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Mariners' Harang faces former Reds club

Jul 5, 2013 - 2:54 PM (Sports Network) - Former Cincinnati ace Aaron Harang makes his third career start against the Reds on Friday night when the Seattle Mariners visit Great American Ball Park to open a three-game interleague series.

A 35-year-old from San Diego, Harang was acquired by the Reds in a 2003 trade that sent slugger Jose Guillen from Cincinnati to Oakland.

He subsequently spent parts of eight seasons with the Reds, winning a career- high 16 games in 2006 and 2007 and leading the league in starts, complete games and strikeouts at various points during his stint.

He was granted free agency following a 6-7 record in 22 appearances in 2010 and has subsequently gone 27-24 in 72 start with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Mariners.

Harang was the losing pitcher the last time the Reds faced the Mariners - on June 20, 2010, in Seattle - after allowing a run on three hits in six innings of a game Cincinnati lost, 1-0.

He's opposed by streaking right-hander Mike Leake, who's never faced the Mariners.

Leake was 2-2 on the season after a 7-2 loss to Atlanta on May 8, but has since won five of six decisions across nine starts while dramatically trimming his ERA from 4.32 to 2.52.

He's given up three or fewer runs in all but one of those nine starts and has pitched at least six innings in eight of nine as well.

In Leake's last home appearance, he allowed one run on six hits in seven innings of a 4-1 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 17.

On Thursday in Texas, Adrian Beltre went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo homers, including one that ignited a four-run seventh-inning rally that lifted the Texas Rangers to a 5-4 victory over the Mariners.

Hisashi Iwakuma (7-4) held Texas to one run and three hits through his first six innings of work, but allowed three straight base runners -- all of whom scored -- to begin the bottom of the seventh.

Raul Ibanez had given Iwakuma a 3-1 lead with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh and finished 4-for-5 with three RBI. Kyle Seager added three hits and a run scored, but Seattle left 13 men on base and went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

"We had 14 hits and only scored four runs, left 13 on, that was the game right there. We had some good at-bats and some hard outs too," said Mariners manager Eric Wedge.

In Cincinnati, persistent rain spoiled the Independence Day showdown between the San Francisco Giants and the Reds at Great American Ball Park.

The inclement weather forced a postponed of the series finale, with a makeup date to be determined later.

The Reds were looking for their first four-game sweep of the Giants since April 18-21, 1985 at Riverfront Stadium.

Seattle won eight of the nine games played with the Reds over series in 2002, 2007 and 2010. The Mariners swept a three-game set when the teams last played in Cincinnati.