The Mariners lineup was shuffled for Tuesday's game in Texas with dramatic results. The new middle of the order – Adrian Beltre hitting No. 2, Jose Lopez at No. 3, Raul Ibanez at cleanup and Richie Sexson at No. 5 – produced in a big way. The combined effort was eight hits, 10 RBI and five runs scored in the Mariners' 14-5 victory over the Rangers.

What to make of this? Consider it a one-game improvement that will likely be used on the upcoming homestand against the Kansas City Royals. Batting Beltre in the No. 2 hole might be just what he needs to get his offense going. The thinking here is that with Ichiro on first so much, Beltre will be seeing more fastballs in order to give opposing catchers more of an opportunity to throw out Ichiro should he steal. It also opens up the right side of the infield for Beltre.

The move of Lopez to No. 3 is very un-Hargrove but could be the best thing for the struggling offense. Lopez is still a young player and Hargrove has not generally trusted the newbies to be in such a key position. That said, Lopez has proved to be the most reliable RBI man and willing to shoot the ball to right field when he's pitched away, something that has foiled Beltre and Sexson all season. ...

Two consecutive losses to the Texas Rangers in Arlington have dropped the Mariners to seven games behind the division leaders heading into tonight's series finale. This streak is just the latest trouble the Mariners have had in Texas.

Seattle has not had a winning record in Texas since 2002. Here's a look at the Mariners record there the last four years:

2006: 0-2
2005: 3-7
2004: 2-7
2003: 4-6

Mariners fans need to keep an eye on Rainiers' pitcher Francisco Cruceta, especially his walk totals. If Cruceta can keep those dreaded free passes down, he can be a special pitcher.

This year, Cruceta leads the PCL in strikeouts with 68. He gets it done with a solid fastball and a biting slider. The trouble is he sometimes doesn't know where those pitches are going.

In 50 2/3 innings, Cruceta has walked 26. That's too many. His control is also why he has only so-so numbers this year (3-3, 3.50 ERA). One of his outings was a disastrous nine-run in one inning performance.

The Mariners picked Cruceta up off the scrap heap last August. Cruceta was waived by the Cleveland Indians after being more bad than good at Triple-A Buffalo (6-4 record but a 5.19 ERA in 102 1/3 innings). He pitched about the same at Tacoma (1-1, 5.00 ERA in just 9 innings) but his live arm intrigued M's officials. He doesn't turn 25 until July 4 so there's still time for him to get it figured out.

Here's a question I've heard a lot lately. This was posted by iqbal70 this morning:

Mr. Beene,
Not a good year for Eddie, but he isn't unique in that. Why does it seem like a trend that players come to Seattle and then just don't perform. Sexson was great last year, but this year is a disaster. Beltre just hasn't adapted to the AL and Everett is all right, but not putting up the numbers you'd expect for a DH. I even checked on Spiezio and Aurillia and they are doing significantly better than when they were M's. Is it Seattle that causes this?

That is the question, isn't it?

The Mariners have had either horrible luck or used bad judgement in signing free agents lately. Aurilla and Spiezio aren't producing at their pre-Seattle levels but they're at least contributing to winning teams. As Mariners, they were punchless.

If you want to go back even further in Mariners history, there's Al Martin (remember him? Decent player with Pirates, bench-fodder for the M's). Even Randy Winn, who had solid numbers with the M's, didn't do what he did in San Francisco after he was traded last year (.359, 14 homers, in 231 at-bats).

Sexson's troubles can be explained as a classic slump. Since he's become a regular and not counting 2004 when he was hurt and played in just 23 games, Sexson has hit no lower than .255 with at least 29 home runs. But the way he's struggling, it's hard to imagine him getting to those levels this year unless he becomes en fuego this summer.

Beltre is a whole different matter. Outside the breakout year he had in his last season as a Dodger (.335, 48 HR, 121 RBI), he had never hit more than 23 homers in a season, hit .300 or driven in 100. The guy had great contract year and now the Mariners are paying for it. Don't ever expect those numbers again. I would say if Beltre hit 25 homers, drove in 90 with a .280 average Mariners' fans should be happy.

