Cruz, Hernandez help Mariners hand Angels 11th straight loss

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nelson Cruz hit his 30th home run to lead Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners past Los Angeles 3-2 on Monday night as the Angels matched a franchise record with their 11th consecutive defeat.


Hernandez (7-4) struck out eight and pitched into the seventh inning to help the Mariners remain two games behind Boston for the second AL wild card.

The Angels had lost 11 straight on three other occasions, but never under manager Mike Scioscia. Last in the AL West, Los Angeles (49-69) is a season-high 20 games under .500.

The last time the team dropped 11 in a row was during the 1999 season.

Cruz drove Ricky Nolasco's 2-2 curveball into the left-field stands in the fifth to become the sixth player in Mariners history with multiple 30-homer seasons. It's the fourth consecutive season Cruz has hit 30 or more.