GAME: Mariners (16-23, 4th AL West, - 8.5 GB) at Indians (21-16, 1st AL Central, +3.0 GA). GAME #: 40. SERIES: 2nd of 2 games. MEETING: 5th (Indians lead 3-1). WHEN: Thursday, 9:05 a.m., Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Hector Noesi (Seattle, 2-4, 6.32) vs. RHP Zach McAllister (Cleveland, 1-1, 4.15). STREAKS: Mariners L 3; Indians W 3. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

The Mariners will have an early wake-up call Thursday as they rise to take on the Cleveland Indians in the second game of a two-game series at Progressive Field. The joust commences at 9:05 a.m., Pacific Time, Seattle carrying into the fray an three-game losing streak after Wednesday's 9-3 shellacking.

READ MORE»

The Los Angeles Angels fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher this week after Albert Pujols and many of his teammates got off to dismal offensive starts. A 12-year major league veteran as a player, Hatcher served as the Angels' hitting coach during their only World Series title run in 2002.

READ MORE»

Subscribe to SportspressNW's Weekly Roundup mailing list to have the week's top headlines delivered straight to your inbox.

You can also follow @SportspressNW on Twitter and become a fan of SportspressNW.com on Facebook to receive the latest updates, polls and interact with the Sportspress team.

Sportspress Northwest features an exclusive array of sport content on Northwest teams, including columns by award winning columnists Art Thiel and Steve Rudman, as well as David Eskenazi's popular Wayback Machine, and much more.

READ MORE»

GAME: Mariners (16-22, 4th AL West, - 7.5 GB) at Indians (20-16, 1st AL Central, +2.0 GA). GAME #: 39. SERIES: 1st of 2 games. MEETING: 4th (Indians lead 2-1). WHEN: Wednesday, 4:05 p.m., Progressive Field, Cleveland. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Felix Hernandez (Seattle, 3-2, 2.29) vs. Ubaldo Jimenez (Cleveland, 3-3, 5.18). STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Indians W 2. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

Outscored 11-1 by Boston in two feeble offensive performances at Fenway Park Monday-Tuesday, the Mariners move their deteriorating act to Cleveland Wednesday to start a two-game series with the Indians,  AL Central leaders who took two of three from Seattle at Safeco Field April 17-19.

READ MORE»

Another ineffectual day at the plate doomed the Mariners, this time 5-0 Tuesday afternoon amid rain showers at Fenway Park.

In the two-game sweep, the Boston Red Sox outscored Seattle 11-1. The Mariners were nearly as futile against starter Josh Beckett as they were Monday against Jon Lester.

READ MORE»

The Seahawks added offensive tackle Alex Barron to the 90-man roster Tuesday, another indication that the club is concerned about the returns from injury of tackles Russell Okung and James Carpenter.

Barron was the only longtime NFL veteran invited to the past weekend's tryout camp reserved primarily for rookies. Barron spent 2011 on injured reserve with a knee problem.

READ MORE»

GAME: Mariners (16-21, 3rd AL West, - 7.5 GB) at Red Sox (16-19, 5th AL East, - 5.5 GB). GAME #: 38. SERIES: 2nd of 2 games. MEETING: 2nd (Red Sox lead 1-0). WHEN: Tuesday, 1:05 p.m., Fenway Park, Boston. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Blake Beavan (Seattle, 1-3, 4.32) vs. RHP Josh Beckett (Boston, 2-4, 5.97). STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Red Sox W 4. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

The Mariners don't have much of a history of success at Fenway Park, the latest example a 6-1 loss to the Red Sox Monday in a game in which Boston raked Jason Vargas for five earned runs, including a pair of homers. In a Tuesday matinee, Blake Beavan contests Josh Beckett.

READ MORE»

Whatever was bothering Jon Lester early in the season, it is no longer bothering him.

Certainly, the Mariners were no bother Monday night at Fenway Park.

The one-time all-state pick from Tacoma's Bellarmine Prep was on his game, giving up eight mostly harmless hits in the Boston Red Sox's 6-1 triumph. He retired the first 11 batters and allowed only two runners as far as second base until the ninth inning, when the Mariners pushed across their lone run.

READ MORE»

It mystified most NFL draft experts when the Seahawks, selecting in the third round, latched onto University of Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson. His first negative, according to critics: Lack of height (5-foot-11). His second: the Seahawks had, only weeks earlier, guaranteed Matt Flynn $10 million over two years after acquiring him in free agency from the Green Bay Packers.

READ MORE»

GAME: Mariners (16-20, 3rd AL West, - 7.5 GB) at Red Sox (15-19, 5th AL East, - 6.5 GB). GAME #: 37. SERIES: 1st of 2 games. MEETING: 1st. WHEN: Monday, 4:10 p.m., Fenway Park, Boston. PROBABLE PITCHERS: LHP Jason Vargas (Seattle, 4-2, 2.79) vs. LHP Jon Lester (Boston, 1-3, 4.29). STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Red Sox W 3. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

Few pitchers born in the state of Washington have had a better major league career than Jon Lester , a Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep product who is a two-time All-Star, has won a World Series Game 7, thrown a no-hitter and won the Hutch Award.

READ MORE»