Is it Seattle? Hard to say. Safeco Field is a pitcher's park, but that didn't seem to bother Sexson last year when he hit 21 of his 39 homers at home. Other players hit there, so I can't imagine the ballpark is the sole reason.

Here's this tidbit, thanks to our friends at ESPN and Elias, about Eddie Guardado that I found interesting:

Lew Ford's 10th-inning home run Sunday was the 11th game-ending home run that Eddie Guardado has allowed in his career. That's the most among active players (one more then Troy Pervical has allowed) and it's the most against any pitcher since Randy Myers retired having allowed 12 game-ending home runs.

The Mariners offense struggled for the second consecutive night on Friday.
After being shut out, 2-0, by the Orioles and Rodrigo Lopez on Thursday, the Mariners were beaten, 3-1, by the Twins and rookie Francisco Liriano with help from three relievers.

The pitching, however, remains pretty solid. Here are two charts that you might find interesting – and leave you wondering where the Mariners would be in the AL West standings if they had more offense.

STARTERS ERA
The Mariners' starting pitchers – Jamie Moyer, Jarrod Washburn (pictured), Joel Pineiro, Gil Meche and Felix Hernandez – are fourth in the AL with an ERA of 4.55 (154 ER, 304.1 IP)...the Mariners trail the Tigers (3.44), the White Sox (3.97) and the Yankees (4.41).

QUALITY IS JOB ONE
The Mariners are currently third in the A.L. in “Quality Starts” (6.0 or more IP, 3 ER or less) with 26. The top five in the AL:
1. Detroit Tigers, 31
2. Chicago White Sox, 30
3. Seattle Mariners, 26
4. New York Yankees, 24
5. Boston Red Sox, 23
Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 23

Let's talk about what's going on with the Rainiers.

1. Fruto is For-Real-O – Anyone at Friday's game will tell you how good Emiliano Fruto looked. His fastball was buzzing. In three innings, he struck out six to earn his sixth save of the year.
Pitching coach Dwight Bernard, who had Fruto last year at Double-A San Antonio, said the 23-year-old with the big arm has made big strides. He's developing into a reliever who can be dominating, which is good news for Mariners fans.

2. Jiminez shows promise – Lefty Cesar Jiminez won his first game of the year with a solid outing (six innings, two runs). Jiminez is not a blow-em-away type guy, but his fastball has decent life. He's a young guy who's still learning, manager Dave Brundage said.

3. Jones bottoming out of slump? – Adam Jones' average was down to .241 before he ripped a bases-loaded triple against Colorado Springs on Friday. He also drew a walk in the game and stole a base. There are going to be some rough moments but it's all part of the process for a 20-year-old playing Triple-A and adjusting to playing center field. No one associated with the Mariners seems at all concerned with his progress. There was some talk that he, not Mike Morse, could have been called up last week but Morse's versatility and hot streak prevailed.

For the second week in a row, the No. 1 team in all the land is the Detroit Tigers. I think this qualifies as surprising.

