(Sports Network) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim resume their quest to gain home-field advantage throughout the upcoming playoffs when the American League West champions wrap up a four-game series with the Seattle Mariners this evening at Safeco Field.
With four games remaining in the regular season, the Angels hold a two-game edge on current AL East leader Tampa Bay for the best record in the Junior Circuit. Anaheim currently has a magic number of three to clinch the AL's top seed.
The Angels moved a step closer to reaching that goal with Wednesday's 6-5 decision over the lowly Mariners, the club's sixth victory in its last seven games. Mark Teixeira provided the winning margin with a tie-breaking solo home run in the top of the eighth inning.
Teixeira finished with four hits and Sean Rodriguez added a two-run double for the Angels, who rebounded from a 9-6 defeat to Seattle on Tuesday. Darren Oliver (7-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Jon Garland, who allowed five runs on 11 hits over the first five frames.
Francisco Rodriguez threw a scoreless ninth to extend his major league record for saves in a single season to 62.
Yuniesky Betancourt went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for Seattle, while Jose Lopez, Jeremy Reed and Bryan LaHair each collected a pair of hits and an RBI.
Mark Lowe (1-5) was hit with the loss after serving up Teixeira's go-ahead homer.
Seattle has now dropped 13 of its last 14 contests and secured its first 100- loss season since 1983 with last night's setback.
In contrast, the Angels can tie a franchise record for victories in a season with a win tonight. Anaheim won 99 games in 2002, the year the team captured its first and only World Series title.
The Angels will send out Dustin Moseley in an attempt to accomplish that feat tonight. The spot starter is coming off a decent outing in Texas last Saturday, when he gave up three runs on eight hits in a five-inning no- decision against the Rangers.
Prior to that start, Moseley defeated the Yankees on September 10 by holding them to two runs and three hits in five innings of work.
The right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.93 earned run average in five career appearances, including one start, against Seattle. However, he was tagged for four runs and eight hits over just 4 2/3 innings in his lone matchup with the Mariners this season, a 4-2 loss at Angel Stadium on April 20.
Seattle will give Cesar Jimenez a shot at a starting role in this evening's finale. The rookie has pitched 28 times in relief for the Mariners this season, but did open up the team's 8-7 win over Texas on September 10.
Jimenez threw three scoreless innings in that game before returning to the bullpen to make two more appearances. In his most recent time out, the left- hander allowed two runs and struck out three over two innings at Oakland this past Saturday.
The 23-year-old's lone career encounter with the Angels came back on August 13. Jimenez walked the only batter he faced, and the runner came around to score.
The Angels have beaten the Mariners 13 times in 18 tries this season, including six of nine games held at Safeco Field. Anaheim has gone 12-6 in Seattle since the start of the 2007 campaign.
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