Angels Host Mariners’ Magic Show

The magic number for the Seattle Mariners is two. If the Mariners beat the Angels tonight, and the Oakland Athletics lose to the Texas Rangers, the Mariners clinch the American League West championship at Edison Field.

The magic number for the A’s is five, at least in relation to the Angels. The A’s are likely to eliminate the Angels from the AL wild-card race--and could clinch the wild card outright--during a four-game series starting Thursday at Edison Field.

The magic number for the Angels is 2002. And, after a 5-1 loss to Seattle on Monday, hardened Angel fans must wonder whether the home team can provide anything worth celebrating this September.

The Angels did not quit, but they waited until two were out in the ninth inning to collect three of their six hits, and they have scored one run in their last 18 innings.

Since the Angels last won a division championship, in 1986, they have posted a winning record in September just twice-in 1991 and 1999, each of which were last-place seasons.

Monday’s crowd of 20,311 included several thousand fans in attendance for the sole purpose of seeing Ichiro Suzuki, as evidenced by flash bulbs popping whenever he stepped to the plate or fielded a ball. Angel crowds, like the Angels themselves, tend to fade in September. Cause and effect?

“To this point, we haven’t given them a reason to come out here in September,” said coach Joe Maddon, the Angels’ interim manager in that winning September of ’99. “When we win, they shall come.”

Freddy Garcia scattered three hits over eight shutout innings, lowering his league-leading earned-run average to 2.98, as the Mariners extended their latest winning streak to five and their lead over the Angels to 31 games.

With a victory tonight, the Mariners would tie the AL record for most road victories in a season.

Ismael Valdes delivered a solid start for the Angels, giving up three runs in 62/3 innings.

The next two outs Valdes records will be profitable for him and notable for the Angels. Valdes has pitched 1491/3 innings this season.

By pitching 150 innings, Valdes would earn a $700,000 bonus to go with his $2.5-million base salary. He also would join Ramon Ortiz, Pat Rapp, Scott Schoeneweis and Jarrod Washburn in pitching 150 innings this season, marking the first time since 1989 that the Angels had five pitchers do so.

Although the Angels announced Monday that Rapp, the veteran, would be removed from the rotation in favor of rookie Matt Wise, Manager Mike Scioscia said the Angels had no plans to remove Valdes, another veteran.

Rapp is 5-12 with a 4.80 ERA; Valdes is 9-10 with a 3.98 ERA.