Russell Branyan is out for a game with a bruised, stiff forearm, the result of being hit by a Clay Zavada fastball - so rookie Mike Carp is making his second start at first base.

It's another new lineup, Don Wakamatsu's 61st of the season, and it's without Jose Lopez (bereavement leave), Ken Griffey Jr (tender knee), Adrian Beltre (stiff shoulder) and Branyan.

So where will the offense come from?

The Mariners need it from Ichiro, Carp, Mike Sweeney and - yes - left fielder Wladimir Balentin.

With Felix Hernandez starting, it might not take much offense to win, but he's going to need at least one run and more likely three or four.

It's Felix vs. Doug Davis, with Seattle trying to get over .500 for the first time since May 7.

And we're off.

It's never easy

Felix worked out of trouble in the first, leaving a runner at third base, and jumped right back into the fire in the second innings.

Consecutive singles from Gerardo Parra, Miguel Montero and Tony Clark loaded the bases with no one out.

Impossible situation? Not quite.

Hernandez got a ground ball to third base, where Chris Woodward stepped on the base for a force out, then threw home for a tag play.

Felix struck out Augie Ojeda, and the inning was over.

Yes, Arizona is stunned.

It's Never Easy II

Felix has shut Arizona out into the fourth, but the Mariners have only one hit against Davis - Ichiro's two-out triple in the third.
Then in the fourth, Davis walked two Mariners and, with two outs, Yuniesky Betancourt singled home a run.

That's right, a run!

After four: Mariners 1, Diamondbacks 0

Maximum effort

With his 101st pitch of the day, Felix struck out his eighth batter, leadoff hitter Felipe Lopez, to end the Arizona seventh.

How much deeper he goes in the game will be a topic of discussion between Hernandez, pitching coach Rick Adair and Don Wakamatsu.

Holding a 1-0 lead, the Mariners are without closer David Aardsma today. After working in four of the last five games, he simply cannot go another.
Felix could use another run or two, but it's unlikely he's going to get a complete game today. Not impossible, but unlikely.

He threw 117 pitches in his last start.

That hurt

Hernandez got one out in the eighth inning, walked Justin Upton and, with his 112th pitch, gave up a two-run home run to Mark Reynolds.

It wasn't cheap - it sailed over the center field wall - but it finished Felix's day, and may have beaten his team.

Garrett Olson, who is scheduled to start on Tuesday, is now pitching in relief.

In the eighth: Diamondbacks 2, Mariners 1

Arizona helps out

With the Seattle offense struggling mightily, the Diamondbacks did the heavy lifting for them in the eighth inning.

Carp got to second base when Lopez threw away his leadoff ground ball, and Sweeney promptly singled Carp to third bvase.

With a crowd of 37,251 suddenly awakened, Franklin Gutierrez hit a fielders choice ground ball that got Carp home to tie the game.
Betancourt singled Gutierrez to third and Junior pinch-hit for Jamie Burke. Griffey flied to the track in left.

After eight: Mariners 2, Diamondbacks 2

And then, the ninth

Reliever Clay Zavada did the impossible and walked Ronny Cedeno - hitting .114 and in an 0-for-16 funk - to open the ninth inning.

That brought up Ichiro, who laid a 12-pitch at-bat on Zavada before beating out a slow roller to shortstop, pushing Cedeno to second base.

Woodward tried to bunt the runners over and failed, fouling off a third strike. Carp grounded out, putting runners at second and third with two outs. Sweeney was walked intentionally.

Chad Qualls came in to pitch, Gutierrez grounded to third - but first baseman Tony Clark dropped the throw and a run scored.

Final score: Mariners 3, Diamondbacks 2