1. Detroit (1) – Time to make a stand: In a stretch of 10 home games with Indians, Yankees, Red Sox.
2. St. Louis (2) – Someone needs to tell Pujols that sticking up for Barry Bonds is like defending oil companies.
3. Chicago White Sox (3) – Michael Barrett not the first to want to punch A.J. Pierzynski and probably not the last to try.
4. Boston (5) – New team motto: Beckett and Schilling and then comes the drilling.
5. New York Mets (6) – If El Duque fails, maybe they can ask Jerry Koosman to come out of retirement.
6. Cincinnati (4) – Maybe they know something we don’t after signing Royals’ castoff Joe Mays (0-4, 10.27 ERA).
7. Arizona (11) – Rumor has it they are one of many teams trying to pry Dontrelle Willis out of Florida.
8. Los Angeles Dodgers (18) – Seriously, that’s not the same Aaron Sele that pitched for Seattle last year (6-12, 5.66 ERA), right?
9. New York Yankees (8) – Because of all the injuries, The Boss instructs GM Brian Cashman to explore trades for a new trainer.
10. Toronto (10) – Installing Angels’ reject Edgardo Alfonzo at second after infield shakeup.
11. Colorado (12) – Rockies put out APB for Todd Helton’s missing bat.
12. Philadelphia (9) – How is Cole Hamels like a crystal carafe? Both are nice but fragile pitchers.
13. Houston (13) – Rotation could really use a booster Rocket.
14. Atlanta (16) – Not a good sign: Only the Royals bullpen has blown more save chances.
15. San Diego (7) – Must be some kind of rule that only one NL West team per week is allowed to be on a hot streak.
16. San Francisco (19) – Reason No. 41 to dislike Barry Bonds: He has bad table manners.
17. Milwaukee (14) – Outfielder Carlos Lee might be the most underrated slugger in the game.
18. Texas (17) – Mark Teixeira enters weekend with as many homers (five) as Damon Hollins. Who’s Damon Hollins? Exactly.
19. Cleveland (20) – Go ahead and give C.C. Sabathia pitcher of the month honors (4-1, 0.92 ERA).
20. Oakland (15) – They’re cold, they’re hot, they’re cold, they’re hot, they’re cold… what are they, a faucet?
21. Seattle (26) – Could have gone 7-0 on homestand if they had not been shut down by slopballers John Halama and Rodrigo Lopez.
22. Minnesota (25) – Will Boof go through the roof or be a spoof and go poof? Man, how we like that name, Boof Bonser.
23. Tampa Bay (23) – They’re really improved but you would never know it because of that division.
24. Baltimore (21) – Bold prediction: Chris Ray is the next top closer in baseball.
25. Washington (25) – We’ll forgive F-Robby for crying after Thursday’s games. We’ve seen the Nats play, too.
26. Los Angeles Angels (24) – At this rate, Anaheim is going to sue team to get their name off the franchise entirely.
27. Chicago Cubs (22) – Only hope for playoffs is to make a second-half charge like the Astros did last year.
28. Florida (29) – Difference between Marlins in Royals is that Florida has young players who are bad while Kansas City has old players who are bad.
29. Pittsburgh (27) – If you ask me, they should bring back those round caps from the ‘70s.
30. Kansas City (30) – It’s official: They’ve been eliminated from the playoffs for the 2007 season.

The Mariners responded to Tuesday's drubbing by coming back and beating Baltimore, 7-4. Stars on this night were Richie Sexson, who had two hits and three RBI; Sean Green, who pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of winner Jarrod Washburn and J.J. Putz, who struck out the side in the ninth to earn his seventh save. Here's some audio from the clubhouse:

Sexson on dealing with his slump

Washburn on his night

Green on bailing out the tired bullpen

One topic during Mariners manager Mike Hargrove's pregame chat with reporters was the status of pitcher Joel Pineiro. Pineiro gave up five runs on Tuesday – four in that dreaded first inning – and had his third consecutive poor outing since winning AL pitcher of the week honors.

Hargrove said he talked with Pineiro after the game and by the sound of it, it was more of a pat on the back than a kick in the rump. He said he told Pineiro that he still considers Pineiro to be a good pitcher albeit one who's going through a tough time.

A positive from Pineiro's outing – if anything positive can come out of a 10-hit, 5-run, 5-inning performance – was his ability to make adjustments after the first inning. Hargrove said Pineiro quickly went to his slider and changeup once he saw that his command on his fastball was not there.

If you're watching any Mariners' game, take special note of the first inning. The Mariners have been outscored 32-14 this season in the first. More bad firsts: The first inning is opponent's most productive inning while it's the Mariners least productive inning.

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove was asked about the team's first inning struggles before Wednesday's games. He acknowledged the problem but did not really have an answer for it. "Stats are stats," Hargrove said, "and it's just a number of the game."

That may be, but the numbers say when the Mariners score first, they've got a good chance to win. Seattle's record is 10-5 when scoring first, 11-21 when they don't.

On Wednesday, Jarrod Washburn pitched a 1-2-3 first for Seattle against Baltimore and Richie Sexson singled in Jose Lopez in the bottom of the inning to make it 1-0.

