ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Carlos Perez needed only one game to get his first major league shaving cream pie in the face.

In his major league debut, Perez hit a walk-off homer leading off the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-4 win over the Seattle Mariner and the resulting celebratory encounter with Barbasol.

The Angels called up Perez only one day earlier, hoping he could inject a little offense into the club's catching position. Neither of the Angels' catchers -- Chris Iannetta and Drew Butera -- has a home run this season, but Perez smashed his first in his fourth at-bat. Perez also singled in his first major league at-bat in the second inning.

Perez delivered the first walk-off homer by a player making his major league debut since Miguel Cabrera accomplished the feat for the Florida Marlins on June 20, 2003.

"I can't explain it," said Perez, who is 24 but has played professionally since he was 17. "My first game and to finish like that? You never forget that."

The homer, off Mariners reliever Dominic Leone (0-3), snapped the Angels' four-game losing streak. Angels reliever Huston Street (1-0) pitched one scoreless inning to get the win.

"He's ready for this challenge," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Perez, praising the catcher's handling of starting pitcher Garrett Richards. "He had a great night tonight, and if he can catch with that consistency, he's going to be in the major leagues for a long time. He looked really good behind the plate, and that's the first thing we need."

While it is no easy task catching Richards, who throws 96 mph and has plenty of movement on his pitches, it is equally difficult to hit Richards, as the Mariners can attest.

Richards gave up one run on five hits and two walks (one intentional) through seven innings, handing a 2-1 lead over to the bullpen to start the eighth.

Right-hander Joe Smith could not hold the advantage, giving up three runs while getting only one out and allowing the Mariners to take a 4-2 lead.

However, the Angels, likewise held in check by Mariners starter James Paxton, took advantage of the Seattle bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, scoring twice to tie the game at 4-4.

Paxton went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks (one intentional). He made only 91 pitches, but Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said he is being cautious with his younger pitchers.

"He pitched a helluva ballgame," McClendon said. "You got to remember, we've got two young kids, (Taijuan) Walker and Paxton, and at some point we've got to start managing their innings. Better sooner than later. We have to be conscious of that, and we have to also watch his pitch count. I think he battled all night."

A two-run homer by Angels first baseman Albert Pujols in the first inning off Paxton stood up for seven innings, but the Mariners rallied in the eighth. Second baseman Robinson Cano hit a leadoff double, and he scored one out later on a single by third baseman Kyle Seager, a grounder to right field through a drawn-in infield.

First baseman Logan Morrison followed with his third hit of the night, a single to center, and catcher Mike Zunino put the Mariners in front with a ground-rule double to right, scoring Seager to make it 3-2. That spelled the end for Smith, but the Mariners added another run when right-hander Fernando Salas gave up a sacrifice fly to left fielder Dustin Ackley.

"We showed a lot of fight in that inning," McClendon said. "Guys had big at-bats. Those are the things you like to see, because it was a tough loss. Anytime you have a lead in the eighth inning, you expect to win."

The Angels rallied in the bottom of the eighth against Mariners right-hander Danny Farquhar. Pujols got the rally started with a one-out single, and third baseman David Freese walked. Shortstop Erick Aybar and second baseman Johnny Giavotella followed with back-to-back RBI singles, tying the game at 4.

Cano finished 3-for-5, and Morrison went 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs.

NOTES: With his home run Monday, Mariners OF Nelson Cruz became the fifth player in major league history to hit at least 14 home runs through his club's first 26 games. Cruz began play Tuesday on pace to hit 87 homers, but he went 0-for-4. ... The Mariners entered the game with 34 homers, second most in the American League. However, 27 of them came with no runners on base. They did not go deep Tuesday.