MORE GROUND LOST ANGELS RALLY FALLS SHORT AGAINST MARINERS SEATTLE 6, ANGELS 4.

Byline: Gabe Lacques Staff Writer

ANAHEIM - Adam Kennedy headed for home plate with a full head of steam, knowing he represented the tying run, knowing the Angels could ill afford to fall 13 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners and knowing that catcher Dan Wilson already held the ball in his glove.

Wilson absorbed the blow from Kennedy, held onto the ball and then spiked it a couple of feet away from a prone Kennedy to punctuate the end of the fifth inning Tuesday night.

Take that.

Then the Mariners lowered the boom on the Angels, chasing starter Aaron Sele with four runs in the sixth to ensure a 6-4 victory in front of 39,121 at Edison Field.

Despite the loss, the Angels showed some fight, and not just because Kennedy didn't back down from a collision. They crawled out of a 6-1 hole to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth. But after Jeff DaVanon's pinch-hit RBI single made it 6-4, Darin Erstad flew out to left field and Troy Glaus struck out against Jeff Nelson to end the game.

This series was the Angels' chance to eat into the Mariners' lead in the American League West, get back to .500 and right their ship before the season's halfway point. Instead, the Mariners beat them for the fourth time in five games. And, for the second consecutive time, they chased Sele before he could record an out in the sixth inning.

Sele (3-6) has failed to go beyond five innings in six of his past seven starts. Tuesday, he again was wildly inconsistent with his control, throwing just 42 strikes among his 77 pitches; in his previous start, he threw just 53 strikes in 100 pitches.

For five innings, that didn't matter, as Sele induced three double-play grounders and kept the Angels in the game, trailing just 2-1.

Their new-look lineup threatened in the bottom of the fifth, as Bengie Molina homered to make it 2-1, Kennedy walked and new leadoff hitter Erstad singled him to third, putting runners at the corners.

But with Glaus at the plate, Erstad broke for second, stopped and then found himself in a rundown. Kennedy headed home and was easily out.

After Wilson stood his ground, the Mariners made quick work of Sele. Ichiro Suzuki doubled, Carlos Guillen singled him home and the Boone slammed a two-run homer for a 5-1 lead. After walking Edgar Martinez, who eventually scored, Sele was done.

It was the fourth time in nine starts Sele gave up at least five earned runs.

Gabe Lacques, [phone]

gabe.lacques(at)sgvn.com

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Photo:

Seattle center fielder Mike Cameron came up empty on a ball hit by the Angels' Tim Salmon in the fourth inning Tuesday.

Chris Carlson/Associated Press