The Mariners haven't had a more joyous day all season than what they experienced Sunday in front of 20,638 at Safeco Field: They defeated the L.A. Angels 2-1, won their second in a row for the first time in nearly a month, moved past the Angels and into third place in the AL West, and received two big home runs when they needed them.

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GAME: Angels (9-14, 3rd, AL West, -6.5 GB) at Mariners (10-16, 4th, AL West, -7.0 GB). GAME #: 27. SERIES: 4th of 4 games. MEETING: 4th (Mariners lead 2-1). WHEN: Sunday, 1:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Angels L 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

The Mariners opened their 37th season with a two-game winning streak (at Oakland), and have had multiple opportunities since to put together another one. But in a tooth pull worthy of W.C. Fields' classic skit "The Dentist," the Mariners haven't been able to get it done. Sunday might be the day.

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After a shaky start, Felix Hernandez retired the final 14 batters and Kendrys Morales delivered the key blow, a pinch-hit single in the seventh, as the Mariners slipped past the Anaheim Angels 3-2 Saturday night at Safeco Field. Hernandez gave up one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts and improved his record to 3-2 by beating the Angels, against whom he was 6-12, for the first time since Sept. 6, 2011.

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After selecting two players during the first two days of the NFL draft, the Seahawks added nine more Saturday, topped by Chris Harper, a 6-foot-1, 229-pound wide receiver from Kansas State in the fourth round and 6-foot-3, 323-pound defensive tackle Jesse Williams near the top of the fifth. According to NFL.com's grading system, Harper projects as an "eventual starter," while many believe Williams projects as an absolute stud.

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GAME: Angels (9-13, 3rd, AL West, -6.5 GB) at Mariners (9-16, 4th, AL West, -8.0 GB). GAME #: 26. SERIES: 3rd of 4 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Saturday, 6:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Angels W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

It's probably too early to say that Aaron Harang is a candidate to get designated for assignment, but Harang has at least walked halfway out on that plank in the three starts he's made since replacing Blake Beavan at No. 5 in the rotation. In 12.2 innings, Harang has allowed 16 earned runs on 21 hits, including six homers, and sports an 11.37 ERA and 1.97 WHIP.

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GAME: Angels (8-13, 3rd, AL West, -6.5 GB) at Mariners (9-15, 4th, AL West, -7.0 GB). GAME #: 25. SERIES: 2nd of 4 games. MEETING: 2nd (Mariners lead 1-0). WHEN: Friday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Angels L 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Leave it to the Mariners to deliver one of their best performances of the season on a night when most Seattle sports fans couldn't have cared less. With local attention focused on the first round of the NFL draft, even though the Seahawks didn't have a pick, rookie Brandon Maurer finally demonstrated why manager Eric Wedge had so much faith in the rookie who is making the jump from AA to the majors.

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Rookie Brandon Maurer pitched 6.1 effective innings, Carlos Peguero blasted a 451-foot, moonshot home run, and Kyle Seager extended his hitting streak to 14 games as the Mariners put a dismal 1-5 road trip into the rear-view mirror with a 6-0 rout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Thursday night at Safeco Field.

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On or about May 13, the fate of the bid battle over the Kings franchise will be decided, and either Sacramento or Seattle "is going to be disappointed," NBA commissioner David Stern told the annual meeting Thursday of the Associated Press Sports Editors in New York.

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GAME: Angels (8-12, 3rd, AL West, -5.5 GB) at Mariners (8-15, 4th, AL West, -7.0 GB). GAME #: 24. SERIES: 1st of 4 games. MEETING: 1st (Angels won 2012 series 11-8). WHEN: Thursday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Angels L 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

With a 1-5 road trip in the books (outscored 36-8 in the five losses), including two brutal setbacks to the $25 million Houston Astros, the 8-15 Mariners are just percentage points (.015) of staking out last place -- again! -- in the AL West slightly less than a week before April turns to May. Last year, the Mariners, a relatively robust 11-12 after 23 games, didn't hit bottom until May 12, and that was only a temporary wallow in the dregs.

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Maybe it's time to stop referring to the Houston Astros as the worst team in the majors and point the finger instead at the team they out-scored 38-27 and out-hit 73-51 over six games this season. The Mariners ended a gruesome 1-5 road trip through Texas and Houston Wednesday with a 10-3 loss at Minute Maid Park and are now just percentage points out of last place in the AL West.

