Weaver outduels Hernandez and Angels sweep M's

Angels 8, Mariners 2

SEATTLE (AP) -- If this wasn't how the West was won, it certainly seemed like it.

Jered Weaver won for the fourth time in five decisions, Garret Anderson had four hits and Los Angeles beat the Seattle Mariners 8-2 Wednesday to complete a three-game sweep and open a five-game lead in the AL West.

Vladimir Guerrero homered and went 8-for-14 in the series as the Angels moved a season-high 25 games over .500. Los Angeles outscored Seattle 24-8, outhit the Mariners 43-23 and had 17 extra-base hits to Seattle's five.

No wonder the Angels opened their biggest lead since before play on June 30.

"I think this series probably put in their head that they have to worry about the wild card, not the division," the Angels' Orlando Cabrera said after he went 2-for-5 and scored twice. "[We're] just leaving no doubt we're a better team at this moment."

Los Angeles, seeking its third division title in four years, improved to 11-4 against Seattle this season. The teams have one more series, Sept. 20-23 at Anaheim.

The Mariners, whose wild-card lead was cut to one percentage point over the New York Yankees, weren't conceding the division race.

"It's too early for wild-card stuff," Adrian Beltre said.

The Mariners have lost five in a row after winning 13 of 17 to close to within a game of the Angels last week.

"It's serious," said Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn, who won the World Series with the Angels in 2002 and will start Friday at Toronto. "There's no room for error."

Jeff Mathis hit his third career home run, a fourth-inning drive off Felix Hernandez (10-7), who lost from the first time in seven starts since July 22. Hernandez allowed six runs and a career-high 13 hits in seven innings, dropping to 0-3 with a 7.30 ERA against the Angels this season.

Eight of the Angels' first 16 batters got hits off him.

"I don't know what happened. Everything I threw, they hit hard," the 21-year-old ace said.

The Mariners head on a 10-game trip to Cleveland, Toronto, New York and Detroit. The Angels play their next 10 games at home, where they are 44-20.

"With them on the road and us at home, we're looking pretty good right now," said Weaver (10-6), who allowed seven hits, all singles, in eight innings while walking none and striking out five.

Gary Matthews Jr., returning from the No. 6 hole to the leadoff spot, singled ahead of Cabrera's single that led off the game. Anderson then singled in Matthews with one out, Anderson's 27th RBI in 28 games this month. Kendry Morales singled home Cabrera for a 2-0 lead.

Ben Broussard had an RBI groundout in the second, but Mathis hit his third career home run off the top of the left-field fence in the fourth as Hernandez looked back at catcher Kenji Johjima in disbelief. Seattle closed to 3-2 in the bottom half on Beltre's sacrifice fly.

Guerrero homered in the fourth, giving him 22 homers and 108 RBIs. Hernandez angrily punched the air when Guerrero made contact.

Seattle played with desperation. Shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt dived to his right and threw while seated to threw out Howie Kendrick at third base in the second. Immediately after that, Beltre scrambled through foul ground from third base to make a reaching, over-the-shoulder catch of Cabrera's popup with two on.

But that desperation cut both ways. Slow-footed Johjima tried to bunt for a hit leading off the fifth, and Weaver threw him out by a step. Broussard, also far from fleet, tried to advance to third with one out in the seventh on Johjima's single to left field. Anderson threw him out.

"To be able to play at our normal ability in times of pressure, sometimes you get too emotional. You can see that in this team at times," said Ichiro Suzuki, who went 3-for-13 (.231) in the series. "It's not a problem to be emotional -- but it is a problem when you lose your cool."

Anderson isn't thinking the West is won. He was on the 1995 Angels, who blew an 11-game lead in August before the Mariners won the division in a one-game playoff against them.

"I've seen too many crazy things happen," Anderson said. "It's not over yet."

Game notes
Ryan Rowland-Smith walk a pair of batters with the bases loaded in the ninth. ... Mathis has eight RBIs in his last nine games. He had eight in 31 games before that. ... Angels 1B Casey Kotchman went 0-for-4 in his first start in seven games following a sprained finger.