--LHP Jarrod Washburn has turned his season around, with a little help from a phone call a month or so ago. Washburn got a tip from Tom Lechnir, his coach at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, that helped him get more balance in his delivery, and that started him on a nice streak that included throwing a shutout for the first six innings of Friday's game in San Diego, allowing two runs in 7 2/3 innings overall. He has a 2.95 ERA in his last six starts.
--RF Ichiro Suzuki was having trouble since his move to right field nine games ago. He'd lost 10 points in his batting average, falling from .295 to .285 before getting three hits Friday night against the Padres. It was his first three-hit game since June 13, and he's still behind pace to reach 200 hits. At his current rate, he'd get to 195 hits by season's end. He collected 200-plus hits in each of his first seven seasons with Seattle. --1B Richie Sexson has had a tough year offensively, but he hasn't lost his patience at the plate. With two walks Friday, he's got eight walks in his last seven games. And he's been on base via a hit or a walk in each of his last 10 games and in 15 of his last 16.
--3B Adrian Beltre delivered a two-run single in the top of the fourth inning to help the Mariners jump to an early lead. And in the ninth inning, batting with the bases loaded and two outs, he singled to drive in another run. It was a big hit for Beltre, who has struggled with men in scoring position this year. His average with men in scoring position was just .189 coming into the game.
--RHP Brandon Morrow, who took over from LHP Jarrod Washburn with two on and two outs in the eighth inning, has inherited 13 baserunners this season and left nine on the bases after getting 3B Kevin Kouzmanoff to ground out with no runs coming home.
BY THE NUMBERS: 9 -- Times RF Ichiro Suzuki had led off a game in June with a hit, in a total of 19 games through June 22.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We just need to put clean games back-to-back-to-back." -- Manager Jim Riggleman.
