Seattle Mariners

2004 Record: 63-99 (.389)
2004 Pythagorean Record: 69-93 (.426)

Manager: Mike Hargrove
General Manager: Bill Bavasi

Ballpark (2004 park factors): Safeco Field (92/93)

Who's replacing whom?

Adrian Beltre replaces Edgar Martinez
Richie Sexson replaces John Olerud and Justin Leon
Jeremy Reed replaces Rich Aurilia and Jose Lopez
Wilson Valdez replaces Jolbert Cabrera
Miguel Olivo takes the starting job from Dan Wilson
Bobby Madritsch inherits Freddy Garcia's starts
Aaron Sele takes over Ron Villone's starts
Jeff Nelson inherits Mike Myers' playing time

Current Roster:

1B – Richie Sexson
2B – Bret Boone
SS – Wilson Valdez
3B – Adrian Beltre
C – Miguel Olivo
RF – Ichiro Suzuki
CF – Jeremy Reed
LF – Randy Winn
DH – Raul Ibanez

Bench:

L - Dave Hansen (1B/3B)
R – Willie Bloomquist (UT)
L - Greg Dobbs (3B)
R - Wiki Gonzalez (C)

Rotation:

L – Jamie Moyer
R – Joel Pineiro
R – Ryan Franklin
R – Gil Meche
R – Aaron Sele

Bullpen:

L – Eddie Guardado
R – J.J. Putz
L – Ron Villone
R – Shigetoshi Hasegawa
R – Julio Mateo
L - Matt Thornton
R - Jeff Nelson

60-day DL:

R – Dan Wilson (C)
R – Bucky Jacobsen (1B)
R - Pokey Reese (IF)
R - Rafael Soriano
R - Scott Atchison
L - Travis Blackley

15-day DL:

S – Scott Spezio (1B/3B)
L – Bobby Madritsch

Typical Line-up

L - Ichiro Suzuki (RF)
S - Randy Winn (LF)
R - Adrian Bletre (3B)
R - Richie Sexson (1B)
R - Bret Boone (2B)
L - Raul Ibaniez (DH)
L - Jeremy Reed (CF)
R - Miguel Olivo (C)
R - Wilson Valdez (SS)

Did the Yankees record consecutive shutouts this weekend because of their excellent pitching or the pathetic Oakland offense? Hard to say. Brown and Mussina both had one previous start this season that would indicate that this weekend was not a complete fluke, but surely the A's ineptitude had something to do with it. How much, however, the Yankees are unlikely to figure out for a while, as they face the A's again in Oakland this upcoming weekend sandwiched in between home and away series with the even more pathetic Seattle Mariners, who are a game behind the A's in last place in the West and just 1/2 game better than the Yankees thus far.

Only three teams in the American League (the A's, Royals, and Indians) and two in the National (Astros, Pirates) have scored fewer runs than the Mariners this year. Ichiro is up to his usual tricks, Richie Sexson is getting his homers (8 thus far), and Randy Winn is getting on-base at a near 40-percent clip, but Sexson is also hitting .224, Winn's OBP is higher than his slugging, and everyone else on the team is mired in a slump. The worst offender has been the M's $64-million man, Adrian Beltre, who is making last year look like a fluke by hitting .242/.275/.339 (.209 GPA). Meanwhile, Bret Boone looks done, would-be Rookie of the Year Jeremy Reed is hitting his way out of the line-up (.243/.333/.320), and the best the M's can do at shortstop is a rookie dumped by the White Sox and Mets named Wilson Valdez who's making Beltre, Boone and Reed look like world beaters at the plate.

The A's at the very least have the exciting young duo of Blanton and Harden in the rotation. the Mariners' best starter thus far has been Ryan Franklin with a 4.50 ERA and more walks than strikeouts (2.45 K/9), followed by 42-year-old junkballer Jamie Moyer, who leads the team in Ks. The other three active members of the rotation have ERAs over 5.00.

The only things going right for the Mariners in under new manager Mike Hargrove this year are the defense and the bullpen. Adding Beltre to Boone, Suzuki and Winn has helped the M's to the second best Defensive Efficiency in baseball this year. Meanwhile, the pen has an astonishing 2.18 ERA. Matt Thornton has been the worst of the bunch with a still above-average 4.05 ERA. Hacksaw Jeff Nelson has been second worst at 3.68. Everyone else has an ERA below 3.00. Shigetosi Hasegawa is down at 1.29 and J.J. Putz and Julio Mateo are both below 1.00. The problem is that their middling rotation and awful offense can't get the pen a lead.

Tonight these struggling Mariners and their fans get a look at former Seattle stars Alex Rodriguez and Randy Johnson in Yankee pinstripes. Johnson makes his first start since his remarkable complete-game duel with Roy Halladay, having been skipped against his will last week in Tampa due to a tight left groin. He'll oppose Gil Meche in an attempt as the Yankees attempt to with their third straight game for the first time all season and extend the pitching staff's streak of eighteen scoreless innings.