendon said. 'You want to talk about improbable, that's about as improbable as you get.'
Something may have to give Monday in an enticing matchup of terrific right-handers.
The Angels have won seven straight starts by Matt Shoemaker (15-4, 3.16 ERA) while the Mariners' Hisashi Iwakuma (14-7, 3.11) is 5-0 with a 1.75 ERA in seven career starts against Los Angeles.
Shoemaker set a franchise record for wins by a rookie Wednesday by allowing one run in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-1 rout at Texas, improving to 6-0 with a 1.32 ERA in his sizzling seven-start stretch.
"I think Shoe is one of the big reasons why we're even contending," Scioscia said. "When he got his chance to get in the rotation, to do what he did is spectacular for us."
Shoemaker captured his lone start against the Mariners, giving up three runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 7-5 win May 29.
Pitchers may want to talk to Iwakuma about his astounding success against Mike Trout, who is 4 for 22 off him for his worst average (.182) versus anyone he has at least 15 at_bats against.
Albert Pujols is 3 for 22 off Iwakuma and has one hit in his last 14 at_bats.
Iwakuma went 5-0 with a 3.06 ERA in six outings before surrendering four runs in 4 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to Houston.
Howie Kendrick is 7 for 19 off Iwakuma and is wielding a hot bat. The second baseman went 22 for 44 with seven extra-base hits - two homers - and 14 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak that was snapped Sunday when he went 0 for 2.
Seattle's Dustin Ackley is expected to return to the lineup after missing two games with a sore left foot.
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