Over the weekend Barry Bonds tied Babe Ruth by hitting his 714th career home run. Applaud the feat or scoff at it; it all depends on your feelings about Bonds' alleged use of steroids and performance enhancing drugs. One of the many questions raised by Bonds' troubles is this one: Assume that Bonds did take all the stuff that we've heard about. How many homers would he have hit if had not been juiced?

Hard to tell, right? Well, this article on the ESPN website puts a number to it and some science behind an educated guess of 616. Read on:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/060512

I interviewed San Diego Padres catcher Mike Piazza for my Sunday column about how he's adjusting to life as a player with a not quite full-time role. He had some interesting things to say, and a healthy attitude about growing older. You can find the column on the website; here are some audio files:

Piazza on being 37: click here

Piazza on criticism about his defense: click here

Here are my weekly power rankings, a day earlier than what the print subscribers are getting.

TEAM (last week)
1. Detroit (7) – Who knew the best team from the Motor City in May is not Pistons or Redwings but Tigers?
2. St. Louis (4) – No beating around the Busch, the Cardinals love playing in new home (18-7).
3. Chicago White Sox (1) – Guillen quote of the week: “If we played the way the Cubs played, there would be 2,000 people in the ballpark.”
4. Cincinnati (3) – Good to see ya: Griffey delivers two game-winning hits in first week back.
5. Boston (5) – J.T. Snow wants a trade? News to us that he has not already retired.
6. New York Mets (2) – Reality bites: Better Cardinals team took 2-of-3 from Mets.
7. San Diego (11) – Imagine how good they could be if they ever figured out how to win at Petco Park.
8. New York Yankees (6) – To think Carl Pavano, who’s still hurt, could have been Mariners’ problem.
9. Philadelphia (9) – Rookie pitcher Cole Hamels looks to have the right stuff.
10. Toronto (13) – So who is their “rival” know that the Expos are no more?
11. Arizona (10) – BoMel is doing swell with this bunch.
12. Colorado (8) – The Rockies have peaked and are headed back down the mountain.
13. Houston (12) – Maybe they need Roger Clemens more than originally thought.
14. Milwaukee (17) – A little salt in the wounds: Jeff Cirillo is hitting .361.
15. Oakland (14) – When it comes to interleague play, no one is better than A’s.
16. Atlanta (23) – Hold that obit; the Braves aren’t dead and buried yet.
17. Texas (15) – Bold prediction: If they land Clemens they’ll win the AL West.
18. Los Angeles Dodgers (16) ¬– Loser of “Freeway Series” must walk to stadium for a week.
19. San Francisco (20) – As tired as Bonds is we’re even more tired of him.
20. Cleveland Indians (18) – Much like last season, the Indians are digging themselves a deep hole.
21. Baltimore (26) – Seems like ancient history when this franchise won games because of its pitching and defense.
22. Chicago Cubs (19) – New TV show stars Dusty Baker as The Fall Guy.
23. Tampa Bay (25) – Cool rule: Fans allowed to bring food and beverages into Tropicana Field.
24. Los Angeles Angels (22) – Team’s Triple-A callups were more suspect than prospect.
25. Minnesota (21) – Brad Radke’s ERA – 7.20 – looks like a bad earthquake.
26. Seattle (24) – Earned all F’s playing against A’s.
27. Pittsburgh (29) – At least fans have All-Star Game on July 11 to look forward to.
28. Washington (27) – Like politician’s speech, ‘Battle of the Beltway’ matchup with Orioles sounds a lot better than it is.
29. Florida (30) – Fish tacos? Cancel that move to San Antonio, at least for now.
30. Kansas City – Do you think their fans took any satisfaction in having owner David Glass promise to make some changes?

The Mariners, as expected, activated Julio Mateo from the disabled list. Another move, designating outfielder Matt Lawton for assignment and recalling Mike Morse, was not.

