Wilson shines as Angels pound Mariners 7-1

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- C.J. Wilson might want to overload on pasta the night before his next start. After all, you can't argue with results.

Wilson allowed one run over eight innings and the Los Angeles Angels offense continued its hot stretch in a 7-1 win over the Seattle Mariners Wednesday at Angel Stadium.

Wilson (4-3) gave up six hits, walked two and struck out 10 to earn the victory and snap a personal three-game losing streak with what was his best performance of the season. His secret?

"I thought I was going to pass out in the first inning, I didn't feel good today," Wilson said. "I ate too much pasta last night or something. When you throw the ball as hard as you can and you look back there (at the radar gun reading) and it's not your best fastball, you're like, well, I've got to be a little crafty today.

"So I threw a lot of changeups instead and I was focusing on taking a little bit off and getting guys out that way. And it worked. I was able to get some outs on some changeups and soft fastballs away."

The victory was the Angels' fourth in a row, their longest winning streak of the season. For the Mariners, the loss was their sixth straight, their longest losing streak of the season. The Mariners held a players-only meeting after the game.

Wilson got support from up and down the Angels lineup. One day after hitting for the cycle, Mike Trout had a single and triple before the end of the second inning. He didn't get another hit in the game, but he didn't need to. Mark Trumbo had three hits, while Alberto Callaspo and Albert Pujols each had two, and the Angels had 12 in all.

Eleven of those hits came over the first three innings at the expense of Mariners starter Brandon Maurer (2-6). A five-run first inning by the Angels essentially put this one away and spelled an early exit for Maurer (3 innings, 7 runs, 11 hits).

"It was a tough day for Maurer," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "He wasn't able to get the ball down consistently, he made a lot mistakes in the middle and up in the zone. He competed, he battled, he's a tough kid, but he just made too many mistakes."

Wilson was never in any real trouble until he seemed to tire in the eighth. He retired the first two batters in each of the first seven innings before issuing a leadoff walk to Brendan Ryan in the eighth. Ryan came around to score the Mariners' only run later in the inning, but it was too little, too late.

The Angels removed any potential for drama in this one early, putting up a five-run first inning against Maurer. The Angels had six hits in the inning, including a two-run single by Josh Hamilton, a two-run double by Alberto Callaspo and an RBI single by Hank Conger.

"It's great, our offense is really starting to click," Wilson said. "It makes your job as a pitcher a lot easier. I was out there just trying to throw first-pitch strikes and Seattle was attacking a lot of first pitches and putting them in play."

The Angels added to their lead in the second inning when Trout tripled and scored on a single by Pujols to make it 6-0. They wasted a chance for more, though, when Howie Kendrick grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Erick Aybar's RBI single in the third made it 7-0 and triggered the end of a miserable day for Maurer.

"He's going through what every young pitcher has to go through," Wedge said of Maurer. "He's going to be a heck of a big league pitcher once he figures all this out and goes through these things he has to go through. He'll be better physically and fundamentally and mentally and emotionally, and all those things will settle in for him."

NOTES: Angels RHP Jered Weaver made a rehab start against minor leaguers from the Arizona Diamondbacks at extended spring training in Arizona on Wednesday. Weaver, recovering from a broken bone in his left (non-throwing) arm, made 75 pitches (62 strikes) over 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run while striking out nine. If he comes out of it OK, he could be activated from the disabled list early next week. ... Angels RHP Ryan Madson suffered another setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He experienced soreness in his elbow during a workout Wednesday and will not begin a rehab assignment at Class AAA Salt Lake, as originally planned. Instead, he will shut it down for 3-5 days and be reevaluated then. ... Mariners 3B Kyle Seager was not in the starting lineup Wednesday against the Angels. Seager had started 29 consecutive games and manager Eric Wedge said, coupled with Thursday's off-day, it was a good time to get Seager off his feet. ... Mariners OF Jason Bay got the start in left field Wednesday because LHP C.J. Wilson was on the mound for the Angels. Bay has been platooning with LF Raul Ibanez. The Mariners went into the day 12-10 in games Bay had started this season, compared to 8-16 in games he didn't start.