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Mariners head into key series with Angels

May 28, 2007 - 1:17 PM Seattle (24-22) at LA Angels (31-20) 9:05 pm EDT

ANAHEIM, California (Ticker) - The Seattle Mariners have quietly positioned themselves to make a run at first place in the American League West Division.

The Mariners trail the first-place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim by 4 1/2 games and can make up some ground when the teams meet in the opener of a three-game series on Monday.

That may be easier said than done, considering the Angels have won 14 of 18 and are 17-6 at home this season.

Miguel Batista (4-4, 5.61 ERA) starts for Seattle and is coming off his best outing of the season. He allowed one run in six innings as the Mariners topped the Tampa Bay Devils Rays 5-1 on Wednesday.

In contrast, Angels starter Bartolo Colon (5-1, 4.57) is coming off his first loss in seven starts this season. The 245-pound righthander was pounded for six runs and 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings during Wednesday's 8-7 loss against the Detroit Tigers. In two starts against the Mariners this season, Colon is 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA.

Anaheim rookie Reggie Willits is batting .328 and has reached base safely in 29 of his 33 games with an at-bat. The Angels leadoff hitter also has swiped 11 bases to lead all rookies in that category.

Ichiro Suzuki has a 20-game hitting streak for the Mariners and is batting .432 (38-for-88) with two home runs and 19 runs over that span. He is three away from matching his career-best hitting streak of 23 games, set in 2001.