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Thiel: By holiday, Mariners may not be dead

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:31:26 GMT

The Mariners are upon the time in the baseball calendar when discerning, veteran Seattle fans bid adieu to the rest of baseball -- the Memorial Day weekend, when the flickering hopes of spring training are extinguished by the customary downpours of two outs and nobody on.

While the Mariners are rarely mathematically eliminated from the pennant race by the holiday, they are rendered irrelevant to local and national fans because they not only aren't very good, they are hopeless.

Olivo returns to Mariners, OF Wells sent down

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:31:27 GMT

Catcher Miguel Olivo, who missed 23 days with a strained groin muscle, was returned to the Mariners' roster Thursday before the club began a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels. The Mariners made room by sending OF Casper Wells to Class AAA Tacoma.

Who Is The Mariners' Worst Free-Agent Blight?

Thu, 24 May 2012 23:31:26 GMT

Having completed his rehab assignment (groin injury) with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers, catcher Miguel Olivo has been activated by the Mariners and will rejoin the club in time for Thursday's game with the Angels. Instead of clearing a roster spot by jettisoning Chone Figgins, the logical (and an inevitable) move, the Mariners opted to send outfielder Casper Wells to the minors.

#47: Mariners Launch Four Vs. Enigmatic Angels

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:31:27 GMT

GAME: Angels 20-25, 4th AL West, - 7.0 GB) atMariners (21-25, 3rd, AL West, - 6.5 GB). GAME #: 47. SERIES: 1st of 4 games. MEETING: 1st. WHEN: Thursday, 7:10 p.m., Safeco Field. PROBABLE PITCHERS: RHP Dan Haren (Los Angeles, 1-5, 4.37) vs. LHP Jason Vargas (Seattle, 5-3, 3.34). STREAKS: Mariners W 1; Angels W 2. TV: ROOT Sports, MLB TV. RADIO: KIRO 710 (Seattle), Mariners Radio Network.

Interesting race, this AL West: Most expected the Rangers to win it, if not run away with it, but Texas has so far failed to separate itself. Expected to contend after adding Albert Pujols ($240 million, batting .213), the enigmatic Angels, working with a $154.9 million payroll, have stumbled. It figured Seattle or Oakland would become bottom feeders early and wage a 162-game spat for third place. Hasn't happened.

Sounders Lay an Egg, Fall 2-0 to Columbus

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:31:27 GMT

It was by no means a case of David vs. Goliath, but based on recent history, there seemed little doubt Seattle Sounders FC would take care of business at CenturyLink Field Wednesday night against the Columbus Crew. After all, in seven meetings, Seattle owned a 4-0-3 record and a 14-6 aggregate goal advantage over coach Sigi Schmid's former club.

So when the Sounders dropped their second consecutive home match in a 2-0 pounding, Schmid and Co. were left to figure out what went wrong.

Thiel: Mariners' Millwood & Liddi: Who'da thunk?

Fri, 25 May 2012 12:31:28 GMT

Kevin Millwood speaks with a Carolina drawl so deep that a bread truck can go missing in it. For Alex Liddi, enough of his native Italian accent remains that his halting English seems a swoon-maker among women of a certain age.

The Texas Rangers, meanwhile, are speechless and feature-less. Charmed, they were not.

Seahawks' Barbre Suspended For Four Games

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:31:26 GMT

Offensive tackle Allen Barbre of the Seattle Seahawks, a fourth-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2007, has been suspended without pay for the team's first four games of the 2012 regular season for violating the National Football League policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Sounders-Crew: It's Usually Goodbye Columbus

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:31:27 GMT

MATCH: Columbus Crew (3-4-3, 12 points, 7th, East Conf.) at Seattle Sounders FC (7-2-2, 23 points, 3rd, West Conf.). TYPE: MLS. WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m., CenturyLink Field. MEETING: 7th (Sounders lead 3-0-3 MLS, 4-0-3 all competitions). TV: KONG 6/16. RADIO: 97.3 KIRO FM; SPANISH: La Gran D 99.3 FM.

If the Sounders relish playing any team, it's the Columbus Crew.In addition to having never lost to Columbus, the Sounders have tallied at least one goal in every match and enjoy a 14-6 aggregate goals advantage.

Sounders To Host Open Cup Match After All

Thu, 24 May 2012 14:31:27 GMT

The Seattle Sounders, at one point scheduled to play their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match on the road, instead will host the Atlanta Silverbacks in a third-round match 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila.

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Thu, 24 May 2012 05:31:26 GMT

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