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Angels continue to gun for best record in AL

Sep 25, 2008 - 10:07 AM LA Angels (98-60) at Seattle (58-100), 10:10 pm EDT

SEATTLE (Ticker) -- The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim clinched a playoff berth two weeks ago, but their business is not yet finished.

With the rolling Tampa Bay Rays right behind them, the Angels look to inch closer toward earning the AL's best record when they play the Seattle Mariners on Thursday.

Jon Garland surrendered five runs and 11 hits over five shoddy innings on Wednesday, but the Angels held on for a 6-5 victory.

Anaheim maintained its edge over the Rays (96-62), who beat the Baltimore Orioles, 11-6, for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Angels' magic number to clinch is three with four games remaining.

The loss gave Seattle its first 100-loss season since 1983, when it finished 60-102. The Mariners went 59-103 in 1980, and 56-104 in 1978 - their second season of existence.

The club also become the first major league team with an $100 million payroll to reach the century mark in losses.

In his last seven starts, Garland has yielded 31 earned runs and 54 hits in 38 2/3 innings for a 7.22 ERA. His ERA has gone up in each of the past three months, from 3.98 in June, to 5.46 in July, to 5.57 in August, to 7.18 in September. The trend could bounce him from manager Mike Scioscia's playoff rotation.

Dustin Moseley (2-4, 7.15 ERA) will take the mound in place of All-Star Joe Saunders, who rejoined the team on Wednesday after passing a kidney stone.

Saunders, the probable Game Three starter in the American League Division Series, will throw twice in the bullpen in preparation for Sunday's start against the Texas Rangers in the regular-season finale, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times.

Moseley, who has already replaced Jered Weaver and Ervin Santana this month for precautionary reasons, is coming off a pedestrian start against the Rangers on Saturday. The 26-year-old righthander surrendered three runs and eight hits over five frames and didn't factor in the decision.

Seattle counters with Cesar Jimenez (0-2, 3.56) in place of Carlos Silva, who is suffering from back pain.

In his lone start this season, Jimenez tossed three scoreless innings, allowing one hit against the Rangers on September 10. He has since made two relief appearances.