ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Seattle Mariners couldn't do anything more on this road trip.
With their 2-1 victory Wednesday night, they swept the six-game trip that started in Oakland and ended in Anaheim. A solid pitching performance by Hisashi Iwakuma and the bullpen and homers from Kyle Seager and Nelson Cruz wrapped up the three-game sweep of the Angels.
The perfect road trip and an eight-game winning streak pushed Seattle's record to 78-68 and moved them to 1{ games out of the American League wild-card standings.
With no game Thursday, the Mariners open their biggest homestand of the 2016 season Friday night at Safeco Field, starting with a three-game series against the Houston Astros _ a team they are vying with for one of the two coveted wild-card spots.
Iwakuma continued the run of solid starting pitching for Seattle despite being out of rhythm much of the night. Iwakuma tossed 61/3 innings, giving up one run on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Iwakuma exited the game with one out in the seventh inning and a runner on second and the Mariners leading 2-1. Tom Wilhelmsen came into the game and kept the runner from scoring, getting a ground out from Gregorio Petit and fly out from Yunel Escobar to end the threat.
Seattle starters on this road trip are 6-0 with a 1.41 ERA, having pitched 50 total innings and given up eight runs.
The Mariners didn't muster much early against Jhoulys Chacin. The veteran right-hander was a late replacement when lefty Tyler Skaggs was scratched with forearm stiffness. Chacin allowed one hit _ a Leonys Martin single _ over the first four innings.
But Seattle tied the game on the first pitch of the fifth inning. Seager ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Chacin, unleashing a deep homer into the right field seats to make it 1-1. It was Seager's 29th homer of the season.
It was all the runs Chacin would allow in six innings of work.
The Mariners took advantage of his replacement _ Jose Valdez. Against the first and only batter he faced _ Cruz _ Valdez made the mistake of leaving a 1-0 slider over the inside half of the plate. Cruz turned on it, sending a line drive into the left field seats for a 2-1 lead and his 37th homer of the season.
The Angels grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third inning. A leadoff single from Juan Graterol and a successful hit-and-run play with Gregorio Petit put runners on the corners with no outs. Iwakuma struck out Yunel Escobar, but gave up a sacrifice fly to Kole Calhoun. He limited the damage to one run, pitching around Mike Trout and getting Albert Pujols to fly out to end the inning.
