(Sports Network) - After initially struggling since coming to the Angels in a trade from the Diamondbacks, Dan Haren has begun to turn things around. He'll look to turn in a fourth straight solid outing this afternoon when Los Angeles goes for a three-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners at Angels Stadium.
Haren went 1-4 with a 4.39 earned run average in his first six starts with the Angels after getting acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks, but is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA over his last three starts. The right-hander has posted consecutive no-decisions though, including Monday versus Cleveland after giving up two runs on five hits and four walks over seven innings of work.
"Other than the three uncharacteristic walks in the sixth, [Haren] pitched well," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "We just didn't support him."
The 30-year-old is 9-12 with a 4.23 ERA in 30 total starts this year and is 6-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 13 career starts versus the Mariners. That includes a no-decision on Aug. 31 despite seven scoreless innings.
Seattle's Jason Vargas will be trying to halt a four-start losing streak this afternoon that has directly followed three winning starts in a row.
The 27-year-old is pitching to a 7.23 ERA over his skid and in Oakland on Monday was tagged for five runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in his shortest outing since July 28.
"Probably in my last seven or eight starts, guys have been a lot more patient and I've been throwing a lot more fastballs to counter that," Vargas said after falling to 9-9 with a 3.72 ERA in 27 starts this year. "I wish I would have thrown more pitches down today."
Vargas' struggles in Oakland continued his season-long road woes as he is just 2-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 starts as the guest pitcher.
The southpaw is 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA in six career meetings with the Angels, including five starts, with that loss coming on Sept. 1 as part of his current skid. Vargas allowed three runs over seven innings of a 4-2 setback.
The Angels won their third straight game on Saturday, a 7-4 decision that featured four RBI from Torii Hunter and a homer out of Hideki Matsui. Ervin Santana threw 7 1/3 solid innings, allowing three runs on five hits.
The Angels have won 14 of 18 over the Mariners this year and are 51-24 versus Seattle since the start of the 2007 season, going 26-11 at home in the series over that time.
Felix Hernandez suffered the loss after allowing seven runs -- four earned -- on six hits and three walks for the Mariners, who have dropped three in a row and four out of five.
"I thought Felix had good stuff," said Mariners interim manager Daren Brown. "We made some misplays that cost him a little bit but I was happy that we battled to get back in it."
Ichiro Suzuki hit a three-run homer and extended his hitting streak to 12 games in defeat.