Now Playing Center Field ...
Jim Riggleman came up with a new lineup tonight, one with Jeremy Reed DHing and rookie Wladimir Balentien in center.
Balentien's bat has him in the lineup, and though he's only started in center field one other time, the Mariners want to take a look at him there.

Tough News For Kenji ...
The Mariners have told Kenji Johjima - who signed a three-year contract extension in April - that he's no longer a starting catcher.
That job, they say, belongs to Jeff Clement, at least through the end of the season, and that if Johjima wants to win the job back, he'd better come up with another approach at the plate by next spring.
Signing Johjima to the extension made no sense and wasn't a baseball decision. That order came from Japan.
Along with Clement, the Mariners are deep in young catching prospects, from Rob Johnson in Tacoma to Adam Moore in West Tennessee.
It's why Mariners players were stunned when Seattle extended Kenji.
They had good reason to be ...

Dividends In Center ...
Balentien's fifth home run of the season just banged off the upper deck in left field, and it's hard to remember a recent Mariners farmhand with his power.
If he can hit for average AND keep that power, Seattle will have found at least one bat in its quest for 2009 offense.
Mariners 2, Rays 1 ...

Argh & Arghhh Again
Carlos Silva isn't pithing particularly well, but he's had little help behind him.
Ichiro over threw the cutoff man on an RBI single, allowing two runners to move up a base.
Then shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt made a fine stop, looked both runners back - and threw a ball away for a two-base error.
Ugh.
To the bottom of the third:
Rays 5, Mariners 2 ...

If They Can Just Get To J.J. ...
Mr. Putz may not have a game to save tonight, but the Mariners might want him to pitch, anyway.
Why? In his last three appearances, J.J. is 3-0, that's why. He's the first Seattle reliever to win in three consecutive appearances in 30 years.
Mariners aren't having much success when it matters most against James Shields - and Raul Ibanez is 0-for-3.
Fans have let out an audible moan after each of those outs.
To the Sixth:
Rays 5, Mariners 3 ...

Mendoza Line Special ...
Jeff Clement is heating up - he's gone 9-for-23 this home stand, pulling his average from .167 to .201.
Over that same stretch of games, Kenji Johjima has only seven at-bats. That's meant almost not work for reserve Jamie Burke, who's had one at-bat in the past nine games.
After givin up a leadoff single in yhre seventh, Mr. Silva has been pulled in favor of Jake Woods. Silva deserved better tonight.
Rays 5, Mariners 3 ...

On To The Ninth ...
Grizzled veteran closer vs. Balentien, Bryan LaHair and Betancourt. The kids are getting a baptism by fire.
Rays 5, Mariners 3 ...

In the midst of a lost season, Raul Ibanez remains one of the most driven of the Seattle Mariners, a man whose work ethic doesn’t change month to month, week to week or even day to day.

And this month, Ibanez has gone from solid to stratospheric – with 15 RBI over his last five games.

That’s put the 36-year-old outfielder in line for his third consecutive 100-RBI season, entering the second week of August with a .290 average, 18 home runs and 78 RBI.

Which leads to just one of the many questions facing the franchise – can it keep Ibanez, who will become a free agent at years end?

Certainly not at the salary Ibanez makes now. At $5.5 million per season, he’s eighth on the Mariners payroll list, behind Ichiro Suzuki, Adrian Beltre Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva, Erik Bedard, Miguel Batista and Kenji Johjjima.

Ibanez has never complained.

Asked earlier this year about what he expects in the off-season, he said he wanted a four-year-contract, and though he’s likely to get an offer or two in that range, a three-year deal seems more like what Seattle would request.

For how much? The bidding for a man coming off three consecutive 100-RBI seasons – and being a good citizen and clubhouse force, to boot – would probably start in the $10-$11 million a year range.

Money isn’t supposed to be a problem for the Mariners next year as they try to rebuild and compete. The issue is, at the moment, who will be allowed to spend it.

Manager Jim Riggleman says he’d love to have Ibanez back – “who wouldn’t,” he asked – but Riggleman may not be back, so his opinion may not matter. Similarly, general manager Lee Pelekoudas will finish the season, but knows the job is wide open to competition beyond that.

Ibanez and the team could discuss a contract extension, although it now seems fairly late in the game for the Mariners to be making those overtures. Johjima, for example, signed his three-year extension in April.

And he’s not even a starter, any more.

Far more likely, Ibanez will test the market and list to offers, including one from Seattle this winter. For a team that knows it must add punch to its lineup for 2009, losing Ibanez would only mean the Mariners need to add yet another bat.

The Cincinnati Reds have hired former Mariners GM Bill Bavasi. The Reds send out this release this afternoon.

BILL BAVASI JOINS REDS' FRONT OFFICE

Named Special Assistant to Walt Jocketty

CINCINNATI - Cincinnati Reds President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Walt Jocketty today announced the hiring of former Anaheim Angels and Seattle Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi as a special assistant.

Bavasi, 50, will advise and assist Jocketty in matters related to the front office, Major League field and support personnel and scouting.

"We're excited Bill has joined our organization," Jocketty said. "Over his career of more than 30 years, he has worked in almost every facet of baseball operations. We will benefit from his experience and insights."

Bavasi was the vice president/general manager for the Angels from 1994-99 and executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations for the Mariners from November 7, 2003 through June 15 of this season.

Bavasi began his professional baseball career in 1974 with the San Diego Padres. He was named Angels general manager after 14 years in their player development department and helped lay the groundwork for that club's 2002 World Series championship. He spent the 2002-03 seasons as the Los Angeles Dodgers' director of player development before he was hired by the Mariners as their GM in November 2003.

His father, Buzzie Bavasi, was general manager of the Angels and the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and president of the Padres. His brother, Peter, was general manager of the Padres, founding president of the Toronto Blue Jays and president of the Cleveland Indians.

An exciting win last night for the Mariners. When Raul stepped to the plate, I looked at Larry and Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald and said, "home run."

Damn, I'm good.

How locked in his Raul right now?

From today's game notes ...

* Anyway here is Larry's game story from last night.

* Here's his game notebook that talks about Miguel Batista not starting on Saturday.

* Here's how the St. Pete Times covered the game</strong>. And here is how the Tampa Tribune covered the game.