Joel Pineiro started his big-league career with the Mariners and he still has friends in Seattle. But there's little love lost when the right-hander takes the mound against his former team.
Pineiro had won three consecutive starts against the Mariners before Monday's game. And with 34 wins in his career at Safeco Field, he has won there nearly three times as often as he has at any other park.
"There's some ballparks the mound -- whether it's the visual, whether it's just the dimensions, the infield grass -- there are things that affect the pitcher's comfort level," Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. "Some guys sometimes struggle with a ballpark until they slay that dragon; go in there and get that one good start and all of sudden they say, 'Hey, I can do this.' And they gain confidence.
"There are some guys who can actually feel at home in certain parks. There is a comfort level that develops. The good pitchers that are going to be around a long time and pitch well eventually get that comfort level in any park they are in, to varying degrees."
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