Anaheim, CA (Sports Network) – Torii Hunter drove in four runs and Ervin Santana worked 7 1/3 solid innings to lead Los Angeles to a 7-4 win over Seattle in the middle meeting of a three-game set.
Hunter finished 2-for-4, while Hideki Matsui homered and walked twice for the Halos, who have taken the first two games of the series to improve to 14-4 against the Mariners this season.
Santana (16-9) yielded three runs on five hits while walking one and fanning five and Fernando Rodney came on to get the final out to earn his ninth save for LA, which has now won all six series between the two teams.
Felix Hernandez (11-11) suffered the loss after allowing seven runs — four earned — on six hits and three walks while striking out five for the Mariners, who have dropped three in a row and four out of five.
Ichiro Suzuki hit a three-run homer and extended his hitting streak to 12 games in defeat.
Trailing 7-3 going into the ninth, Seattle rallied against Kevin Jepsen and brought the tying run to the plate before bowing.
With two outs and nobody on, Adam Moore singled, moved to second base on indifference and stayed put when Michael Saunders walked. Josh Wilson then laced a base hit to left field to score Moore to trim the deficit to three and bring Rodney in from the bullpen.
The right-hander retired Suzuki on a line drive to third to end the game.
The Angels scored the first run of the game in the second, when Erick Aybar reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and scored on Howie Kendrick’s two-out single.
Matsui’s solo home run in the fourth made it a 2-0 game before the hosts tacked on three more to widen the gap in the fifth.
The Halos loaded the bases with nobody out on errors by Hernandez and Jose Lopez and a Peter Bourjos bunt base hit. After Alberto Callaspo bounced into a force at the plate, Bobby Abreu grounded out to deliver Jeff Mathis, and Hunter stroked a two-run single to center to cap the rally.
Abreu’s walk put runners at first and second with one out in the seventh and spelled the end of the night for Hernandez, who had his shortest outing since June 8 and failed to last at least seven innings for only a third time in his last 18 turns.
Jamey Wright took over and was greeted by Hunter’s two-run double to right that made it a 7-0 game.
Suzuki’s three-run homer in the eighth cut the deficit to four and chased Santana from the game.
Santana matched his career-high in wins, established in 2006 and tied in 2008…He improved to 3-1 against the Mariners this season and 9-4 in 20 career starts. The 20 turns against Seattle are the most for Santana against another club…Hunter has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games…Suzuki has 20 hits during his streak and has compiled a major league-leading 185 on the season…Hernandez is 4-8 in 21 starts against the Halos and 13-8 in 29 career starts in September.