When the Seattle Mariners tried to squeeze into the post-season race tonight, the Los Angeles Angels reminded them they’re outsiders, not just beating them, 5-4, but embarrassing them.

Zack Greinke and his bullpen combined to strike out 20 batters, the most in a big-league game this season. Whatever else happened Tuesday, when the Mariners kept coming on, that’s what will be remembered.

No team has ever struck out more often in a major league game, and it’s been done just four times. The Mariners? They’ve been the victims twice.

Seattle allowed two unearned runs in the first inning, and rookie …

Read more »

Yes, the Seattle Mariners are in the thick of the post-season race again – just not one of their own.

This three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels is key to the Angels stayiing in the wild card race, and expect them and manager Mike Scioscia to play all-out. The Mariners are likely to do the same, so it’s going to come down to talent and heart.

The Mariners have plenty of one, not enough of the other, but rookie Erasmo Ramirez has been pitching as well as any one, and he’ll start tonight. Behind him, Dustin Ackley returns to …

Read more »

Eric Thames is as good an example of Seattle Mariners baseball has anyone since his arrival in July.

All-in, every at-bat. intense, focused.

On Sunday, with the chance to sweep the Texas Rangers out of town, the Mariners had a pair of solo home runs – one by Thames – in a 3-2 loss that was as good an example of Mariners baseball as any.

Good pitching.  Sturdy defense when it mattered most. And, in the end, just not enough offense.

Thames, for instance, has six home runs now in 120 at-bats with Seattle – and with three strike outs …

Read more »

With the chance to sweep the Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners send Jason Vargas to the mound and put a new lineup behind – one that features Carlos Triunfel at 2B, John Jaso hitting cleanup and big Luis Jimenez in again as the designated hitter.

A win would give the Mariners a 10-9 season record against the Rangers, something of a coup considering their spots in the Amercan League West.

It would also give them a 3-3 homestand after being swept by a Baltimore team that twice took Seattle into extra innings. Seattle’s offense may not look much stronger no paper …

Read more »

The betting line on Blake Beavan starting against the Texas Rangers and Matt Harrison tonight was off the board, and the Seattle Mariners offense scored one run for him.

The stunner? One run was enough, and the Mariners beat the Rangers, 1-0, for their 72nd win of the season, their sixth 1-0 victory of 2012 and their 9th in 18 games against Texas.

“We finally found a way to beat (Harrison),” Michael Saunders deadpanned. “We didn’t let them score any runs.”

 Saunders hit a second inning home run, his 17th, and Beavan shut the Rangers out for seven-plus innings. When …

Read more »

The Seattle Mariners have had tough times against plenty of pitchers in their time, but Texas left-hander Matt Harrison has been climbing that list fast this season – he’s 4-0 against Seattle this year and 10-1 lifetime.

And the Rangers get third baseman Adrian Beltre back tonight, too.

Given all that, manager Eric Wedge will try a different look tonight. Franklin Gutierrez will lead off – Dustin Ackley is unavailable with a stiff neck – Alex Liddi will play third and at designated hitter, Luis Jimenez.

“We’re trying to give Harrison a little different look,” Wedge said.

Can’t hurt. Blake …

Read more »

A three-game series at Safeco Field against the Texas Rangers this weekend matches the Seattle Mariners against a team that’s been to the World Series each of the past two years and looks primed to make it three in a row.

How do they match up? Well, the standings say they’re 19 1/2 games behind the Rangers, and Texas has the full package – offense, pitching and defense.

With 12 games left counting tonight, the Mariners are three wins better than all of 2011, but that’s hardly the kind of leap they hoped to take. The franchise needs wins to …

Read more »

A night after playing 18 innings and scoring twice in a loss to Baltimore, the Seattle Mariners wasted eight superb innings from Felix Hernandez, went into extra innings again Wednesday and lost in 11 to the Orioles, 3-1.

That’s three Mariners runs in 29 innings.

And yes, because these are the Mariners, there’s a little extra bitterness to the brew – the man who beat them with a two-run home run in the 11^th inning was former Seattle prospect Adam Jones.

It was his 30^th home run, or a dozen more than Seattle team leader Kyle Seager.

After back-to-back winning …

Read more »