It's a logical move even if Morse isn't tearing the cover off the ball at Tacoma (hitting just .227). The Mariners have been hamstrung with their bench because only one player, Willie Bloomquist, can play the middle infield positions. Morse, a natural shortstop, has been playing all over in Tacoma, which will help the Mariners out. Mariners GM Bill Bavasi talks about Morse and what this means to the second-year player: click here to listen

One of the things I'm going to try and do with this blog is to give a heads up to those who read the Sunday page. Here's a chart I compiled – with thanks to MLB – of how teams have fared in interleague play since baseball began games between the leagues in 1997.

HOT CORNER

Interleague records
TEAM W-L PCT
1. Athletics 95-63 .601
2. Yankees 93-63 .596
3. Marlins 87-63 .580
4. Braves 86-65 .570
5. Cardinals 73-57 .562
6. White Sox 86-71 .548
7. Astros 71-60 .542
8. Indians 85-72 .541
9. Giants 78-68 .534
10. Mariners 84-74 .532
11. Angels 83-75 .525
12. Nationals 81-76 .516
13. Dodgers 75-71 .514
14. Mets 77-74 .510
15. Cubs 66-64 .508
16. Twins 79-77 .506
17. Red Sox 77-80 .490
18. Phillies 73-78 .483
19. Diamondbacks 61-66 .480
20. Rangers 75-83 .475
21. Blue Jays 74-83 .471
22. Brewers 58-66 .468
23. Padres 67-79 .459
24. Tigers 71-86 .452
25. Reds 55-69 .444
26. Rockies 55-75 .423
27. Royals 66-91 .420
28. Orioles 64-93 .408
29. Pirates 49-72 .405
30. Devil Rays 56-86 .394

* Note that the teams have not played the same amount of interleague games because of the different number of teams within the divisions.

The Padres are not only the hottest team in baseball but one of the most comfortable away from home. Consider: The Padres, who play the next three games at Safeco Field, have won 14 of 17 games this month. And, they're 13-6 away from San Diego, and have won 9 of their last 11 on the road.

If you missed it in Friday's News Tribune, here's the rundown with the Rainiers' revised rotation. Bobby Livingston, recently sent back to Triple-A by the Mariners, will remain a starter while Kevin Appier comes out of the rotation and goes into the bullpen.

Don't think this is any kind of a demotion for Appier, who has generally pitched well since getting over a strained calf he suffered late in spring training. Appier is positioning himself with a promotion to the majors if/when the Mariners need a reliever.

For Livingston, this means the experiment of him pitching out of the bullpen is over for now. The lefty's stuff and need to have the feel of his pitches is more suited for the rotation anyway.

Chris Snelling, continuing to rehab from ACL replacement surgery, started and played right field. Snelling had played four games – all as the DH – with the Rainiers before Tuesday. He came out of the game in the top of the sixth after having two walks in two at-bats.

Left-handed pitcher Bobby Livingston was sent down by the Mariners on Sunday because of shortage of available arms in the bullpen and because he struggled in two of his three outings (10 runs in five innings, including two home runs). Strangley, Livingston struggled with control – he walked six. Most likely, it was a classic case of a young pitcher getting hit hard and then being scared out of the strike zone.

The move to the bullpen was the first time Livingston had pitched in relief. He said it was hard getting used to not throwing regularly and it was difficult for him to have command because he relies on feel for his pitches.

His future with the Mariners seems to favor him starting but that might not be in the team's plan. Rainiers manager Dave Brundage said it's not a given that Livingston would move back into Tacoma's rotation. Stay tuned.

Coming in Tuesday's News Tribune is a story I wrote about pitch counts and how they pertain to Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez, who is being closely monitored by the organization in his first full season in the majors.

www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/5741919p-5137774c.html

If you didn't see my weekly rankings in the Sunday paper, here they are:

