Ah, the experience of listening to your team's ace closer cough up the tying and go-ahead runs in the last two innings, depriving the marienrs of an opportunity of ending their ten-game winning streak. It's an experience unlike any other. Or perhaps its similar to having a cotton swab inserted into your urethra, which I would imagine is pretty painful. Kind of like this game, which the angels won 3-2, extending the mariners' losing streak to a god-awful eleven games.

By comparison, the longest losing streaks for the 2005 and 2004 Mariners teams were seven and nine games, respectively. Obviosuly, the 2006 Mariners had been playing at quite a higher level than those two teams this season and needed to quickly make (or lose) ground to match those levels of mediocrity.

So, 0-11 on a intra-divison road trip. Nice. One bright highlight of today's game was the start turnd in by Jake Woods, who made his major-league debut as a starter. Woods pitched into the sixth, allowing six base-runners and one earned run. Sadly the Marienrs' bullpen, such a key strength for the Mariners earlier in the season, let Woods down and his start was squandered. If Woods had been able to compelte the sixth, it would've been the Mariners' third quality start of the series versus the Angels- without any wins to show for them. Regardless, it was the best start coming from Joel Pineiro's place in the rotation in three weeks.

As the Marieners went nearly a week-and-a-half between quality starts, their lousy pitching has wasted some excellent performances from the M's bats. Six times during the eleven-game slide, the M's have had at least ten hits (including a ridiculous ten-hit shut-out thrown by Danny Haren and the Oakland A's) including three games in a row from August 15-17. In those six games, the team combined to hit .320 and still leave a ridiculous 103 runners on base. The offensive ineptitude stinks to high heaven, and makes one wonder what would currently be happeneing if there was a 43-year old Edgar Martinez in the line-up at DH.

Surely the M's can break their losing streak next week against the Yankees, right? I mean, all the Yankees have done is score 39 runs in three games versus the Red Sox, the first time the Red Sox have allowed at least 12 runs a game three games in aa row versus an opponent in franchise history. Bobby Abreu has been creaming the ball for the Yankees since he's come over from the Phillies- a .392 average and 1.021 OPS in 19 games. Luckily, Tuesday's starter for New York, Jaret Wright, has a 6.69 career ERA versus the Mariners, so chances are the M's won't get shut-out. Not saying they'll win, mind you, but they won't be shut out. Most of the current Mariners, however, haven't faced Wright in their career- Beltre has two hits in eight at-bats- and considering he gave up five runs in three innings in a 12-2 loss to the Orioles in his last start, there's a good chance the Mariners might score a few runs. (However, keep in mind that Wright allowed only one earned run in each of his three prior starts, and has a 3.54 ERA in August.)

Gil Meche is the meat being tossed to the Yankees' hungry lions. Meche has a 3-2 lfetime record and 3.88 ERA versus the Yankees, and allowed 2 runs in six innings in his only start versus the Yankees this year. Those are promising signs, but you have to remember that Meche has reverted to not only Bad Meche but God-Awful Meche over his last three starts, allowing a 9.53 while dropping all three decisions. It's been over a month since Meche has won a game (July 14th) or thrown a quality start (July 19th). While Meche for the most part has kept a number of Yankees batters in check throughout his career- Damon 3-for-17, Giambi 4-for-15, Bernie Williams 2-for-16- Alex Rodriguez has feasted on Meche's offerings, slugging three home-runs and four doubles in 20 at-bats for an otherworldy 1.490 OPS. In short, I see the final score being along the lines of 11-4 or something like that. The Yankees series is going to suck, and I don't see an opportunity for the Mariners to end their losing streak against the Yankees.

Mike Hargrove's lognest losing streak as a manager is 12 games with the 2002 Orioles. The Mariners' longest losing streak is 12, reached in 1992. Both numbers will be met against the Yankees.

Oh yeah. And Beltre- remember this blog is about him- went hitless in four at-bats today so both his streaks of games hitting and games getting on base are history, and his average dropped to .265- three point shigher than when his 15 game hitting streak began. Thanks AB. It was fun while it lasted.