M's lose momentum and the game against the Rays, 7-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — An optimistic-sounding Mariners manager John McLaren had talked before the game about wanting his team to carry some momentum into this weekend's showdown with the Los Angeles Angels in Seattle.

But after watching nine innings of offensive futility Thursday afternoon, a newly frustrated McLaren might have wished he'd mailed in a forfeit. At least that way, given the uncompetitive look of his hitters in this one, all of the good vibes and positive momentum built up the previous two nights against the Tampa Bay Rays might not have vanished in the series finale.

The Mariners were throttled 7-0, managing just three hits over eight innings against No. 5 Rays starter Edwin Jackson. And now, after a dismal trip, they'll have to kick things into gear against the first-place Angels starting tonight in front of a Safeco Field crowd likely to be on edge at best.

"We've got to go home and start swinging the bats better as a group, be more consistent out there," Mariners designated hitter Jose Vidro, batting just .139, said after Thursday's getaway matinee.

Vidro said it's important for the Mariners to play well no matter who they face. But there's also no doubt the team's fortunes and overall feel could improve with a series win against the nemesis Angels.

"You obviously turn it up a notch," Vidro said. "It's a team you have to beat if you want to go to the playoffs. For us right now, though, we've got to find a way to start playing better."

Few who studied the team's schedule thought the Mariners would go just 2-5 against the Rays and Baltimore Orioles. But after losing all four games in Baltimore, then getting blown out in the finale here in front of 11,898 fans at Tropicana Field, the Mariners need a strong showing against the Angels.

Either that, or they'll already be facing a gap larger than the current couple of games between them and the Angels before the season is even two weeks old. Seattle enters the series with four of its nine regulars hitting .206 or lower.

That includes catcher Kenji Johjima, batting just .071 and in the midst of an 0-for-22 slump as bad as any he can remember trying to play through.

"As of right now," he said, through an interpreter, "I think I'm trying to hit everything, which is impossible to do even when you're in the right groove."

Johjima said it's not even a matter of one solid game getting him out of this funk.

"Just one hit," he said. "That's what I need. And it's tough to bring out that hit when you're in this situation."

The Mariners went 5-14 against Los Angeles last season, but they'll send the top three starters of their revamped rotation to the mound this series against an Angels club missing its top three arms, in starters John Lackey and Kelvim Escobar and closer Francisco Rodriguez.

Miguel Batista kept the Mariners in Thursday's game, despite not having much velocity on his pitches. He tried instead to induce contact and was mostly successful, other than a solo home run to right by Eric Hinske in the fourth that decided the game.

The Rays added another run in the sixth on a double to left-center field by Jonny Gomes and a two-out single blooped to right by Mike DiFelice.

McLaren sent Batista out for the seventh inning with his pitch count at 100. Batista gave up two singles, was pulled, then saw the Rays notch some free passes and hits off relievers Eric O'Flaherty and Roy Corcoran in a five-run inning.

But the way Seattle was hitting, the game was effectively over by the fourth.

That's when Seattle saw Adrian Beltre reach on an infield single off Jackson, followed by a Raul Ibanez walk that put two on with none out. But Richie Sexson grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and Vidro lined a ball to left that Carl Crawford made a diving catch on.

Hinske's home run came afterward, and the Mariners allowed Jackson to breeze through his first seven innings on just 89 pitches before the Rays blew things open.

McLaren said Jackson's command made it tough for hitters to work good counts. But he also knows the team doomed itself this trip by failing to cash in runners when given the chance.

"It was not a good road trip, but we did win the series," McLaren said. "The Baltimore series really set us back. Now, we've got to go home and get a good winning streak going out there. ... I think it's pretty obvious we need to beat the Angels."

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com.

Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.com/Mariners