PEORIA, Ariz. - Carlos Silva not only had to deal with an awkwardly sloped pitching mound in his final Arizona start, but he also had to contend with 86-degree heat. It wasn't a good combination for the Mariners' right-hander.

Silva became the latest member of Seattle's starting rotation to have his problems, giving up six runs and 10 hits in five innings against Triple-A Nashville on Sunday.

That's not an encouraging sign for a team hopeful of making a serious run at the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West.

The Mariners and Angels play during the second week of the season so Seattle chose to have Silva stay back from the team's exhibition game in Tempe on Sunday, instead letting him work on his new cut fastball pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers' minor league squad.

Silva said he made progress with the cutter, but wasn't too concerned about his other results.

With sweat dripping from his forehead while he finished his post-game workout, the 246-pound Silva pointed to a number of things that factored in his performance, from the mound at the minor league field he pitched at to the dry Arizona heat.

"The weather here is weird, it's so dry," Silva said. "Unbelievable. I tried to (lick my fingers) and nothing. My fingers were so dry."

Silva also said a tight strike zone made it difficult to pitch low.

"That ump should have been in big leagues," Silva said. "In the big leagues, you have to throw pitches low because if you throw them up they disappear. For me, it sucked because that's my strength and my ball is going to go there."

Silva made 107 pitches, his most of the spring, struck out seven and walked two. He gave up three runs in the first two innings, then retired the side in the third before struggling in his last two innings.

"It's tough for him to pitch down there," Seattle pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre said. "That infield is rock hard down there and (the ball) really gets through. I looked real closely at the groundballs that were hit that went through for base hits, they weren't really scalded or anything."

Silva will make one final tune-up start likely next Friday in Las Vegas against the Chicago Cubs.

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DOG DAYS OF SPRING: With a week to go before the start of the regular season, the Mariners have begun the process of closing down shop in Arizona. Boxes filled with players' belongings are scattered throughout the team's clubhouse, and the front office has been busy packing up as well.

While that might bring a sense of excitement, it's also made it tough on Seattle's coaching staff to find motivation to get the players through the final days of spring training.

"This is not a good time of spring I don't think," manager John McLaren said Sunday. "We kind of run into thinking ahead to the season and hit a wall a little bit. This is a real challenge, this time of year, for myself and this staff. That's why we try to do different drills just to keep the guys' interest going because this is the time of year that you lose them a little bit.

"We're doing the best we can. I'm sure other teams are going through the same thing. No excuses, just the way it is."

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SHORT HOPS: First baseman Richie Sexson has received a cortisone injection in his right shoulder after being diagnosed with bursitis. Sexson, who hit a career-low .205 in 2007, was held out of Sunday's game against the Angels, but is expected back in the lineup on Monday. According to the Mariners, Sexson first complained about pain in his shoulder after sleeping on it wrong. "It's nothing serious," McLaren said. "It's something that's been nagging him. It's not an issue at all. He slept on it wrong."