[Lefty Noob]

With a win over Texas yesterday, the Seattle Mariners moved within three games of the Rangers in what HeraldNet writer Kirby Arnold has dubbed "The Race for Last Place."

HeraldNet: Mariners beat Rangers in 13
By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer

SEATTLE - With the race for last place shaping into a dandy, the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers played Saturday night as though it's third or nothing in the American League West.

A game that was one strike from ending before the Rangers' Gary Matthews Jr. homered to tie the score in the ninth inning went on, and on, and on.

The Mariners won it in the 13th when the Rangers walked the bases loaded before Jose Lopez hit a fly over the drawn-in outfield for a 3-2 victory.

It closed the Mariners within three games of the third-place Rangers in the four-team AL West. The Mariners also have pulled within five games of the .500 mark, at 68-73.

So, this is like a pennant race in reverse then, eh?

So who wins -- er, loses? -- the race for last place in the AL West?

[MJHMarc]

The Seattle Mariners have some good players in their organization. I am surprised that they aren't winning that many games. Where is John Olerud, Edgar Martinez and Freddy Garcia when you need them? Two have retired and one of them still continues to throw strikes from Chicago.

[Lefty Noob]

Seattle lost to the Rangers, 4-2, yesterday. That snaps their 4-game winning streak.

AP Wire | 09/11/2006 | Rangers 4, Mariners 2
Associated Press

SEATTLE - Adam Eaton has started just 10 games in his injury-ridden season for Texas but he's still quite aware and appreciative of what shortstop Michael Young has done all year for the Rangers.

Young had three hits and drove in two, including the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, to help the Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2 on Sunday, ending their three-game losing streak. Young also was involved in all four of the double plays turned, three of them behind Eaton.

"He was just being Michael Young," said Eaton, who allowed two runs and eight hits in his six innings of a no-decision. "He had all kinds of defensive help for me today. There's a reason why he was the All-Star MVP and why he's been our MVP the full year."

Young, who leads the majors with 193 hits, is seven away from his fourth straight 200-hit season. The sixth-year shortstop, who won the league batting title last season, is hitting .313.

So once again, the Mariners are four back of Texas. Are they doomed to finish in the AL West cellar?

[MJHMarc]

Possibly. There is still some time left in the season to switch around the Standings.

[Lefty Noob]

Looks like the Mariners really are cellar bound - they're now 4.5 games behind the Rangers, and they lost 10-8 to the Kansas City Royals last night. What's more, on Wednesday two of the team's coaches, Ron Hassey and Dan Rohn, were fired, leading to speculation that a managerial change is forthcoming. Seattle is 14-34 against the AL West this season. Where did this team go wrong?

[legend]

Seattle was finished when they signed Beltre. He has been awful this year and last, getting off to a putrid start and now trying to put up some numbers. The Mariners have three everyday players with over 100 strikeouts, but only two that have walked more than 50 times,Ibanez at 60 and Sexson at 53. They have a pitching staff full of high potential/low result guys and for sure Manager Mike Hargrove is gone at season's end. Even Ichiro, although he will get his 200 hits, is batting "only" .314.

[MJHMarc]

.314 isn't a bad average at all.

But for him, I would expect close to .350!

[Lefty Noob]

Originally Posted by legend

Seattle was finished when they signed Beltre. He has been awful this year and last...

No one's going to argue that Beltre's been a bust, but he did have a pretty nice game in yesterday's Seattle win: 3 hits and 5 RBI. Now if only he could manage to produce like that every day, maybe he'd actually earn his Mariners paycheck, eh?

[MJHMarc]

Adrian Beltre has the potential of hitting well, but the chance that he will succeed is very low. He had his best years with the Dodgers , preferably in 2004. I would only expect him to smack 15-25 homeruns a season and knock in any where from 60 to 85 RBIs a season. No longer will he blast 40 long ones and count up 100+ RBIs.

[Lefty Noob]

Seattle wins another one yesterday, 10-5 over Kansas City. Eduardo Perez hit an RBI single in the seventh to break a 5-5 tie, and Chris Snelling added a two-run dinger later in the inning. Too little, too late for the Mariners, though, isn't it?

[Lefty Noob]

The Mariners started a "key" 3-game set with the Rangers yesterday. The result?

Millwood and Rangers mash Mariners
The Sports Network

Arlington, TX - Kevin Millwood threw seven stellar innings to propel the Texas Rangers to an 8-1 win over the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Ameriquest Field.

Millwood (16-10) recorded the win, allowing one run on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer and Gary Matthews Jr., who was named the American League Player of the Week earlier in the day, extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 games with three hits and two runs scored for the Rangers, who have won three straight games.

Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre had a pair of hits each for the Mariners, who have lost two of their last three games. Felix Hernandez (11-14), who has lost five of his last six decisions, gave up four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out nine in five innings.

[MJHMarc]

Not sure.

But I do know that tonight's match-up is Washburn vs. Volquez.