Angels hammer Mariners

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SEATTLE (AP) - The differences between the AL West-ruling Los Angeles Angels and these fledgling Seattle Mariners are vast.

Eleven games in the standings. Ten runs on Monday. And one "incredible'' slugger.

Vladimir Guerrero belted his favorite victims with two more home runs, the second a monster shot into the upper deck. Juan Rivera added a three-run homer, Joe Saunders dominated in seven scoreless innings and the Los Angeles Angels reminded Seattle who rules the division with a 10-0 runaway victory on Monday night.

It was the Angels' biggest rout of Seattle since May 21, 1997, when they won 18-3 at home.

The Mariners were blanked for the second consecutive day. Kansas City's Zack Greinke threw a one-hitter against them on Sunday.

"Easy gas,'' is what Angels manager Mike Scioscia called Saunders' fastball. It held the AL's lowest-scoring team to just three hits in Saunders' second start following a three-week hiatus for shoulder inflammation.

Scioscia could have been talking about Los Angeles' latest romp through the AL West. The defending two-time division champions moved six games ahead of Texas and 11 ahead of Seattle in a division race that has turned into a rout entering the final month.

Guerrero's second home run was vintage, jaw-dropping stuff. Seattle's Chris Jakubauskas, a native of Southern California, threw a curveball that dived toward the dirt. Guerrero swung low and wildly hard, like a golfer hacking out of deep rough.

The ball soared over a stationary left fielder, over Los Angeles' bullpen, over a stairwell then concourse, above a sign honoring Jackie Robinson and finally into the second row of a rarely reached upper deck.

The third multi-home run game this season for Guerrero was his 20th with the Angels, whom he joined in 2004. That ties Tim Salmon's team record.

"I'll tell you what, breaking ball low, there aren't many guys in baseball who can do that,'' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That was incredible.''

The awed Mariners used the same term.

"A curveball off the ground. I was going to catch that ball in the dirt - and he hit it into the upper deck,'' Seattle catcher Rob Johnson said, marveling. "He's incredible.''

Guerrero has 39 multihomer games in his career. It only feels like 38 have them have come against the Mariners.

He has 28 home runs in 93 career games against them. That's the most home runs against an AL opponent for the eight-time All-Star.

Saunders (11-7) improved to 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in three starts against Seattle this season.

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