1. White Sox – They’re the one team that has depth to make up for loss of a Jose Contreras.

2. New York Mets – Like my old Camaro, will probably need to get another starter.

3. Cincinnati – A real Junior achievement: Reds went 17-9 without Griffey in lineup.

4. St. Louis – What a difference a year makes: At this point in’05, already had 4½ game lead.

5. Boston – In last 75 post- and regular-season games vs. Yankees, have a 39-36 record.

6. New York Yankees – Because of injuries outfield becomes thinner than pre-BALCO Barry Bonds.

7. Detroit – Tigers, and not just Frosted Flakes, are proving to be GRRRRReat.

8. Colorado – On pace to have team’s best-ever record after 40 games (went 23-17 in 1995 and 1997).

9. Philadelphia – Players, fans trade barbs with ex-Phillie Billy Wagner to provide fuel for raging rivalry with Mets.

10. Arizona – You could argue that pitcher Brandon Webb (6-0, .87 walks per 9 innings) is NL’s best.

11. San Diego – 9-game winning streak’s no miracle. It’s just May (see last year’s 22-6 record).

12. Houston – Just call Astros pitcher “Magic” Wandy Rodriguez (5-1, 3.02 ERA).

13. Toronto – Blue Jays remain the third-best team in AL East despite being No. 1 in Canada.

14. Oakland – Who would have ever guessed that Frank Thomas would get hurt?

15. Texas – Could be this year’s version of the 2005 Padres: A .500 team winning a diluted division.

16. Los Angeles Dodgers – Just when you thought they were dead…

17. Milwaukee – Buzz is wearing off with Brewers fans as headaches begin to mount.

18. Cleveland – You know you are slumping when you lose three consecutive games vs. Royals.

19. Chicago Cubs – Hoping that Kerry Wood’s return this week provides a jolt.

20. San Francisco – Only thing stretched more than Bonds’ hat is imagining the Giants winning the division.

21. Minnesota – A real Twins killing: Can’t pitch or hit.

22. Los Angeles Angels – Lineup looking more and more like the Marlins.

23. Atlanta – You would have to go back to the Biff Pocoroba era to find a worse Braves team.

24. Seattle – ‘Big Richie’ Sexson ends homestand hitting more like Little Richard.

25. Tampa Bay – Like a soaked sponge, Devil Rays’ bullpen stinks and can’t clean up any mess.

26. Baltimore – Stinko play, not the Nationals, is why they should be worried about losing their fan base.

27. Washington – As season spirals downward team may entertain trading outfielder Alfonso Soriano.

28. Kansas City – Yeah, Cleveland rocks: Five of first 10 victories came vs. Indians.

29. Pittsburgh – Maintaining their lead over Mariners in race for worst team in a great stadium division.

30. Florida – Don’t they have something better to do in Miami? 8,717 fans watch Fish lose, 9-1, to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Question: What role is the team looking to have nageotte fill for the big leage squad? Is there a chance he could join the M's this year?
– jshmtred

Answer: Nageotte remains high on the Mariners list of pitchers who could be called up should their be a need. The key for Nageotte, whether he's pitching in relief or as a starter, is throwing strikes. He has a tendency to get in trouble when he falls behind in the count and starts walking people (for an example, remember his one day up, one day back in Tacoma experience earlier this season when he walked two, gave up a three-run homer in one inning).

For the time being, Nageotte will start in Tacoma. That could change depending on injury or ineffectiveness at the major league level.

Rainiers pitcher Clint Nageotte is mowing down the Round Rock Express right on Friday night. He gave up a bad-hop triple to the first batter of the game and has retired the next 16 hitters. The Rainiers lead, 8-1 in the top of the sixth.
This is good news in that Nageotte has not been sharp in his last two starts as his ERA rose to 5.40.

Whatever problems Mariners wunderkind pitcher Felix Hernandez has been having seem to have been cured. Or maybe the Tampa Bay Devils just aren't that good. (Think so?)...

Anyway, Felix just came out of the game on Tuesday having struck out four of the last five batters he faced. His final line: 7 2/3 innings, five hits, one earned run, eight strikeouts and one walk.

He finished strong, too. His 100th pitch of the night was clocked at 95 mph according to the Safeco Field scoreboard. Not too shabby, huh?

