Joe Blanton struck out a career high 11 batters Tuesday night.

Final Score: Mariners 3, Angels 2 (10 Innings)

Halos Daily Player of the Game: Joe Blanton (6.2 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO)

A day after beating Seattle to reclaim sole possession of third place in the AL West, the Angels once again squandered any potential momentum with a 3-2 extra inning loss to the Mariners.

The Mariners were the first to get on the board, leading off the top of the second with back-to-back solo home runs from Raul Ibanez and Justin Smoak to take a 2-0 lead.

The Angels cut that lead in half during the bottom half of the inning when Mark Trumbo led off with a solo home run to left-center field.

Trumbo’s home run would be the last run either team scored until the eighth, as both starting pitchers were quite effective. Mariners starter Jeremy Bonderman, who is making a rather successful comeback, went six innings and allowed just one run on six hits, dropping his ERA to 3.28.

Teammates congratulate Josh Hamilton following his second-inning homer.

Final Score: Angels 11, Mariners 3

Halos Daily Player of the Game: Albert Pujols (4-for-5, 2B, RBI)

The Angels rode 21 hits and Jason Vargas’ strong outing to defeat Aaron Harang and the Seattle Mariners 11-3 in the first game of a four-game series. Rallies in the second and sixth innings put the Mariners away for good, giving the Angels their 31st victory of the year and pushing them past the Mariners in the AL West standings.

In the bottom of the second, Alberto Callaspo started the rally with a leadoff single.  After a Chris Iannetta groundout advanced Callaspo to second base, Peter Bourjos followed with an infield single, allowing Callaspo to move to third. Mike Trout’s sacrifice fly drove in Callaspo, then a Josh Hamilton homer to dead center off Michael Saunders’ glove gave the Angels a 4-0 lead, effectively ending the game.

Peter Bourjos is tied for the MLB lead in home run robberies since 2010.

Final Score: Orioles 3, Angels 1

Halos Daily Player of the Game: Jason Vargas (6.2 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO)

A night after losing a battle of the elements, the Angels once again fell at the hands of the surging Baltimore Orioles.

Tuesday night’s 3-1 loss marked the Angels’ fourth straight defeat, and eighth in their past 10 games. The Angels were solid on the pitching and defensive fronts, but the offense once again fell silent at an inopportune time.

The game started off in a rather flashy fashion. Just three pitches into the game, Orioles phenom Manny Machado robbed Mike Trout of a potential extra base hit by making a diving stop to his left and firing across the diamond to get the out. Immediately following the play, Trout and Machado exchanged smiles, a precursor of what the next decade could bring from these two.

With one out in the bottom half of the inning, Peter Bourjos made an outstanding catch, reaching over the center field fence to rob JJ Hardy of a home run, eerily similar to Trout’s spectacular grab of the same nature almost a year ago. Overall, the Angels’ defense was on display Tuesday night, with key plays coming from all over the diamond.

Jerry Dipoto, asking the rain gods for answers.

Final Score: Orioles 4, Angels 3

Halos Daily Player of the Game: Mike Trout (1-for-4, HR, BB; Hamilton’s error disqualified him)

Halos Daily Player of the Game Honorable Mention: Garrett Richards, for eating the last 2 1/3 innings and saving the bullpen

In a game marred by the elements, the Orioles defeated the Angels 4-3, led by Freddy Garcia’s strong start and Adam Jones’ fourth inning home run. The game proved that the Angels, like the postal service, are consistent in any form of weather, losing games in sunshine or thunderstorms. The 2013 Halos don’t discriminate.

Mike Trout, playing in front of his family,* scratched the first run of the game, launching a Freddy Garcia offering over the right field scoreboard for a solo home run, putting the Angels up 1-0 in the third inning.

* His hometown of Millville, New Jersey is a  111-mile drive to Baltimore. #AngelsGeography.