ANGELS REFUSE MARINERS' HOSPITALITY CAN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SEATTLE'S MISCUES SEATTLE 10, ANGELS 9.

Byline: Keven Chavez Staff Writer

SEATTLE - The Seattle Mariners, in their final meeting against the Angels this season, did their best to give their American League West foes a going-away present.

They gave back a six-run lead. Their steady second baseman kicked a sure-fire double play in the eighth inning. Their defensive whiz at third base booted an easy grounder in the ninth. They even dropped a ball on the next play and let it sit on the infield dirt for a while as the Angels ran merrily around the bases Wednesday in front of 23,397 at Safeco Field.

A feast-or-famine trip could have finished off with a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry on top.

Instead, the Angels refused to win a game that was handed to them, and they limped back home for their final homestand after a humiliating 10-9 loss that capped a three-game sweep by the Mariners.

The Angels maintained a one-game lead in the AL West over Oakland, which lost to Cleveland.

``We have a chance after (a three-game sweep in) Chicago to have a pretty good road trip against some good teams at a big time of the year,'' Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy said. ``We pretty much blew it here. But we keep playing; it doesn't end.''

The Angels roared back from a 6-0 second-inning deficit and tied the score 7-7 in the fifth inning.

The six-run rally was the biggest deficit the Angels have overcome this season. But the good feelings didn't last long, as Seattle struck for two runs off reliever Kelvim Escobar to take an 8-6 lead in the sixth.

Then things really got strange.

In the eighth, Chone Figgins drew a one-out walk, and then Seattle reliever J.J. Putz got Orlando Cabrera to hit a tailor-made, inning-ending, double-play grounder to second baseman Jose Lopez. Lopez booted the ball, and everyone was safe.

Garret Anderson responded with an RBI single to cut the deficit to one run, but Vladimir Guerrero halted the rally by hitting into a double play.

Then in the ninth, Seattle third baseman Adrian Beltre mishandled an easy groundball by leadoff hitter Robb Quinlan.

Pinch-hitter Zach Sorensen followed with a sacrifice bunt to Seattle closer Eddie Guardado, who threw to Lopez covering first base.

The ball went off Lopez's glove and settled on the infield dirt between first and second as pinch-runner Maicer Izturis hustled toward third base, where he was waved home by third-base coach Ron Roenicke.

Lopez got to his feet, grabbed the baseball and easily threw out Izturis, the potential tying run, at the plate.

``I thought the ball was far enough that he could score easily,'' Roenicke said. ``I just misread the play. I feel that when I do something like that, I lose the game for the team.''

Pinch-hitter Bengie Molina delivered with a two-out RBI single off Guardado (2-2) to score Sorensen with the tying run.

But with so many missed chances, the score was tied at 9, and the stage was set for more Seattle heroics.

After Lopez hit a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth, Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt hit a single to left off closer Francisco Rodriguez (2-5), which brought home pinch-runner Ramon Santiago from second with the winning run.

It was the Mariners' second series sweep over the Angels this season.

They swept a four-game set in Anaheim in July.

Keven Chavez, [phone]

keven.chavez(at)sgvn.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 5 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Yuniesky Betancourt, center, is mobbed by Mariners teammates after driving in the winning run in the ninth inning.

Otto Greule/Getty Images

(2) Maicer Izturis, right, is tagged out by Seattle catcher Miguel Ojeda after third-base coach Ron Roenicke sent him home following a Mariners error.

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) TIGERS at ANGELS

- Keven Chavez

(2) GAME RECAP

(3) HOW THE RUNS SCORED

(4) ALMANAC 

(5) PLAYOFF CHASE