Angels 6 - 3 Mariners
Final
  for this game

Wells' 2HR powers Angels past Mariners

Jun 14, 2011 - 6:41 AM Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Vernon Wells broke out with two home runs and three RBI, sending the Angels over the Mariners, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game series.

Wells came in hitting .189 and had not homered since May 7, but his two-run blast in the seventh provided the difference for Los Angeles, which had lost nine of 11 coming in.

Bobby Abreu and Howie Kendrick each had two hits and an RBI, while Dan Haren (6-4) earned the victory after giving up three runs on seven hits over six frames.

Jason Vargas (4-4) was on the opposite end of the decision as he was charged with five runs on six hits in his seven-inning start.

"We missed some opportunities offensively that really could have changed the course of the game. We just fell short on multiple fronts today," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.

The Angels trailed 3-2 entering the seventh before rallying to take the lead. Jeff Mathis opened the frame with a double, moved up 90 feet on a groundout and went on contact as Torii Hunter bounced one to third. Chone Figgins' throw home beat the runner, but Miguel Olivo couldn't hang on as Mathis slid in feet first and jarred the ball loose to score.

Two batters later, Wells pounded an 88-m.p.h. fastball over the wall in left for a 5-3 cushion.

"He's not going to hit two home runs every night, obviously, but coupled with the good game a couple nights ago when he had three hits...hopefully he's got his rhythm and starting to square some balls up," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of his high-priced slugger.

Rich Thompson and Scott Downs each threw scoreless innings for the Angels, the latter stranding runners on the corners, and Abreu knocked in Maicer Izturis for an insurance run in the ninth.

Jordan Walden hurled a 1-2-3 bottom half to earn his 15th save of the year to open LA's season-long 12-game road trip on the right note.

Kendrick and Adam Kennedy traded run-scoring hits in the first inning, and the teams exchanged runs again a little later.

Carlos Peguero doubled leading off the second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Franklin Gutierrez's infield single. The game was tied in the next half-inning, as Wells took Vargas over the left-field wall for the Angels' first home run in seven games.

Figgins scored the go-ahead run in the fifth on a Brendan Ryan sacrifice fly. Figgins reached on a double earlier in the frame.

Game Notes

Wells posted the 22nd multi-home run game of his career...Ichiro Suzuki had two hits, two steals and a run scored for Seattle, which split a four-game series in Detroit over the weekend...The Angels had scored three runs or less in 10 of their previous 11 games.






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