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GAME: Mariners (8-14, 4th, AL West, -6.0 GB) at Astros (6-14, 5th, AL West. -7.0 GB). GAME #: 23. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 6th (Astros lead 3-2). WHEN: Wednesday, 11:10 a.m., Minute Maid Park. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Astros W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

The Houston Astros lost 106 games in 2011 and 107 more in 2012, and have won only six times in 20 games this year, which projects to 114 losses. But three of those six Houston wins have come against the Mariners, which projects to a massive humiliation for the local nine if this trend continues.

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The lowly Houston Astros (6-14) scored a run on a first-inning outfielder error by Raul Ibanez, had another on a solo homer in the third off Hisashi Iwakuma, and held on to beat the Mariners 3-2 Tuesday night to square a three-game series with Seattle at 1-1. The Mariners (8-14) had been seeking their first back-to-back wins since April 1-2.

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The Mariners Tuesday placed CF Franklin Gutierrez on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring and recalled OF Carlos Peguero from AAA Tacoma. Peguero will join the club for Tuesday night's game (5:10 p.m.) against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park and will wear jersey No. 4.

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GAME: Mariners (8-13, 4th, AL West, -6.0 GB) at Astros (5-14, 5th, AL West, -8.0 GB). GAME #: 22. SERIES: 2nd of 3 games. MEETING: 5th (series tied 2-2). WHEN: Tuesday, 5:10 p.m., Minute Maid Park. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Astros L 3. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

The Mariners are 21 games into the 2013 season and have not had a winning streak longer than two games. Those now-distant back-to-back wins occurred against Oakland in the first two games of the season April 1-2, which helps explain why Seattle is already six games out of first place in the AL West and has the fan base -- what there is left of it -- grumbling.

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It took four tries, but Felix Hernandez finally recorded victory No. 100, a 7-1 decision over the Houston Astros Monday that snapped Seattle's three-game losing streak and, for the moment, lifted a pall over a horrific road trip to the state of Texas. After dropping three in a row to the Texas Rangers, Seattle took the first of three against the Astros, the only club in the AL West worse  (5-14) than the Mariners (8-13).

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Calling him "one of the most intimidating players in the NFL," general manager John Schneider rewarded safety Kam Chancellor, one of the Seahawks' core of young players, with a contract through 2017 for $28 million, including $17 million guaranteed. The move is the latest in a string of personnel moves designed to sustain Seahawks contention for years.

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GAME: Mariners (7-13, 4th, AL West, -6.0 GB) at Astros (5-13, 5th, AL West, -7.0 GB). GAME #: 21. SERIES: 1st of 3 games. MEETING: 4th (Astros lead 2-1). WHEN: Monday, 5:10 p.m., Minute Maid Park. STREAKS: Mariners L 3; Astros L 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

When the Mariners finished spring training with a Cactus League franchise-record 58 home runs, they fooled a lot of people into thinking they could contend for a playoff spot, perhaps even a division title. But the last week, if not the month of April to date, has demonstrated that the only race the Mariners are in is to see whether they, with an $83 million payroll, or the Houston Astros, with a $25 million outlay, are the American League's worst team.

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Not only can't the Mariners hit, on Sunday they couldn't pitch, either. No. 5 starter Aaron Harang and former No. 5 Blake Beavan collaborated to issue four home runs, the killer Harang's grand-slam gopher offering to Nelson Cruz, as the Mariners were broomed by the Texas Rangers, 11-3. Seattle's most lopsided loss of the season followed back-to-back 7-0 and 5-0 losses.

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GAME: Mariners (7-12, 4th, AL West, -5.5 GB) at Rangers (11-6, 2nd, AL West, -0.5 GB). GAME #: 20. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 7th (Texas leads 4-2). WHEN: Sunday, 12:05 p.m., Rangers Ballpark. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Rangers W 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Critics rebuked -- properly so -- the 2012 Mariners for ranking 14th and last in the American League in batting average (.234), on-base percentage (.296) and slugging (.369). The Mariners tried to rectify these blemishes to their statistical portfolio by importing Kendrys Morales, Michael Morse and Raul Ibanez, but so far what the Mariners have to show for the upgrades is nada, nil and zip, take your pick.

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The Mariners' offensive dive into the abyss reached rivet-popping depths with another dismal performance Saturday night, shut out for the second game in a row by the Texas Rangers, this time 5-0. In the past five games, the Mariners scored five runs, and have gone 19 innings without a run. But for the first time in four games, they didn't hit double digits in strikeouts, whiffing only eight times.

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