The Seattle Mariners are off to such a good start, the Angels can't win even when they win. The Angels' past 12 wins haven't resulted in any ground gained in the standings. Every time the Angels win, it seems, so do the Mariners. The Angels have not gained ground after a win since May 6. One of our goals is getting to .500 and start to climb from there.
Any loss is detrimental to that.
Especially tonight, when the Angels open a three-game series against the Oakland A's. Because both teams are 27-28, one of them will emerge at .500 or better when the series ends. The Angels have won four in a row, matching their longest streak of the season. They haven't been at the .500 mark since April 15, when they were 6-6. One player the Angels are looking at is power-hitting first baseman Casey Kotchman, son of Tom Kotchman, a manager for the Angels' Rookie League team in Provo, Utah.