Angels sink Mariners, 8-2

SEATTLE -- What virtually everyone in the Angels clubhouse was reluctant to say, shortstop Orlando Cabrera all but shouted from a pulpit.

The Angels made a bold statement in Safeco Field this week, dominating Seattle in every phase of the game and capping a three-game sweep with Wednesday’s 8-2 victory to move five games ahead of the Mariners in the American League West.

And after the Angels were done pounding out 17 hits Wednesday, including home runs by Jeff Mathis and Vladimir Guerrero and four hits by Garret Anderson, and after Jered Weaver was done throwing a career-high eight innings, giving up two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits to improve to 10-6, Cabrera made another bold statement.

“I think this series probably put it in their heads that they have to worry about the wild card, not the division,” Cabrera said of the Mariners. “I think it leaves no doubt that we’re a better team at this moment.”

It’s hard to imagine the Angels playing any better than they did against the Mariners, whom they outscored, 24-8.

The Angels, who are 11-4 against Seattle and 79-54 overall, a season-high 25 games over .500, batted .374 with five home runs, nine doubles and a triple in the three games; the Mariners hit .240 with no home runs, two doubles and two triples.

The Angels got outstanding starts from John Lackey and Weaver and some stellar relief from Dustin Moseley and Scot Shields. They got offensive contributions from up and down the lineup, played outstanding defense and ran the bases aggressively.

They got leads and held them Monday and Wednesday, and they showed resiliency Tuesday, bouncing back from a 5-0, first-inning deficit for a 10-6 win.

“The way we played, the way we beat them, gives us a lot of confidence for the future,” Cabrera said. “It showed the kind of team we have, that in pressure situations, we can elevate our game. . . .

“It’s not over for Seattle. They’re still in first place in the wild card, and they can remain there. Hopefully, by the time we play them again [in a four-game series in Anaheim on Sept. 20-23] we’ll have clinched it.”

Anderson, who was six for 11 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs in the series and threw out Ben Broussard at third base in the seventh inning Wednesday, can understand Cabrera’s enthusiasm, but he wouldn’t call this a “statement” series.

Anderson was a rookie when the Angels blew an 11-game, early-August division lead in 1995 and lost a one-game playoff to Seattle for the AL West title.

“There are too many games left,” Anderson said. “If we had two games left, yeah, you could say that. But I’ve seen too many crazy things happen.”

The Mariners, who have lost five games in a row and today begin a 10-game, four-city trip with stops in New York and Detroit, haven’t conceded either.

“The expectations were so high coming home to a full house for three straight days, and we didn’t get anything done here,” Manager John McLaren said. “Everyone is feeling like, ‘There go the Mariners, into a nose dive,’ but I don’t believe that. I really don’t. We just need to straighten out a couple things, score some runs, get some starters to give us some innings and give the bullpen a little rest.”

Weaver wouldn’t let them breath Wednesday, showing a little more life on his fastball and effectively mixing his curve and changeup. He struck out five, walked none, and of his 100 pitches, 70 were strikes.

The right-hander, who opened the season on the disabled list because of a tired shoulder, felt a little sluggish in recent weeks, so he added a few rotator-cuff exercises between starts, and it showed Wednesday, when his fastball hit 92 to 93 mph.

“Throwing 86-88 mph was not where I need to be,” Weaver said. “I knew something was wrong, so I did some extra stuff between starts and it’s been working.”

So did just about everything the Angels threw at the Mariners this week.

“This is huge,” Weaver said. “Seattle has been real hot, and for us to take three at their place is definitely a confidence boost for us.”

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mike.digiovanna@latimes.com