The Mariners had a one-run lead in the ninth, but, three runs later, they were down by a pair and wound up taking a 6-4 loss.

Brandon League gave up a leadoff single, then a walk, then threw away a bunt attempt at third base. The ball bounded around left field and past Chone Figgins and the game was tied and two runners were in scoring postion.

Howie Kendrick then laced a League fastball into center field and that was it.

Two runs scored, the M's went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and are now sitting in the clubhouse dealing with another tough loss. League was pretty upset with himself, as you might imagine.

More so for what happened on the bunt play than anything else.

"I thought if I made a good throw then I had a chance to get him at third,'' League said. "But it went into left field. Then, it's like all hell broke loose. I don't know how else to explain it.''

What isn't tough to explain on the events prior is how League once again found himself in hot water, with two on and none out in a one-run game. His fastballs were coming in too high and hitters were jumping on them -- both Trumbo to lead the inning off and Kendrick to finish the rally.

The walk to Alberto Callaspo also hurt bad because it moved a run into scoring position and meant the Angels could tie the game up without the benefit of another hit. League has already walked 11 batters this season compared to just 10 all of last year.

"That's been one of his issues,'' Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "When you do that, you're going to put yourself up against it, especially with one-run saves.''

Both teams played some long ball and the result is a 4-3 lead for the Mariners in the seventh inning.

First, Justin Smoak ripped an Ervin Santana pitch into the right field seats in the fifth inning with Kyle Seager on base to make it a 4-0 game. But then, in the sixth, a single, a walk and then an Albert Pujols homer to right center off Blake Beavan put the Angels right back in it.

The M's have to try to pad this lead. If not, the bullpen will have to keep Pujols in the ballpark and that's not an easy thing to do.

8:23 p.m.: Seattle leads it 2-0 after a run in the third inning, but once again, they pushed Ervin Santana to the brink before letting him off the hook. Santana got rocked by the inning's first three batters as Ichiro doubled to the right-center gap, then took third on a long flyball out by Kyle Seager to the right field warning track.

Justin Smoak then lined a ball to right field for the RBI. John Jaso drew a walk after that to bring Angels catcher John Hester out tp the mound for a conference with Santana.

Whatever he said worked as Jesus Montero immediately grounded into a 6-4-3 double-play to get Santana out of a potentially huge jam.

PHOTO CAPTION: "I dunno, Smoakamotive. If it was my bobblehead night and I wasn't playing, I'd get the marketing guys to have me stand at those gates and hand the bobbleheads out personally, or something.''

Mariners leadoff man Dustin Ackley has appeared in 45 of his team's 47 games already this season. I suppose he could have had a rest during that day game in Cleveland a while back, or one of those weekend contests in Denver.

But no, Ackley is getting his night off tonight. Which just happens to be Dustin Ackley Bobblehead Night at Safeco Field.

So much for the conspiracy theorists who believe everything this team does on the field is marketing driven. Apparently not.

Somebody asked manager Eric Wedge about it pregame.

"Oh, geez, is it?'' Wedge said. "I didn't get that memo.''

Ackley is sitting because the team is in the midst of a stretch of 20 consecutive games in which every player -- except Ichiro, one supposes -- is getting a bit of a break. Michael Saunders arrived at the ballpark tonight and saw his name penciled in as the new leadoff guy.

Saunders spent time at the leadoff spot in the minors, but never in the majors.

"I've been bounced around quite a bit in the lineup this year,'' Saunders said. "Everywhere from second through ninth.''

There was more grumbling than usual by the Mariners after this 3-0 loss and it concerned plate umpire Vic Carapazza. The Mariners struck out 14 times against Dan Haren of the Los Angeles Angels and several Seattle hitters felt Carapazza contributed towards that with a rather liberal interpretation of the strike zone.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge, however, wasn't buying it. Wedge was disappointed, to say the least, in how his hitters -- both right-handed and left-handed -- failed to adjust to what Haren was doing.

Alex Liddi had a particularly bad night, striking out four times on sliders that broke off the late at the last instant.

"He pitched a good ballgame, but we didn't make any adjustments,'' Wedge said. "I mean, he was doing the same thing in the ninth inning that he was doing in the first inning.

"That's the red flag. I mean, you've got to make an adjustment. You can't keep going up there and doing the same thing and expecting different results.''

This was only the second loss in seven games for the Mariners, but they were full value for it, taking a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels.

Albert Pujols accounted for all the offense the visitors needed with a two-run homer in the first inning off Jason Vargas. Pujols then signed to left field in the sixth, stole second base and came around to score on a two-out single by Kendrys Morales.

Dan Haren really didn't need that third run the way he was pitching. Haren set a career high with 14 strikeouts in the complete game victory.

Dan Haren has allowed just four hits through eight innings and leads the Mariners 3-0 as we head to the ninth.

That strikeout on Michael Saunders in the eighth was the 12th by Haren tonight, tying his career high. It was also the 1,500th strikout of Haren's career.

8:38 p.m.: It's bad enough the Mariners have to worry about the deep ball with Albert Pujols. But tonight, he's hurting them with small ball as well.

The Angels made it 3-0 in the sixth when Pujols singed to left, then took off on a pitch low and made it to second with a stolen base. Miguel Olivo came up in a throwing position but held on to the ball.

Kendrys Morales then singed to left with one out to bring Pujols home.

8:16 p.m.: Still a 2-0 game, Angels in the lead, as we head to the fifth inning. The Mariners have just one hit off Dan Haren so far.

Ichiro made a rare mental gaffe in the fourth inning, forgetting how many outs there were when he caught a Howie Kendrick fly ball to right. Albert Pujols tagged up and went to third base on the play while Ichiro put his head down and began jogging towards the Mariners dugout.

Pujols began creeping slowly towards home, but quickly retreated when Ichiro realized his mistake and fired the ball back in.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge had to know he'd be answering some Chone Figgins and Casper Wells questions today. You can see the answer he gave on Wells in the video clip above.

As for Figgins, Wedge said releasing him hasn't even been considered by the team.

"Not right now,'' Wedge said. "Right now, that's not even an option for us. With Chone, as you all know -- we were very open with you (media) guys about that -- we wanted to give him every opportunity to get back on track. We feel like we did that, leading him off, switching his role a little bit, and it didn't work out.

"So now, he's a utility player and a super utility player at that. He gives us protection. We'll play him when we need him. We'll use him how we see fit to help us win ballgames and go from there. You knew that that was the next option if it didn't work out. And that's where we are right now.''

Thing is, Wedge has used Figgins just four times in three weeks. He's had just six plate appearances, going hitless and walking once. Not quite what super-utility guys normally do for their teams.

Wedge was asked whether the team is getting closer to parting ways with Figgins.

"It's an unfair question to ask because Chone's a part of this team right now,'' Wedge said. "If people have a little bit of momentum this way, that way or whatever, you can't get caught up in that. Right now, that's not even an option for us.''