ANAHEIM -- Rookie lefty José Suarez showed flashes of his potential in his second career start, but he was unable to pitch deep into the game, while the Angels’ bullpen and offense both struggled in a 9-3 defeat to the Mariners on Sunday afternoon at Angel Stadium. It handed the series loss to the Halos, who have dropped five of their last seven.

Suarez, who was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake before the game, was making his second consecutive start against Seattle, having allowed three runs over 5 1/3 innings in a win in his Major League debut at T-Mobile Park on June 2. This time, Suarez couldn't get through the fifth frame, as he surrendered two runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings.

The 21-year-old has a 4.35 ERA through his first two outings and has impressed Angels manager Brad Ausmus, who was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

• Box score

“Very similar to the last start, other than not getting a win, but the stuff was good,” Ausmus said. “He faced the same team for the second time in a week, which a lot of times is tougher on the pitcher. He did a nice job. He held his own.”

Suarez, ranked as the club’s No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline, has been on a pitch-count limit, as he’s never thrown more than 90 pitches in any of his 75 professional appearances. He was lifted with two outs in the fifth after throwing 87 pitches, or one fewer pitch than his last outing.

Suarez’s lone mistake came in the second on a two-run homer from backup catcher Tom Murphy, who has hit five of his seven homers against the Angels this year. Suarez’s 1-1 changeup caught too much of the plate and Murphy deposited it beyond the left-field fence to give the Mariners an early 2-0 lead.

“I knew from my outing in Seattle that he is a good hitter, so I focused on him,” Suarez said through an interpreter. “But that’s what happens in pitching. If you make a mistake, that’s what happens.”

Suarez exited in the fifth after giving up a single on a swinging bunt from Mallex Smith and throwing the ball past Albert Pujols at first for a two-base error. Cody Allen came in and struck out Domingo Santana to strand the runner at third.

It capped an encouraging showing from Suarez, who possesses a plus changeup to go with a fastball that averages 91-92 mph, but is still working to develop his curveball and slider. Suarez induced 12 swings-and-misses, including six with his changeup, but none with his breaking pitches.

"I focused on throwing strikes and sticking to the game plan," Suarez said. "Used the same plan. Nothing changed. Just kept attacking the strike zone. My changeup was really good. I could throw it in any count I wanted. It was working well, the way I always wanted."

The wheels fell off for the Angels after Suarez departed, however, as Allen gave up back-to-back homers in the sixth to see his ERA rise to 4.84. Right-hander Nick Tropeano came in and surrendered five runs over 3 2/3 innings, including three homers.

Ausmus ejected

Offensively, the Angels failed to get much going and were frustrated by home-plate umpire Jeremie Rehak's strike zone. It reached a tipping point after the top of the fourth inning, when Ausmus was ejected. Ausmus said he calmly pointed out to Rehak that he was missing calls for both teams, and he was promptly thrown out of the game.

“Quite frankly, it was a discussion in nature," Ausmus said. "I wasn’t angry. I was trying to make him aware of something. In my mind, [he] pulled the trigger a little quick. I wasn’t saying he missed a pitch here or there. There were strikes being called that weren’t strikes. And I wasn’t saying just against us. I thought, in this case, there were too many mistakes being made too early in the game and it was having an impact.”

Angels center fielder Mike Trout said he appreciated Ausmus having his back and said he believed his manager did it to tighten up the strike zone for both teams.

"He had a big zone for both sides," Trout said. "He was calling it all game. It is what it is."