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Mariners target first series sweep in two months

Aug 31, 2008 - 9:09 AM Seattle (52-83) at Cleveland (65-69) 1:05 pm EDT

CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- For a team that is supposed to be one of the worst in baseball, the Seattle Mariners have been inflicting their share of damage on playoff-contending teams lately.

The Mariners eye their first sweep since late June when they conclude their series with the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.

Seattle has been in the American League West basement every day since May 7, but has played some of its best baseball recently, wreaking havoc on Minnesota and Cleveland, teams trying to stay in the race in the AL Central.

The Mariners have won four of their last five against those teams, all the more impressive as the Twins entered their series against Seattle with victories in four of their previous six games while Cleveland was in the midst of a 10-game winning streak before it dropped the first two games of this series.

To cap off their first series sweep since June 27-29, the Mariners will turn to converted reliever Ryan Rowland-Smith (3-2, 3.73 ERA). The lefthander won for the first time in six career starts in Tuesday's 3-2 home win over Minnesota after he yielded two runs and five hits over seven innings.

The Indians will attempt to avoid their first three-game losing since dropping 10 straight from June 28 to July 9 by countering with Zach Jackson (0-0, 4.91), who was acquired as part of the CC Sabathia trade last month.

The lefthander recorded his third straight no-decision since joining the Indians' rotation in Monday's 4-3 win over Detroit, allowing three runs and seven hits over 6 1/3 frames.