As the season is poking along, winding down to an unglorious conclusion, we have meaningless games to be played, such as tonight's 6-5 loss at the hands of the Texas Rangers.

If there is anything the Mariners can play for the in the final two games, it is to prevent the Rangers from achieving a .500 record. Of course, to do that the M's would have to win both games, so it's a minor victory that would be easier said than done.

At any rate, it was pleasing to see that Ryan Feierabend can settle his stuff down and avoid giving up the long ball, which he had troubles with in his last start versus the White Sox. In tonight's game, Ryan tossed 96 pitches over five innings and allowed six hits and three walks- but only two runs. It was much an improvement for Ryan, who was done in by a lousy outing of relief turned in by Emiliano Fruto who came into the sixth, walked the lead-off batter on four pitches, gave up two base-hits, and before you know it, Michael Young knocked a two-out, two-run RBI double to give the Rangers a 5-3 lead and, as Lookout Landing makes clear, effectively killed the M's chances in this game.

Oh well. At least it was great seeing Beltre hit a two-run home-run in the first inning, propelling the M's to an early 2-0 lead. Coupled with a sixth-inning sacrifice fly, and Beltre is now sitting at 23 home-runs and 85 RBIs on the year. I remember a time when Mariner's fans would absolutely cream over those numbers coming from their third baseman- but those numbers should be perhaps a half-season's totals for someone making Beltre's $11 million. Still, Beltre has passed last season's power numbers and can match the 87 RBIs he put up last year, and even if Beltre goes hitless in the next two games, there is no way his average will drop to last year's .255.

Forgive me if I'm pointing out how Beltre has improved. Crikey, if you lop April from Beltre's season totals you'd have a third sacker with a .280 average and an .845 OPS! And while that still may be far below what the most optimistic Mariner fan was hoping when the signing of Beltre was announced, I'll take it, considering the fact that Jim Presley has been my idea of a prototypical Marienr third baseman for some time now. It's unfortuante that Marienrs fans have to keep our expectations low when it comes to production from our team's third basemen, but as I pointed out in an earlier essay, that's what we've come to expect from the Mariners' dark hole at third base. So, in that regards, Beltre's season was kinda, sorta a success.

But not nearly as successful as Raul Ibanez's, who went yard again today for the 33rd time. There is no doubt that Ibanez has been having one of the best Mariner offensive years for a player not named Griffey, Rodriguez, or Buhner.

Now I know Iwas calling on hargrove to start all the kiddiesthis weekend, but if the Marienrs are to deprive the Rangers from reaching .500 this season, they're going to need all their bats in the line-up. And then they're going to have to beat Kevin Millwood, who held the M's to one run over seven innings nearly two weeks ago and has allowed only three runs in fourteen innings against the Marienrs this month. In five starts against the Mariners this season, Millwood has rung up a 3-1 record, improving his over-all record against Seattle to 5-2. Belter only has three hits in twelve at-bats versus Millwood this year (.278 in his career), but Ichiro has torched Millwood for a .471 average in 16 at-bats, raising his career average versus Millwood to .333 in 24 at-bats. Broussard and Johjima are the only Marienrs to take Millwood yard this year, and after tomorrow's game, I'm expecting it to maintain that way.

Felix Hernandez, in his second scheduled "last start of the season", will attempt to deny Millwood his 17th win on the season. Of course, to do that Felix might have to do a little "role reversal' and swap his numbers against Texas with Millwood's numbers agaisnt Seattle. In his last start against Texas the last time these two teams met, Felix allowed four runs in five innings to pick up the loss, his third against Texas this year to go along with a 6.59 ERA in 27 innings. Whatever Felix's number is, the Rangers have it tagged, as Gary Matthews Jr. has a .500 average and a 1.319 OPS in 14 at-bats this season versus Felix, while Michael Young- who else- has a 1.043 OPS agaisnt Felix in 14 at-bats. Those two have worked in tandem to beat up on the Mariners all season, why should tomorrow be any differnt? It's due to the efforts of Matthews and Young that Felix has been able to keep Hank Blalock and Mark Teixiera at a combined .138 average in 29 at-bats, yet still get stomped when he faces the Rangers.

And it's sad to say, but... the Mariners will not prevent the Rangers from reaching .500 this year. At least not tomorrow. No, Felix will get rocked, give up 10 runs in five innings, and then complain about arm soreness that would require Tommy John surgery. No, that won't happen. I was just trying to imagine a sure-fire scenario in which Mike Hargrove would get fired, but I guess he wouldn't for anything like that, those would all be "circumstances outside of his control" though he created them.

No faith in the M's, no faith in Felix, definitely no faith in Hargrove. 10-3, Rangers with the game decided by the conclusion of the fourth. You'll see...