Often-injured outfielder Chris Snelling took batting practice and shagged flies on Tuesday at Safeco Field. After, he said he's is going to Tacoma to begin his rehabilitation from having had ACL replacement surgery on his left knee. He will DH in the beginning as he continues to build strength. Snelling talks about having to go through rehab yet again. click here to listen

Mariners fans got a first-hand look at Tampa Bay Devil Rays slugger Jonny Gomes' work on Monday when Gomes smashed his 12th home run of the season off Gil Meche. Gomes burst on the scene last year when he hit 21 home runs in 348 at-bats for the Devil Rays. Here's a good story from Carter Gaddis of the Tampa Tribune about Gomes, who has lived an interesting life: click here

Tonight Barry Bonds could tie Babe Ruth if he hits home run No. 714. In case you are curious, here's a good link that provides all the details on Bonds' home runs:

www.sportsline.com/mlb/bondstracker/bondslog

Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Joel Piñeiro has been named the American League Player of the Week for the period ending May 7th.

In two starts for Seattle last week, Piñeiro went 2-0, with a 1.59 ERA, striking out six and walking none over 17.0 innings of work.
Last Monday the right-hander recorded the ninth complete game of his Major League career in an 8-2 win at Minnesota. In that game Piñeiro allowed nine hits and two runs while going the distance for the Mariners' third straight win.

He looked strong again in his next start on Saturday, going eight innings in a 4-1 win over Cleveland. Piñeiro, who pitched for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, surrendered four hits and allowed just one first inning run to help the Mariners stop a four-game slide. His six strikeouts against the Indians were a season-high and helped improve his record to 4-2 in 2006.

Piñeiro is the first Seattle pitcher to be named A.L. Player of the Week since Kazuhiro Sasaki (4/29/01) and the first Mariners starting pitcher to win the award since Randy Johnson (6/8/97).

Other candidates considered were Cleveland's Travis Hafner (.320, 4 HR, 13 RBI); Detroit's Magglio Ordonez (.333, 4 HR, 9 RBI); and Toronto's Troy Glaus (.333, 4 HR, 8 RBI). Pitchers considered for the award were Minnesota's Johan Santana (2-0, 20 SO, 14.0 IP) and C.C. Sabathia (2-0, 0.69, 13.0 IP) of the Indians.

... it's Matt Lawton. Lawton got the start in center field for the Mariners on Friday as slumping Jeremy Reed stayed on the bench. Lawton, who played center for the first time on Monday since the 2000 season, said he's glad to get into the lineup. click here to listen

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove on Friday talked about reliever Eddie Guardado in wake of taking Guardado out of the closer's role. click here to listen

Consider whatever test pitcher Kevin Appier needed to pass by pitching in the minor leagues aced. Appier, with another strong performance on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, has run his streak to 15 consecutive scoreless innings with the Rainiers.
What does that mean?
Likely, it's a return trip to the majors for Appier when the Mariners need a pitcher.
Appier told me after his last start in Tacoma that he agreed to pitch in the minors for awhile and as long as he had a shot at playing in the majors again. The Mariners, he said, were serious about his comeback bid. So far, Appier, who had an injured calf in spring training, seems healthy and able to pitch, at least against minor leaguers. At some point soon, the Mariners will need to see if Appier can get it done in the majors.
Appier, who has been a starter throughout his career, said he wouldn't object to pitching in relief.

The Seattle Mariners announced today that the Florida Marlins have claimed outfielder Joe Borchard off waivers.
The Mariners had designated Borchard for assignment on April 23.
Borchard, 27, appeared in six games with Seattle this season, including making two starts in center field. He hit .222 in nine at-bats. Borchard spent most of the 2005 season with Triple-A Charlotte, where he tied for second in the International League with 29 home runs.
Borchard was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Matt Thornton on March 20, 2006.

By losing outfielder Joe Borchard on waivers, the Mariners wind up getting nothing in the trade with the Chicago White Sox when they gave up pitcher Matt Thornton.
Then again, maybe the Mariners should scratch the White Sox off their list of teams to trade with. Think back to another time the teams traded, back in June of 2004. The Mariners gave Chicago pitcher Freddy Garcia and catcher Ben Davis while receiving catcher Miguel Olivio (since traded away), center fielder Jeremy Reed and shortstop Mike Morse.
Ouch.