Series Countdown: Mariners @ Angels

VS.

Counting down to the Angels’ series against the Mariners in which the Angels play at home for the last time in a long time.

Seattle Mariners (18-28) @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (23-26)

Game 1 Starters: SEA – Cliff Lee (2-2, 3.44 ERA)  LAA – Scott Kazmir (3-4, 6.09 ERA)

Game 1 Info: 7:05 PM PT TV-Fox Sports West; Radio-ESPN Radio, KLAA 830 AM, KWKW 1330 AM

Game 2 Starters: SEA – Ian Snell (0-3, 4.32 ERA)  LAA – Jered Weaver (4-2, 3.36 ERA)

Game 2 Info: 1:05 AM PT TV-Fox; Radio-ESPN Radio, KLAA 830 AM, KWKW 1330 AM

Game 3 Starters: SEA – Felix Hernandez (2-4, 3.80 ERA)  LAA – Joe Saunders (3-6, 4.40 ERA)

Game 3 Info: 12:35 PM PT TV-KCOP; Radio-ESPN Radio, KLAA 830 AM, KWKW 1330 AM

5. Here’s to hoping that Hideki Matsui can carry over his first sniff of success in a long time from Wednesday’s game into this series.  It certainly won’t be easy for him though since he has to start off facing southpaw Cliff Lee.  The Angel offense has been looking better of late, but it still doesn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders and a big part of that is that Matsui and Rivera are both scuffling big time right in the middle of the order, so it is very much necessary that Hideki get back to playing like Godzilla in the very near future.

4. Can Scott Kazmir keep improving?  He has been looking progressively better since he fixed his arm slot and should hopefully be able to take full advantage of the pitiful Seattle offense to keep moving in the right direction.

3. The Angels annihilated Felix Hernandez when they faced him earlier this month, but can they really light him up again?  King Felix was in a bit of a slump when they got to him earlier, but he seems to have righted the ship since, so they figure to have a much tougher match-up this time out.  Then again, maybe Kendry Morales has some sort of magical hold over him since he shot that foretelling commercial together.

2. I know Chone Figgins left the Angels, but they didn’t really try and keep him, so if you are attending any of the games this series and anyone boos Figgy at any point, you have my permission to punch that person directly in the throat.  Figgy was always a class act and a fan favorite and deserves a hero’s welcome to Anaheim, make it happen Angel fans.

1. This is going to be the last Angel series at home for loooong time, so they better make it count.  The last thing this team needs before their 14-game roadie is to lose a series to the wimpy Mariners.  Wouldn’t a sweep that gets the Halos back to .500 be so much better?