When the Mariners take the field tonight, six of the nine men in their lineup will be players who weren't here last season - as will eight other players on the roster.

That's not a bad thing, apparently.

After 86 games last season, this team was 34-52, not 44-42. Oh, and they were 18 games behind the Angels in the American League West.

Against right-hander Kevin Millwood, the Mariners will send left-handed hitters Ken Griffey Jr., Russell Branyan, Ryan Langerhans and Jack Hannahan - all of whom were with different teams a year ago.

The tail end of the lineup appears to be an offensive void: Rob Johnson (.199), Hannahan (.193) and Ronny Cedeno (.152), but it's a strong defensive group.

That, in turn, should help Jarrod Washburn, who looks to even his record (5-6) despite carting around a rock-solid ERA (3.08).

It's Texas vs. Seattle, game three of a four-game series.

Rangers strike first

Nothing good ever comes of walking a No. 9 hitter.

Washburn did it one out into the third inning, and it burned him when Ian Kinsler doubled to score Elvis Andrus. It's the only run of the game so far, and the man who scored it was given a free pass to first base.

In the third: Rangers 1, Mariners 0

Branyan gets 'em even

Mr. Branyan tied the game with his 22nd home run of the season - and 12th at Safeco Field - a shot off the signage of the second deck in right field.

This guy never hits cheapies.

After three: Mariners 1, Rangers 1

Guess who's pitching?

Let's see, if the the Mariners can't score but their starting pitcher is working on a gem, it must be Washburn.

Through six innings, Washburn has allowed four hits a run and that's earned him ... a tie. Millwood has allowed only three hits and a run.

Through six, Washburn has thrown 80 pitches. By now, he probably doesn't expect a run scored behind him.

And the Mariners lead

Langerhans singled to left field and everyone - including Rob Johnson - expected Johnson to bunt. He tried, and failed.

So on a 1-2 pitch, swinging away, Johnson hammered his first home run over the Seattle bullpen.

Hannahan doubled, chasing Millwood after 114 pitches, and ex-Mariner Eddie Guardado came in.

Cedeno bunted Hannahan to third base and, with the infield drawn in, Ichiro singled home a fourth run.
Mark Lowe is in to pitch the eighth inning.

After seven: Mariners 4, Rangers 1

And in the ninth

David Aardsma - who else? - gets the save and the Mariners knock the Rangers out of first place in the AL West.

Seattle (45-42)now trails Los Angeles by four games.

It's a final: Mariners 4, Rangers

The roster move made to get third baseman Jack Hannahan on the team came as a surprise to pitcher Brandon Morrow - because it was Morrow sent out.

After six starts, Morrow will stay with the Mariners through the All-Star break, then step into the Rainiers starting rotation.

There, he'll join Ryan Rowland-Smith and Jason Vargas, who have also started in Seattle and Tacoma this year.

"We don't need a fifth starter after the break until July 25," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "We fan slide Garrett Olson into the rotation after the break until we make any other decision.

"We're sending Brandon out with specific goals, to improve his secondary pitches and continue to work on pitch efficiency. As I told him a few minutes ago, he's a big part of our close future. We stretched him out up here, he worked with (pitching coach) Rick Adair. Now he's got a definitive plan to work on."

In his six starts, Morrow was 0-1 and went beyond five innings only one time.

Hannahan is expected at Safeco Field momentarily - he's flying in from Sacramento - and is in the starting lineup tonight.

Jack Zduriencik was at it again today, moving a Class AA pitcher to Oakland for a slick-fielding third baseman that should improve Seattle's infield defense.

Jack Hannahan, 29, isn't a third baseman who'll make anyone forget Mike Schmidt or George Brett, but he's better than the .193 he was hitting with Oakland.

Built on pitching and defense, the Mariners have felt the loss of Adrian Beltre at third. Hannahan isn't a stop gap, as Chris Woodward was - he's a third baseman by trade, and a good one. If you can't improve the offense immediately, help the pitching by improving the defense.

The key to this deal was almost certainly the fact that manager Don Wakamatsu and bench coach Ty Van Berkleo knew Hannahan and his potential. They liked his makeup, his approach to the game and yes, his upside.

A left-handed hitter in Safeco Field is never a bad thing, and in the past few weeks Jack Z. has added two - outfielder Ryan Langerhans and now Hannahan.

On the perfect team, both would likely be bench players. On a team trying hard to hang on in the American League West, they're viable pieces who fill holes.

Is Trader Jack done? No. In fact, he's not even resting. There are deals to be made this month - large and small - and the Mariners will be building again, piece by piece, soon.

I'm on my blackberry but here's the release

SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced today that the Mariners have acquired third baseman Jack Hannahan from the Oakland A's in exchange for minor league right-hander Justin Souza.Hannahan will be in uniform and available for tonight's 7:10 game versus the Texas Rangers. Seattle will have to make one other roster move prior to tonight's game.

"We had the opportunity to acquire a premium defensive player who swings a left-handed bat," Zduriencik said. "Jack will become part of our mix at third base. He's a great make-up guy, and a well above average defensive third baseman."

Hannahan, 29, appeared in 52 games with the A's this season, and was hitting .193 (23x119) with 6 doubles, 2 triples and 1 home run. Hannahan started the season with the A's but was optioned to AAA on April 4. He returned to the big leagues on April 24 where he remained until June 29. In 21 games with the Sacramento River Cats (AAA - Pacific Coast League), Hannahan was hitting .222 (18x81) with 7 doubles, 2 home runs and 11 RBI.

Last season Hannahan ranked second among American League third basemen in fielding. He made his Major League debut in 2006 when he appeared in three games for Detroit and hit .278 in 41 games with Oakland in 2007. Hannahan led the International League with a .422 on-base percentage at Toledo in 2007. He was originally a third-round draft pick of the Tigers in 2001.

In his Major League career, he's appeared in 239 games with Detroit (2006) and Oakland (2007-09), hitting a combined .223 with 13 home runs.Souza, 23, spent this season with Double A West Tenn in the Southern League. He compiled a mark of 6-6, 3.35 in 20 games, 14 starts, with the Diamond Jaxx.

High Desert outfielder James McOwen had his 45-game hitting streak snapped on Friday night by the Modesto Nuts. McOwen went 0-for-3 with a walk. In his first at-bat, McOwen struck out. In his second, he walked. In his third at-bat, he grounded into a double play. McOwen came up in the ninth with one last chance to get a hit. But this time, he struck out swinging off of Modesto closer Craig Baker.

Here's the story from the Victorville Daily Press.

Here's the AP Story.

The game was in Modesto and here's the story from the Modesto Bee

Here's a story from Yahoo from before the game with some video.

McOwen’s streak was the longest in minor league baseball since 1954. Only seven other players in the history of minor league baseball had a streak longer with the longest being Joe Wilhoit’s record of 69 straight for Waco in 1919.

Here's alist of the top hitting streaks in minor-league history
69 -- Joe Wilhoit, Wichita, 1919
61 -- Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco, 1933
55 -- Roman Mejias, Waco, 1954
50 -- Otto Pahlman, Danville, 1922
49 -- Harry Chozen, Mobile, 1945
49 -- Jack Ness, Oakland, 1915
46 -- Johnny Bates, Nashville, 1925
45 -- Jamie McOwen, High Desert, 2009
43 -- Howie Bedell, Louisville, 1947
43 -- Eddie Marshall, Milwaukee, 1935
43 -- Orlando Moreno, Big Spring, 1961
43 -- Brandon Watson, Columbus, 2007