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Angels' Weaver hopes to right ship in Seattle

May 18, 2011 - 2:47 PM (Sports Network) - Jered Weaver tries to halt a personal three-game losing streak this evening when the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim open a two-game set with the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

Weaver put forth one of the best starts to a season ever, winning his first six outings, while pitching to a 0.99 earned run average. However, he has lost three starts since and has allowed 11 runs in doing so to raise his season ERA to a still-respectable 2.26.

The right-hander's most recent loss came on Friday in Texas, as the Rangers reached him for four runs and seven hits in six innings. He also fanned six in the setback and has struck out 61 batters in 63 2/3 innings this season.

Weaver has dominated the Mariners over the course of his career, going 10-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 18 starts.

Los Angeles can only hope Weaver is better than Tyler Chatwood was on Tuesday when the rookie surrendered seven runs (five earned) in just 2 1/3 innings of the Angels' 14-0 loss to Oakland.

"He has great makeup," LA manager Mike Scioscia said of Chatwood. "Sometimes when things go in the wrong direction, he tries to run through it. He had a rough start in Tampa, settled down and won the ballgame. He got some pitches elevated tonight."

As bad as Chatwood was, Athletics starter Gio Gonzalez was just as good, giving up just one hit in seven innings. The Angels, who have lost three straight and five of their last six, sent the minimum to the plate in seven innings and had only two hits in the game, getting the second one in the ninth.

"He was good -- and we weren't," said Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo. "He has that live fastball, 93 to 95 [mph], and a hard curveball, 80, 81. He was putting everything where he wanted it. We just couldn't get anything going."

The Mariners also enter tonight's tilt on a sour note after falling 2-1 to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday. Felix Hernandez gave up two runs in the first inning and that was all the Twins would need, as the Mariners mustered only three hits.

Hernandez (4-4) went eight innings and allowed two runs on three hits and three walks. He also struck out nine in the Mariners' seventh loss in their last eight games.

"(Felix was) a little erratic there early on, a couple walks, a fastball up to Cuddyer. He rights himself and the next thing you know, you look up, and it's eight innings and still two runs, he did a great job. He was really good his last four or five innings," said Seattle manager Eric Wedge.

Jason Vargas, a college teammate of Weaver's at Long Beach State, takes the hill for the Mariners tonight trying to follow up a brilliant effort his last time out. Vargas tossed nine scoreless innings on Thursday against Baltimore, but came away with a no-decision, as the Orioles' Zach Britton did the same. Seattle eventually lost the contest in extra innings, spoiling Vargas' seven- hit gem.

Vargas has faced the Angels seven times (six starts) and is 2-2 against them with a 2.45 ERA.

The Angels won 15 of their 19 matchups with the Mariners last season, including seven of the nine meetings in Seattle.