9 9 2 ▁when ▁a ▁cons ort ium ▁led ▁by ▁H iro sh i ▁Yam au chi , ▁which ▁own s ▁the ▁Mar in ers ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁bought ▁the ▁team ▁from ▁Jeff ▁Sm ul yan , ▁who ▁had ▁threatened ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁the ▁team ▁as ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁its ▁losing ▁ways . ▁▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁season ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 4 – 9 5 ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁strike , ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁season ▁started ▁on ▁April ▁ 2 5 , ▁and ▁was ▁short ened ▁to ▁ 1 4 4 ▁games ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁normal ▁ 1 6 2 . ▁California ▁took ▁an ▁early ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁AL ▁West ▁stand ings ▁and ▁trad ed ▁first ▁place ▁with ▁the ▁Texas ▁R angers ▁through ▁May ▁and ▁June . ▁The ▁Ang els ▁took ▁the ▁lead ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 , ▁and ▁held ▁on ▁to ▁that ▁lead ▁throughout ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁July ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁August . ▁Seattle , ▁mean while , ▁spent ▁most ▁of ▁June ▁through ▁August ▁in ▁third ▁or ▁fourth ▁place . ▁They ▁bottom ed ▁out ▁on ▁August ▁ 2 , ▁th ir teen ▁games ▁out ▁of ▁first ▁place ▁and ▁three ▁games ▁under ▁. 5 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁Ang els ' ▁fort unes ▁began ▁to ▁change ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁swe pt ▁by ▁the ▁Boston ▁Red ▁So x ▁from ▁August ▁ 2 1 – 2 3 , ▁then ▁after ▁winning ▁one ▁game , ▁went ▁into ▁a ▁ 9 - game