Mariners keep Angels from feeling bubbly

The Angels lost a game Friday night, but they might have saved a regional television broadcast.

Had the Angels defeated Seattle and clinched the American League West title, folks tuning into the Fox Network telecast of today’s game would have seen a lineup featuring the likes of Terry Evans, Nathan Haynes, Tommy Murphy and Brandon Wood against a bunch of Mariners September call-ups -- not exactly a ratings bonanza.

Instead, because the Mariners staved off elimination with a 6-0 victory at Angel Stadium, fans in several markets across the country will see Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson, Orlando Cabrera and the gang -- and maybe even Gary Matthews Jr., weather permitting -- against Ichiro Suzuki & Co.

Seattle left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who was 1-9 with a 5.69 earned-run average in 13 previous starts since the All-Star break, kept the Angels’ champagne on ice with seven shutout innings, giving up five hits, striking out four and walking one, to end a five-game losing streak.

Reliever Brandon Morrow had two hitless innings, and the Angels were shut out for the eighth time this season, only their second at home. The other was a 1-0 loss to Kansas City on June 27. It also marked the Angels’ first Friday night loss at home in 13 games.

“This is probably the best game I’ve ever pitched here,” said Washburn, who played seven seasons with the Angels. “They’re a talented group, but it felt good to delay [their celebration] one more day.”

Washburn (10-15) allowed only two runners to reach second base. The Mariners broke open a 1-0 game with a four-run sixth off Angels left-hander Joe Saunders, a rally that featured Adrian Beltre’s run-scoring double, Jose Vidro’s two-run single and Jamie Burke’s RBI single.

Saunders (8-4) lasted 5 2/3 innings despite absorbing a vicious Beltre line drive off his left calf in the fourth inning. Seattle outfielder Jose Guillen hit a bases-empty home run in the eighth, and the Angels’ magic number to clinch their third division championship in four years remained at one.

“Everybody knows what we need to do -- we need to win ballgames,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “So that’s what we’ll do. We’ll start [today’s] game from scratch, go pitch by pitch, inning by inning and try to build some momentum.”

The Angels have two more games against the Mariners before closing the season at Texas and Oakland. Though they’ve enjoyed numerous postseason celebrations at Angel Stadium since 2002, their division-clinching wins in 2004 and 2005 each came on the road. Not since 1986 have they clinched the division at home.

“The sooner we get this done, the better,” Angels owner Arte Moreno said. “I hope we can get it done at home for the fans.”

While Scioscia won’t acknowledge that the playoffs even exist until the Angels secure a postseason berth, Moreno said before Friday night’s game that the anticipation has been building.

“From the first day of February, when you’re having meetings and getting ready to open camp, to 30 spring training games, and now you’re 150-some regular-season games in,” Moreno said. “You wish and hope and dream for this day. You hope you have good talent and good luck and good health.”

The Angels have plenty of talent, and they’ve had some luck. Good health has been another story -- 11 regulars have gone on the disabled list, six making return visits -- but they could get a key piece back today.

Matthews, the center fielder who has been out since Sept. 12 because of a sprained right ankle, ran from first to third aggressively Friday and probably will return to the lineup today unless it rains. Matthews suffered his injury while sliding on a muddy track in Baltimore on Sept. 11.

“This is absolutely the best-case scenario, all things considered,” said Matthews, who feared he broke his ankle and thought he might miss the playoffs. “I just want to get some at-bats in, and if I do it soon, I should be able to get my timing down.

“If I can’t do everything I need to do, I won’t play. But I feel close to 100%.”

--

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com