Kenji Johjima started his first back-to-back games since July 4-5, and will run his streak to three games on Tuesday.

What's up?

Rob Johnson's down, not really out, but fighting a tender right elbow. He could play but why not give him a few days to heal up?

Johjima, who's borne his lack of playing time like a pro all season, hit his fourth home run on Monday and is batting .252.

He's also throwing well - he's caught 17 of 32 would-be base stealers this year.

Johnson should be back by mid-week.

No one who's followed Ichiro Suzuki's career with the Seattle Mariners is easily surprised when he does something spectacular - but this might.

Ichiro starts tonight not having gone hitless in back-to-back games since Aug. 13-15, 2007. That's a streak of 144 games, and major league baseball hasn't had a longer one since Stan Musial (174 games) in 1943-44.

Ichiro starts the evening with 604 multiple-hit games in his career - more multiple hit games in a nine-year span than anyone in the live-ball era.

Against tonight's White Sox starter, Gavin Floyd, Ichiro is only batting .455 lifetime.

It's Floyd vs. Luke French.

That'll work

Mr. French and Mr. Floyd are shutting down the hitters, so far.

French gave up a single to the first man he faced - ex-Mariner Scott Podsednik - then picked him off first base. In the third inning, Jayson Nix walked, and was doubled off first on a liner to Jack Wilson.

The Mariners? Six up, six down.

In the third, no score.

Junior, Junior, Junior!

Franklin Gutierrez walked with one out, Jose Lopez doubled off the wall in left and the White Sox dugout walked to the railing to watch Ken Griffey Jr. swing.

Second pitch, Junior singled home two runs - RBI No. 36 and 37 on the season - and the Mariners have a lead.

One of the more amazing aspects of this season is that whenever Griffey bats, in any ball park vs. any team, big league players inch forward to watch the results.

He may not bat .230 this season, hit 20 home runs or drive in 50 - but no one in the game takes his at-bats for granted.

After four: Mariners 2, White Sox 0

Oops, not a good pitch

A one-out, topspin ground ball double set up a tough inning for French. With two outs, he walked Nix, then threw a fastball belt high and a little away from No. 9 hitter Ramon Castro - and Castro doubled to right center field.

Tie game. Bad pitch. Not the guy to let hurt you.

In the fifth: Mariners 2, White Sox 2

Mariners rally

Rookie Michael Saunders worked a 3-2 walk from Floyd, then stole second base for his first big-league steal. It mattered - Ichiro then singled Saunders home.

Trouble was, Ichiro rounded first base too far and was caught for the second out. Oops.
After five: Mariners 3, White Sox 2

French is through

Protecting a one-run lead, French walked three men to load the bases with one out, and Wakamatsu had seen enough.

French lasted 5 1/3 innings - one out longer than in his last start - and threw 89 pitches.

In the sixth: White Sox 4, Mariners 3

Two outs into the sixth inning, Floyd threw a fastball and Russell Branyan banged it off the VisitLasVegas.com sign under the Hit it Here Cafe - just another long, long home run.

If you're keeping track, that's No. 27 for the free agent Jack Zduriencik signed soon after becoming general manager.

Yeah, so far, that's working out ...

Jack Wilson walked, Tony Pena replaced Floyd, and Kenji Johjima hit his fourth home run of the season.

After six: Mariners 6, White Sox 4

White got the game to the eighth inning, where Mark Lowe blew through three White Sox hitters in a row - striking out Jim Thome and Paul Konerko.

In the ninth, it was David Aardsma and his well-publicized, well-lanced boil on the mound, looking for save No. 27.

Well, actually the boil was looking for its first save.
Combined, Aardsma and The Boil got three quick outs, and it was over.

It's a final: Mariners 6, White Sox 4

Between Luke French's first start with Seattle and his second, which comes tonight, manaer Don Wakamatsu made a telephone call to Detroit and Jim Leyland.

"Jim had a lof of nice things to say about French, he liked his makeup, his stuff," Wakamatsu said. "He said one of the things to watch for was first-pitch focus."

Much of the damage done against French is done on his first pitch to any particular hitter, Wakamatsu said.

The other issue is whether French can be converted into a starting pitcher capable of getting deep into a game.

"We're looking for seven, eight innings from starters, not five innings," Wakamatsu said. "Five innings won't do it."

That's going to be a transition for French, who has thrown 100 pitches just once in his career and pitched six innings once in his six starts.

Last week, he threw 89 pitches in five innings at Kansas City and won.

Like all rookies, French is a work-in-progress and, now that he's with a new organization, both he and the Mariners will be patient during the introduction.

GM Jack Zduriencik and his scouts did their homework before the trade was made - Jarrod Washburn for French and minor league lefty Mauricio Robles.

Now, Wakamatsu has done his, using Leyland's eyes to see things in French the Mariners haven't had the opportunity to observe first hand.

Tonight is the second step in a journey to help make French the pitcher Seattle believes he can be.

My buddy Aaron Levine over at Q it up Sports gets some pretty solid guests on his late night Sunday show. Probably his most distinguished would have to be, well, ME. I've done the show twice (just a few weeks ago) - looked like an idiot both times - but it was fun.

Anyway, Aaron got Jack Zduriencik to come on the show last night, and Big Jack was pretty candid - as we always is - about subjects like Felix Hernandez, Erik Bedard, Dustin Ackley and such.

Here's a few notes from it ...

On the blockbuster trade for Felix?
Zduriencik: Not as close as was what was written. And some of that stuff was blown out of proportion, you know and you sit back there and sometimes other clubs fantasize on what they’d like to have. But at the end of the day, if you’re going to give up a very talented player, then you need to get a lot of talent in return, and we never really got that close.

On the Felix contract talks ...
Zduriencik: There’s a lot of ways to look at things. But regardless of the side of the coin you’re on, the thing you have to remember is “it takes two to tango.” So, he’s gotta want to stay here, and certainly if we move forward and talks would begin – there’d have to be mutual agreement, of course. But he’s a talented player, we’re happy to have him right now. We’re looking forward to watching him for the next couple years.

Levine: So talks haven’t begun yet, based on what you said?
Zduriencik: Putting me on the spot here, huh? It’s….no, they haven’t

On the contract talks with Ackley:
Zduriencik: Talks have begun. Since the very beginning – when I was LA and sat with Scott Boras at a ballgame and we’ve had a couple conversations this past week, so it will intensify as we move forward into this week.

Levine: Are you optimistic something’s gonna get done with him?
Zduriencik: Sure. I mean, I would hope any player would realize the opportunity. It’s a great community. He’s a first-round draft pick. Second pick in the country. Why not come in and play and get your career started.

Big Z also addresses Russell Branyan's future with the Mariners and the warrior helmets in the bullpen, and the Mariners chances in the wild card chase.

Parts 2 and 3 of the interview are below

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