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Angels top M's, get closer in AL West

Sep 6, 2011 - 4:26 AM Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) - Mark Trumbo hit a two-run homer and RBI double to help the Angels power past the Mariners, 7-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

Dan Haren (14-8) got the win after limiting Seattle to three runs on 10 hits in six innings.

"It was a battle from the get-go. I didn't have my best stuff, obviously," Haren said. "I couldn't find the release point. My offense picked me up."

Vernon Wells also homered for Los Angeles, which climbed within 2 1/2 games of AL West-leading Texas. The Rangers lost to Tampa Bay earlier Monday.

Seattle rookie left-hander Anthony Vasquez (1-2), making his third career start, suffered the loss after being knocked around by the Angels again.

He had faced the Angels on August 30 and allowed eight runs -- seven earned -- in four innings. On Monday, he gave up seven runs -- six earned -- in 5 2/3 innings.

Brendan Ryan hit a homer for the Mariners, who have dropped five in a row.

"We were sloppy all day today," said Seattle manager Eric Wedge. "Vasquez deserved a better fate. We swung the bats well, a positive. Vasquez, a positive. We're still working to put it all together."

Justin Smoak's RBI single put Seattle on the board in the first inning, and Josh Bard had a run-scoring base hit in the second.

But in comparison to the single runs, the Angels scored in bigger bursts. In the opening inning, Peter Bourjos doubled and scored on Torii Hunter's two-out triple.

Trumbo followed by slugging a low pitch -- nearly in the dirt -- over the left-center field wall.

Then, in the third inning, Vasquez hit Maicer Izturis with a pitch before walking Bourjos. A run scored when third baseman Kyle Seager committed a fielding error on Howie Kendrick's batted ball, leaving runners on the corners.

Hunter followed with a sacrifice fly and Trumbo hit an RBI double, making it 6-2.

Ryan hit his homer in the fifth, but the Mariners couldn't make up the deficit despite outhitting (11-7) the Angels.

Wells added his homer in the sixth.

Game Notes

The Angels have won 18 of the last 21 games vs. the Mariners in Anaheim...LA shortstop Erick Aybar extended his hit streak to 15 games with an eighth- inning single...Haren had lost his last two starts, though gave up only two runs in 7 2/3 innings against the Mariners in his most recent outing (August 31).