Angels jump out early to beat M’s

SEATTLE – It bears repeating amid the hype and expectations surrounding the Mariners that…well, first, that even the best clubs, and players, hit rough patches on occasion. It happens. It happened early Wednesday night to Mariners right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma, who gave up five quick runs in a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field. And it happened late Wednesday when the Mariners’ new-look attack got nothing from a golden opportunity in the eighth inning – two on with none out, and bases loaded with one out. Note, also, these were the Angels, who finished 12 games ahead of the Mariners a year ago while winning the American League West Division – and also winning more games, 98, than any team in either league. And these Angels shook off a standing eight in Monday’s loss to Felix Hernandez by winning the final two games in the series. Point being, the Mariners might be, probably are, better, but Angels are still around. As for Wednesday’s finale, Iwakuma got off to a miserable start and, really, that’s all that mattered. The Mariners pushed back some against L.A. right-hander Matt Shoemaker but not enough. Shoemaker gave up homers to Brad Miller and Kyle Seager but held the Mariners to three runs in sixth innings before the Angels went to their bullpen. Jose Alvarez and Mike Morin nursed a 5-3 lead through the eighth inning before the Mariners stirred the crowd of 25,495 by mounting a threat in the eighth against submariner Joe Smith. Dustin Ackley led off with an infield single to third. Ackley went to third on Robinson Cano’s double to right. Smith struck out Nelson Cruz and, after failing to get Seager to chase on two pitches, issued an intentional walk that loaded the bases with one out for Rickie Weeks. Another strikeout. Smith then stranded all three runners by retiring Logan Morrison on a fly to center. The Mariners went quietly in the ninth against Angels closer Huston Street, who also closed out Tuesday’s tense 2-0 victory. Iwakuma struggled to command the strike zone in the first inning and paid dearly, although he caught a break when center fielder Austin Jackson corralled Kole Calhoun’s leadoff liner. Then the plumbing backed up. Mike Trout, up 3-0 in the count, yanked a single into left, and Albert Pujols followed by crushing a 1-0 non-sinker into the left-field seats for a two-run homer. It was homer No. 521 in Pujols’ career, which ties him with Ted Williams, Frank Thomas and Wille McCovey for 18th place on baseball’s all-time list. Pujols enjoyed it, too, with his signature move. He watched the ball soar toward the seats before taking a deliberate steps toward first and eventually amping up to a slow trot. Say this, though: The ball was smoked and the Angels were just getting started. Matt Joyce beat an over-shifted infield for a seeing-eye single to right and went to third when David Freese pulled a double, just fair, down the left-field line. Erick Aybar’s grounder against shortened infield skipped through Cano for a two-run error. Morrison cut the throw home by Cruz and tagged Aybar for the second out. Iwakuma finally ended the inning by striking out Chris Iannetta, but the Angels led 4-0 before Shoemaker threw a pitch. One run was unearned. Efren Navarro led off the Angels’ second with a double to right and went to third when Johnny Giavotella pulled a single through the left side. Iwakuma struck out Calhoun, but Trout sent a sacrifice fly to deep center for a 5-0 lead. From that point, Iwakuma settled into a groove in working through six innings. It was just too late to matter. The Mariners got one run back when Miller turned on a 1-2 change-up from Shoemaker for a leadoff homer in the third. They closed to 5-3 on Seager’s two-run homer in the sixth.