The last time Major League Baseball did Seattle a solid was in 1994, when each league realigned into three divisions that put only three other teams in the American League West, none of them powers. Fans witnessed how the Mariners leaped upon that expressway: Four times in the subsequent 18 years, Seattle made the playoffs.

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GAME: Astros (1-5, 5th, AL West, -3.5 GB) at Mariners (3-4, 3rd, AL West, -2.0 GB). GAME #: 8. SERIES: 1st of 3 games. MEETING: 1st. WHEN: Monday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; Astros L 5. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

After spending seven weeks grinding in Arizona and another week on the road in Oakland and Chicago, the Mariners will finally get a chance to take a look at a reconfigured Safeco Field Monday night when they launch their 37th home season with the first game of a three-game series against the flailing Houston Astros, losers of five in a row.

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Left fielder Dayan Viciedo ripped an 0-2, over-the-plate mistake from Kameron Loe in the bottom of the 10th into the right-field seats, giving the Chicago White Sox a 4-3 victory over the Mariners Sunday. Viciedo's walkoff shot made for a 2-1 series victory and sent the Mariners home with a 3-4 record for the season's first week, all on the road.

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GAME: Mariners (3-3, 3rd, AL West, -1.0 GB) at White Sox (3-2, 1st, AL Central, +0.5 GA). GAME #: 7. SERIES: 3rd of 3 games. MEETING: 3rd (series tied 1-1). WHEN: Sunday, 11:10 a.m., U.S. Cellular Field. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; White Sox W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

It's not often that the Mariners start a season with a road trip of five games or longer and come home with a winning record. In fact, they've done it just once, in 2009, when that edition of the ball club returned to Safeco Field after a seven-game swing through Minnesota and Oakland with a 5-2 mark.

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Felix Hernandez entered Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field with two significant milestones within his grasp. He was trying to become the third pitcher in Seattle history to win 100 games and, more significantly, the third pitcher in major league history to record 100 wins and 1,500 strikeouts before turning 27. Hernandez was skunked on both counts.

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GAME: Mariners (3-2, T2, AL West, -0.5 GB) at White Sox (2-2, T1, AL Central, 0.0 GB). GAME #: 6. SERIES: 2nd of 3 games. MEETING: 2nd (Mariners lead 1-0). WHEN: Saturday, 10:10 a.m., U.S. Cellular Field. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; White Sox L 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

For all of his success -- a Cy Young award, three All-Star appearances, a perfect game -- Felix Hernandez has never enjoyed much success against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field. Hernandez owns only one career win against four losses while posting an uncharacteristically high 4.75 ERA with 10 home runs allowed.

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GAME: Mariners (2-2, 3rd, AL West, -0.5 GB) at White Sox (2-1, T2, AL Central, -0.5 GB). GAME #: 5. SERIES: 1st of 3 games. MEETING: 1st (White Sox won 2012 series 8-1). WHEN: Friday, 5:10 p.m., U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago. STREAKS: Mariners L 2; White Sox L 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Blake Beavan, Seattle's No. 5 starter, didn't have much of a spring, allowing 14 runs in 19.1 innings. But he had a strong second half in 2012, posting an 8-5 record with a 3.40 ERA in his final 14 outings following a midseason demotion to AAA Tacoma. Beavan's goal now: build on that.

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Rookie Brandon Maurer had a nice major league debut going Thursday afternoon in Oakland -- until he reached the sixth inning. Trailing 3-2 following Michael Morse's fourth home run in three days, Maurer allowed a double (Jed Lowrie), a run-scoring double (Josh Reddick), a two-run homer (Yoenis Cespedes) and a single (Brandon Moss) in a four-batter span, greasing the Mariners' skid to an 8-2 loss to the Athletics.

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GAME: Mariners (2-1, T1, AL West, 0.5 GA) at Athletics (1-2, T4, AL West, 1.0 GB). GAME #: 4. SERIES: 4th of 4 games. MEETING: 4th (Mariners lead 2-1). WHEN: Thursday, 12:37 p.m., O.com Coliseum. STREAKS: Mariners L 1; Athletics W 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Twenty-two-year-old Brandon Maurer has never made a start above the Class AA level, but makes the leap to the major leagues Thursday when the Mariners, who couldn't overcome Joe Saunders' poor pitching in a 6-2 loss to Oakland Wednesday, close out their four-game, season-opening series.

