M's free-fall continues

It has come to this for the swiftly sinking Mariners: They are now precisely as close to last place in the AL West — 6 ½ games — as they are to the wild-card lead they held just 13 days ago.

And they keep heading down, down, down, with no apparent revival in sight.

The latest crash on their voyage of doom came with Tuesday's 7-4 loss at Safeco Field to the Oakland Athletics, who have suddenly become a more relevant rival of the Mariners than the Angels or Yankees.

The A's, sitting in third place in the West, pulled 5 ½ games behind the Mariners. The last-place Rangers are 6 ½ back of Seattle — the same distance that the Mariners trail the wild-card-leading Yankees.

Yes, the same Yankees over whom the Mariners held a three-game lead on Aug. 24. But since then, Seattle has lost a staggering 15 out of 17 games for a swing of 9 ½ games in New York's favor.

For those Mariners' fans still harboring faint playoff hopes, here's today's downer: If the Yankees go 9-9 the rest of the way, they would finish at 91-71, meaning the Mariners would have to go 16-3 to catch them.

Two problems with that: The Yankees, with six wins in a row, seem unlikely to do as poorly as .500. And if anyone sees the Mariners poised for a 16-3 run, they're the ultimate optimists.

Almost all traces of optimism seem to have been sapped from the Mariners, who have segued into survival mode.

"It's definitely very difficult, very trying," said Raul Ibanez, one of the few players to make themselves available to the media after the latest loss.

"I'm beyond words for it right now. I'm speechless. All we can do is continue to fight and dig deep down, and whatever's left now, leave it out there on the field."

This time, the A's broke a 4-4 tie with three runs in the sixth, saddling starter Jarrod Washburn with his eighth loss in his last nine decisions, dating to July 13.

Washburn got two quick outs in the sixth, but departed after giving up a single to Shannon Stewart and walking Daric Barton. As has become typical in this losing stretch, the Mariners' bullpen couldn't bail him out.

Eric O'Flaherty walked Nick Swisher to load the bases, and Sean Green was greeted with a two-run bloop single by Mike Piazza. Mark Ellis then knocked in the third run of the inning with a single, his fourth hit.

In 5-2/3 innings, Washburn gave up six runs, eight hits and walked five. He threw a season-high 122 pitches and hasn't won at home since June 29.

The game got off to another dispiriting start, as Oakland scored four in the third to jump ahead 4-1. Seattle manager John McLaren was tossed in the inning by home-plate umpire Chris Guccione for arguing ball four on a full-count pitch by Washburn with the bases loaded.

"I took up for Wash," said McLaren, ejected for the third time in 65 games as manager. "I'm frustrated. I saw the reaction of Wash, and I want to show the guys I'm behind them."

McLaren has been taking heat for the Mariners' nosedive, but Ibanez defended him.

"He's done a great job," he said. "Mac's a straight shooter. He's going to go out and fight for us. He fights for his guys every time. Mac is very well appreciated and respected by his players."

The Mariners, who had scored first on Adrian Beltre's 24th home run into the second deck in left, rallied to tie with three in the fifth.

The final run came on a bizarre play that knocked catcher Kenji Johjima out of the game with a left wrist injury.

Jose Vidro hit a grounder to first, a seeming double-play ball. But shortstop Donnie Murphy's relay struck Johjima, who was bearing down on him from first and had instinctively thrown up his arms as he slid.

While Johjima writhed in pain, Jose Guillen scored the tying run. Johjima eventually walked off the field but was replaced by Jamie Burke.

Johjima suffered a left wrist bruise, and is day to day. X-rays were negative, and Johjima said he might be able to play in today's finale.

Of the incident, Johjima said, "It hasn't happened in the past, but being a catcher, I have a bad habit of trying to stop any ball. If a dragonfly was nearby, I'd probably try to catch it."

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com.