Home runs lift Mariners over Angels, 2-1

SEATTLE — Home runs by Jason Bay in the seventh inning and Michael Morse in the eighth gave the Seattle Mariners a 2- 1 victory over the Angels on Sunday and spoiled a strong start by left-hander Jason Vargas.

Vargas, who had an 0-2 record and 5.82 earned-run average in his first four starts, gave up six hits, struck out seven and walked two in eight innings, the longest outing by an Angels starter this season.

But the Angels managed only four hits against starter Hisashi Iwakuma and relievers Carter Capps and Tom Wilhelmsen, and lost three of four games to the Mariners to fall to 9-15.

Iwakuma limited the Angels to one unearned run and three hits, struck out eight and didn’t walk anyone in six innings.

The Angels scored in the sixth inning when Andrew Romine singled to right field, took second on Peter Bourjos’ sacrifice bunt and came home on shortstop Robert Andino’s error, which may have been caused by Mike Trout’s speed.

Andino had to charge Trout’s roller toward the hole to have any chance of getting the out at first base. The ball rolled under his glove and into left field, giving Romine enough time to get up after his head-first dive into third base and head home.

The 1-0 lead didn’t last long. Bay lined Vargas’ first pitch of the seventh inning for a home run to left field to tie the score, 1-1. With one out in the eighth, Morse drove a 1-and-2 pitch over the wall in left for his seventh home run and a 2-1 lead.

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