David Aardsma's 30th save of the season did more than put away Seattle's 66th win of the year, it pushed him into an exclusive group of Mariners relievers.

He becomes just the sixth Mariner to save at least 30 games in a season.

Here's the list of 30-save seasons:
* Kazuhiro Sasaki (2001) 45 saves
* J.J. Putz (2007) 40 saves
* Kazuhiro Sasaki (2000) 37 saves
* Kazuhiro Sasaki (2002) 37 saves
* Eddie Guardado (2005) 36 saves
* J.J. Putz (2006) 36 saves
* Jose Mesa (1999) 33 saves
* Mike Schooler (1989) 33 saves
* Mike Schooler (1990) 30 saves
* David Aardsma (2009) 30 saves

Aardsma got his 30th in the teams 127 game, meaning he has 35 more games in which to add to his total.

"It's just a number," Aardsma said of his 30th save. "I want to be proud at the end of the year."

By design or luck of the draw, the Seattle Mariners have faced 45 left-handed starting pitchers this season - and tonight get No. 46 in Gio Gonzalez.

So far, they're 22-23 against lefties, but they're missing Ichiro Suzuki, who is hitting .365 against them.

Who's likely to factor in tonight? Well, Franklin Gutierrez (.333) is the only man in the lineup hitting better than .300 against left-handers, unless you count Bill Hall's Mariners stats - he's 3-for-8 vs. LHP.

Those who have struggled include Jack Hannahan (.196), Mike Sweeney (.224, Russell Branyan (.224), Rob Johnson (.172), Jack Wilson (.233) and Michael Saunders (.233).

Jose Lopez has batted .283 vs. lefties, but hit only three of his 18 home runs against them.

So where will the runs come from?

In theory, it has to be a low-scoring game where the Mariners manufacture a run or two, or perhaps get a home run from someone that makes a difference.

Hoping all that happens is Luke French, who's 2-1 with a 4.43 with Seattle.

That's a rally

Hannahan drew a one-out walk which became a run when Lopez hit his 19th home run of the season into the Seattle bullpen, good for his team-leading 77th and 78th RBI.

Sweeney doubled, but was left at second.

After one: Mariners 2, Athletics 0

One weird drought

The Mariners got a two-out single from Gutierrez with Johnson on second base, but a fine hrow from Ryan Sweeney - and Johnson's speed - led to an out at the plate.

That keeps a streak going for Seattle: 40 consecutive innings in which the only Mariners runs scored have come on home runs or an error.

Think about that - not one RBI single in 40 innings ... yikes!

The Streak ends

Hannahan opened with a double but two outs later was still at second base. Hall singled up the middle to end that 40-inning stretch.

After three: Mariners 3, Athletics 0

Oakland lives

Jack Cust hit his 20th home run, a solo shot with two outs. Solo shots, you live with.

In the fourth: Mariners 3, Athletics 1

French through five

As a big-league pitcher in his first season, French has never gone more than 6 1/3 innings in any of his 10 starts.

Tonight, through five, he's allowed one run on four hits. French is spotting pitches up and down, side to side, and hasn't really been in trouble yet.

French is one of those pitchers who seems to throw the kitchen sink - anything handy.

A little cushion?

Hannahan walked and has been on base three times tonight, and Lopez doubled him to third.

Hall's one-out sacrifice fly produced an insurance run

After five: Mariners 4, Athletics 1

Where's the cushion?

Rajai Davis singled and Kurt Suzuki homered into the Oakland bullpen, and just that quickly Seattle's lead was cut to one.

Cust then crushed a ball off the Hit-It-Here Cafe, though the drive was ruled foul by umpire Mike Winters. When manager Bob Geren appealed, the umpiring crew checked the replay and ... it remained a long foul ball.

French struck Cust out, but walked Mark Ellis with his 86th pitch. That was enough for Wakamatsu, who pulled him in favor of Miguel Batista.

Batista struck out Ryan Sweeney

In the sixth: Mariners 4, Athletics 3

The old guy can hit

Lopez hit a two-out drive to left center field that was dropped for a two-base error, and Sweeney made Oakland pay for it.

In his last five games, Sweeney has nine hits, and this time his broken-bat single to left got Lopez in.

After seven: Mariners 5, Athletics 3

And in the ninth

Batista and Mark Lowe got it to the ninth inning, and that meant David Aardsma time.

The right-handed closer, who entered the game without one career save, notched No. 30 in Seattle's 66th victory.

It wasn't easy. A flare fell into left field for a single, a shattered-bat pop fly dropped into center - and suddenly there were two on and no one out.

Aardsma struck out Tommy Everidge, struck out Nomar Garciaparra and got a ground ball from Adam Kennedy.

It's a final: Mariners 5, Athletics 3

Ryan Langerhans walk-off home run Tuesday night was the second of a month in which the Seattle Mariners are 12-11.

A fourth outfielder-type player who spent most of the year in the minor leagues for Washington - once again the worst team in baseball - Langerhans is a poster boy for this franchise in 2009.

The Mariners have won 65 games this season, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone on the roster who hasn't contributed. And quite a few no longer on the active roster.

Josh Wilson, who barely played for a month, was a remarkable force for 10 days when Jack Wilson was down with a hamstring strain.

Remember Endy Chavez? Garrett Olson? Brandon Morrow? Ronny Cedeno? Yuniesky Betancoure? Chris Woodward?
Every one of them helped the Mariners win games.

Jack Hannahan and Michael Saunders, Chris Jakubauskas and Denny Stark, Carlos Silva and Roy Corcoran.

What the '09 Mariners have done with a collection of journeymen and youngsters, independent league graduates and players in the twilights of their careers is nothing short of remarkable.

Long term, the Mariners have developed pieces to a winning team this season, and done so while entertaining the masses along the way.

Ken Grifffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney have both won games this season. Do either have a future in Seattle beyond '09?

If the Mariners have done nothing else this season, they've restored an element of credibility within the game.

Jack Zduriencik knows talent - not just easy to see ability, but untapped talent. Don Wakamatsu and his coaching staff know how to make the most of that talent.

The Mariners aren't world beaters. If you'd taken their current roster - starting with a rotation of Felix Hernandez, Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Doug Fister and Luke French - how many would have predicted a .500 or better season?

Seattle has improved this season more than any team in the big leagues. Wait 'til next year now means something again for Mariners fans.