Angels rally, then lose in 12th

SEATTLE -- A bizarre night that included wobbly performances from two of baseball’s best closers and a check-swing double from Vladimir Guerrero that never left the infield ended in fittingly peculiar fashion.

Yuniesky Betancourt’s bases-loaded single through the left side of a drawn-in, five-man infield in the 12th inning gave the Seattle Mariners an 8-7 victory over the Angels on Wednesday night at Safeco Field.

The Angels brought in center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. to form a five-man infield twice in extra innings, the second time after Jose Lopez singled on a high chopper to third baseman Chone Figgins to load the bases with one out against reliever Justin Speier.

Betancourt then ended the 3-hour 51-minute contest with his third hit. He rounded first base, gleefully discarded his helmet and was mobbed by teammates who celebrated a victory that moved Seattle to within three games of the Angels in the American League West after taking two of three games in the series.

“It’s going to be tough for them to catch up with us,” shortstop Orlando Cabrera said. “We battled. It was amazing the way we came back.”

The Angels had rallied for three runs in the ninth against closer J.J. Putz but failed to score with the bases loaded and only one out in the 11th against Brandon Morrow.

Morrow struck out pinch-hitter Nathan Haynes and got Reggie Willits to ground out after the Angels had loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks.

“In the extra innings we just couldn’t find a hole or square a ball up to get a run, and that happens,” Manager Mike Scioscia said.

Matthews had completed the Angels’ comeback from an early 5-0 deficit in the ninth with a two-run homer to left field against Putz, who made a 7-4 lead evaporate in the span of five batters.

Cabrera opened the inning with a single to deep shortstop, took second base on defensive indifference and scored on Guerrero’s single to right field. Garret Anderson grounded into a double play before Casey Kotchman, down to his final strike, doubled to left-center field.

Matthews then connected for his third homer in two games, prompting Angels players and coaches watching along the dugout railing to extend their arms in triumph. It was only the second blown save of the season for Putz, who had given up three earned runs combined since April 15 before Wednesday’s implosion.

“It was a big momentum swing and I’m thinking we’d go out and take it from there,” Matthews said. “We just couldn’t get the big hit to get it done.”

The Angels mounted another threat in the 10th inning, against Sean Green, when Willits drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on Figgins’ single through the right side of the infield. But Cabrera popped out in foul territory to catcher Kenji Johjima and Guerrero hit a high chopper to second baseman Lopez, whose flip to first baseman Richie Sexson barely beat a sliding Guerrero for the final out.

Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez, who had given up an insurance run in the eighth inning on Ichiro Suzuki’s two-out single up the middle, pitched a perfect ninth and Scot Shields contributed a scoreless 10th and 11th.

“You hate to lose ballgames, but you’ve got to take something from it,” said Matthews, who played shortstop for the first time since he was at Mission College in Sylmar. “We had our chances, we just ran out of time.”

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ben.bolch@latimes.com