Keeping Ichiro Suzuki off the bases remains a difficult task

Reporting from Seattle — The Angels did not sweep a three-game series at Safeco Field because they shut down Seattle leadoff batter Ichiro Suzuki.

The speedy outfielder had seven hits in 10 at-bats and walked three times, bumping his average to .358, third best in the American League, and increasing the Angels’ admiration for him.

“You’re not going to stop Ichiro,” Angels bench coach Ron Roenicke said. “It’s like he looks out and sees where the defense is and then hits the ball accordingly. How do you stop that?

“If we play him shallow in left field and move the center fielder over, he’ll pull the ball. If we play off the line at third base, he’ll hit it down the line. We move toward the line, he hits it in the hole. I don’t know what to do.”

Roenicke, serving as manager for the weekend, wanted nothing to do with Suzuki with runners on second and third and two out in the fourth inning Sunday.

Suzuki was intentionally walked, a rarity for a leadoff batter, and Joel Pineiro struck out Matt Tuiasosopo to end the inning. Suzuki tied the score, 4-4, with a run-scoring double to left-center in the fifth.

“He has such good bat command, you can’t really defend him,” Roenicke said. “I felt the same way when we had Vladimir Guerrero, because he hits the ball to both gaps and bloops more than anyone.

“You can’t cover that kind of guy. Ichiro can hit for power if he wants to. You hope he chases bad pitches out of the zone and gets himself out.”

Suzuki came up in another key spot in the eighth. With two on and the Mariners trailing, 6-4, he ripped a grounder right at shortstop Erick Aybar, who was shaded toward second base.

Aybar fielded the ball and stepped on the bag for an inning-ending forceout, and the Angels went on to win, 9-4.

Did Roenicke position his defenders perfectly for that Suzuki at-bat?

“No,” he said. “That was just luck.”

Minor setback

Maicer Izturis experienced soreness in the area behind his right knee Saturday and did not play Sunday.

Izturis, who had two hits, including a two-run single, in Saturday’s 11-2 win, has a history of hamstring and lower-back issues, and he missed most of May because of a sore shoulder.

“The trainers worked on him [Saturday] and he’s OK, but we don’t want to take a chance,” Roenicke said before the game. “He’s available to pinch-hit.”

Rehab report

Jeff Mathis remained on a fast track in his rehabilitation from a broken right wrist, catching nine innings for the second game in a row Saturday for triple-A Salt Lake. Mathis, out since April 20, was the designated hitter Sunday.

“If he’s catching nine innings, that means his legs are in good shape,” Roenicke said. “It’s a matter of him getting comfortable throwing and swinging the bat.”

Brandon Wood’s rehab is not going as well. The third baseman, on the disabled list because of a right hip flexor strain, is batting .083 (two for 24) with nine strikeouts in six games for Salt Lake.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com