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GAME: Mariners (2-0, 1st, AL West, +0.5 GA) at Athletics (0-2, 5th, AL West, -20. GB). GAME #: 3. SERIES: 3rd of 4 games. MEETING: 3rd (Mariners lead 2-0). WHEN: Wednesday, 7:05 p.m., Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA. STREAKS: Mariners W 2; Athletics L 2. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

Over the past two decades, the Mariners have gotten off to 2-0 starts just five times, including this season, but only once in that span did they launch a campaign 3-0. Lefty Joe Saunders can rekindle memories of 1995 Wednesday when he makes his Seattle debut against the Oakland Athletics in the third of four games between the clubs.

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Michael Morse put Seattle ahead with a line-drive, three-run homer, his first since re-joining the club from the Washington Nationals during the off-season, and the Mariners won 7-1 over the Oakland Athletics Tuesday night. Hisashi Iwakuma allowed two hits over six innings as the Mariners improved to 2-0 for just the fourth time since 1995, and the eighth time in franchise history.

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GAME: Mariners (1-0, T1, AL West, +1.0 GA) at Athletics (0-1, T4, AL West, -1.0 GB). GAME #: 2. SERIES: 2nd of 4 games. MEETING: 2nd (Mariners lead 1-0). WHEN: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA. STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Athletics L 1. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

The Mariners have won seven consecutive Opening Day games -- they defeated defending AL West champion Oakland 2-0 Monday night with another boffo performance by Felix Hernandez -- but only twice during that run of success -- 2007 and 2011 -- have the Mariners followed up by winning the second game of the season.

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GAME: Mariners (75-87, 4^th, AL West, -19.0 GB) at Athletics (94-68, 1^st AL West, 1.0 GA). GAME #: 1. SERIES: 1st of 4 games. MEETING: 1st. WHEN: Monday, 7:05 p.m., Oakland Coliseum. STREAKS: Mariners W/L 0; Athletics W/L 0. TV: Root Sports. RADIO: ESPN 710, Mariners Radio Network

After a successful spring training, in which the Mariners set franchise records for wins (22) and home runs (58), they begin the 2013 regular season in Oakland fairly secure in the knowledge that they won't finish last in the new, five-team AL West.

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The occasion of the Mariners' season opener brings up many traditional questions, chiefly: By which summer holiday ( Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, Seafair or Labor Day), will the Mariners be functionally eliminated from the division/post-season race (April Fool's Day is a little too cynical).

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As expected, the Mariners jettisoned outfielder Casper Wells Sunday and made five other roster moves in order to reach the 25-man limit for Opening Day. Seattle launches the 2013 season Monday night (7:05 p.m.) against the defending AL West champion Athletics in the Oakland Coliseum with Felix Hernandez contesting Brett Anderson.

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Kendrys Morales homered in the fourth inning and Justin Smoak went deep in the fifth as the Mariners (22-11) closed out spring training Saturday afternoon with a 4-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City in front of 15,411. The Mariners set club records for most spring training victories (22) and home runs (58).

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Kelly Shoppach delivered a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth inning and Michael Morse continued a long-ball barrage with his ninth homer as the Mariners (21-12) rallied to defeat the Chicago Cubs 6-4 Thursday at HoHoKam Park in Mesa. Morse established a Cactus League franchise mark when he connected off Carlos Villanueva in the second inning.

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Is Brandon Maurer Seattle's next Russell Wilson?

That's asking approximately three tons of any local athlete. Then again, no Mariners pitcher in 20 years has done what Maurer did Wednesday -- make the spring training leap from Class AA to the Opening Day roster. Has to be worth more than a tip of the hat, so a slightly overwrought comparison seemed worthwhile.

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Michael Morse continued a hot spring with his eighth home run and Felix Hernandez allowed three runs on nine hits as the Mariners (20-11) closed out the home portion of spring training with a 10-7 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Peoria. Morse's eighth home run, a two-run shot off former Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, tied the club record for most Cactus League homers.

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Seattle manager Eric Wedge has settled on the first three starters in his rotation -- Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and Joe Saunders (no surprise there) -- but the last two spots are still up for grabs, and veteran Jeremy Bonderman failed to bolster his case Tuesday. Bonderman allowed seven hits and six runs in the fifth inning as the Mariners lost to Kansas City 11-6 in Peoria.

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