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Diamondbacks-Mariners Preview

Jun 19, 2009 - 5:57 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Arizona (29-38) at Seattle (32-34), 10:10 p.m. EDT

The Seattle Mariners couldn't extend their winning streak against one NL West club, so now they'll try to notch another victory over the team trying to fight out of that division's basement.

The Mariners return to Safeco Field on Friday night when they look for their fifth consecutive win over the hot-hitting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Seattle (32-34) last faced Arizona from June 27-29, 2006, when it swept a three-game set at Chase Field. The Mariners, who have won 10 of 15 all-time matchups with the Diamondbacks, capped a 4-5 road trip with a 4-3, 10-inning loss Thursday to San Diego as Adrian Gonzalez homered and later scored the winning run after doubling to end Seattle's seven-game win streak versus the Padres.

"He ends up hitting a home run and a double when we are trying to pitch around him," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said. "That is the most frustrating part."

Franklin Gutierrez, who nearly caught Gonzalez's homer, hit two out of the park for his first career multihomer game. Gutierrez, though, batted just .190 (4 for 21) on the trip.

Ichiro Suzuki batted .154 (2 for 13) in San Diego, but he is hitting .378 lifetime against Diamondbacks scheduled starter Jon Garland.

The Mariners look to win for the fifth time in six home games as Jarrod Washburn (3-5, 3.30 ERA) goes for his first victory since April 21. Since winning his first three starts, the veteran left-hander is 0-5 with a 3.90 ERA.

"My command was terrible," Washburn told the team's official Web site after walking three in Friday's 6-4 loss at Colorado.

Washburn is 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in three career starts against Arizona.

Garland (4-7, 5.45) is winless since defeating Florida on May 19. He is 0-5 with a 6.67 ERA in his last five starts, including a 6-4 loss to Houston on Saturday when he gave up three runs and six hits.

"(Garland) was executing pitch after pitch after pitch and looked very good," said Diamondbacks manager A.J. Hinch, whose club trails the Padres by one game in the NL West. "Obviously, he hung the ball to (Lance) Berkman but his outing was strong, he came back and bounced back to finish seven."

If Arizona can continue hitting the ball at its current pace, Garland has a good shot at improving to 9-3 lifetime against Seattle. The Diamondbacks (29-38) are coming off back-to-back 12-5 victories over Kansas City. Arizona batted .356 with 14 extra-base hits as it scored in double digits in consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 15-16 at Houston.

The Diamondbacks, though, may have lost center fielder Chris Young with a groin injury. He staggered into third on an eighth-inning triple that was his career-best fourth hit.

"His flexibility was good, so hopefully we avoided something (major) and it's just a little scare," Hinch said.

Gerardo Parra had a homer and a triple, and Eric Byrnes went 2 for 5, including his first home run since May 10.

Seattle's Jose Lopez will not be available for this series after being placed on the bereavement list to be with his ailing sister in Venezuela.

Russell Branyan should be available Friday after missing Thursday's game for his grandfather's funeral, while Mariners catcher Rob Johnson is expected to be activated from the bereavement list following the death of his mother-in-law last Friday in a traffic accident.

Arizona's last win over the Mariners was 5-3 on July 16, 2001, in Seattle.