KOLE CALHOUN had three RBIs as the Angels beat the Mariners 7-4 in Seattle (Flickr/Keith Allison).

By Pete Zarustica 

There used to be a tradition – a superstition, really – that were you stood on July 4 was a prediction of how you’d finish the season in big league baseball.

For the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the mythological news is mixed. At Seattle’s Safeco Field on Wednesday, the Halos beat one of the best teams in baseball by 7-4. That snapped an eight-game winning streak by the M’s. The Orange County rapped out 13 hits, including seven for extra bases.

However, the Angels finish the day in fourth place in the American League West, with a 43-42 record. They’re a daunting 12 games back in the ALW, and 11 games out of a wild card spot.

Still, there was a lot to be happy about on the anniversary of the nation’s birth. Shohei Ohtani, who was 0-for-4 in return to the DH on Tuesday, went 2-for-4 in his encore on Wednesday.

Kole Calhoun hit an RBI single and a two-run home run, while Mike Trout doubled and walked twice to put his OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging) at an astronomical 1.083.

Garrett Richards (5-4) returned from the disabled list with a strong start. He worked 5.1 winnings, yielding four hits and two earned runs, both on homers. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Angels will take on the Mariners (55-32) on Thursday with Jaime Barria (5-4) going against Marco Gonzales (8-5).