SEATTLE (AP) _ The Anaheim Angels are running out of players
right in front of manager Mike Scioscia's eyes.

width=65> height=90 align=right alt="Salmon">

Tim Salmon, Anaheim's right fielder, felt a twinge in his left groin in the fifth inning of the Angels' 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday night.

"It wasn't a pop or a pull, but it just got a little sore,'' said Scioscia, who replaced Salmon in the field in the bottom of the sixth. "He told us so we could get him out of there so we could turn this into a one- or two-day deal instead of a three- to four-week deal.''

Salmon was hurt on a day when third baseman Troy Glaus sat out
with a tight left hamstring and second baseman Adam Kennedy was put
on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. Glaus had to come out of Tuesday's game and might not play for another day or two.

Scioscia said he's not sure when Salmon will be able to play again.

"It doesn't look like it's anything serious right now,'' he
said. "He'll be day-to-day.''

Salmon hurt himself running hard to first base after hitting a
little chopper down the third-base line that was fielded by pitcher
Joel Pineiro.

Pineiro threw Salmon out on a close play.

"It was a swinging bunt and I felt my groin kind of tweak on me
getting out of the box,'' Salmon said.

He went back into the outfield in the bottom of the fifth, but
decided he didn't want to chance hurting himself any more on a cold
night.

"In that situation if we didn't have the lead, I might have pushed it,'' he said. "But maybe we were fortunate we had the lead and I didn't have to push it. A groin, you don't want to be messing with that.''

Kevin Appier pitched six strong innings, and Scott Spiezio
homered and drove in three runs as the Angels snapped a four-game
losing streak.

The 35-year-old Appier (1-1) ended a personal four-game skid,
winning for the first time since beating Tampa Bay on Sept. 4 last
season. He gave up one run and six hits, improving his career
record to 16-7 against the Mariners.

Appier won 14 games in his first season with the Angels, but was
0-1 in five postseason starts during their run to the World Series
title last October.

"I was a little bit sharper and I had a little bit livelier
stuff,'' Appier said. "It just wound up being a lot better
results.''

After shutting out the Angels 5-0 in their home opener Tuesday,
the Mariners sent Pineiro to the mound for his first start since
becoming a father for the first time Monday.

Pineiro (0-1) pitched seven innings and allowed four runs on
five hits and three walks.

The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Pineiro
couldn't find the plate. He opened the game with walks to David
Eckstein and Darin Erstad before giving up a one-out RBI single to
Garret Anderson.

After walking Brad Fullmer on four pitches, Pineiro allowed a
two-run single to Spiezio, who ended an 0-for-15 slump. Spiezio
started at third in place of Glaus.

Bengie Molina doubled and scored on Erstad's sacrifice fly in
the second. Spiezio added a solo shot in the ninth.

Spiezio was supposed to be rested Tuesday, but wound up coming
in when Glaus left. That was fine with Spiezio.

"The only way to get out of things is to get put in the fire,''
he said. "I can't sit on the bench and really work on anything.''

Brendan Donnelly, Felix Rodriguez and Troy Percival combined for
three innings of scoreless relief to finish it for Anaheim.

The Mariners got a leadoff triple from Mike Cameron in the
second and loaded the bases in the fifth, but were unable to score
each time.

Carlos Guillen homered down the right-field line for Seattle in
the sixth.

Spiezio went 3-for-4, as did Guillen.

The Mariners were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and
left 11 on base.

"We had chances,'' manager Bob Melvin said. "We had been
getting the big hits lately, but Appier was tough. He is a tough
guy to get a read on.''

Game notes
An MRI exam confirmed that Mariners DH Edgar Martinez has only a mild strain of his left hamstring. The test was done as a precaution to make
sure that Martinez, 40, didn't have a tear. He was injured Sunday
when he beat out an infield hit. He's day-to-day and could be back in the lineup this weekend. ... Chone
Figgins, called up from Triple-A Salt Lake after Kennedy was placed
on the 15-day DL, was in the Angels' lineup at 2B. ... Eckstein,
who led the AL in times hit by a pitch each of the last two
seasons, was plunked for the second time this year.