Justin Smoak News

Jon Paul Morosi is a national MLB writer for FOXSports.com. He previously covered baseball for the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Post-Intelligencer . He began his journalism career at the Bay City Times in his native Michigan.

David Murphy returns to the No. 2 hole in the lineup with a right-hander facing the Rangers.

The Seattle Mariners' losing streak grew to a season-high seven games Friday, and not even Joe Saunders on the mound at Safeco Field could stop it.

Box W:J.Grimm L:J.Saunders S:J.Nathan HR: TEX- L.Berkman , J.Baker SEA- None Texas Top 1st - UMPIRES: Home,Cory Blaser; First, Jeff Nelson; Second, Ed Hickox; Third, Jim Joyce; - Elvis Andrus grounded out short to first.

With about a quarter of the 2013 season in the books, the American League West still has its fair share of questions moving forward as it did at the beginning of the season.

The Seattle Mariners will option catcher Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle News Tribune.

MARCH 04: Justin Smoak #17 of the Seattle Mariners his a single against the Cincinnati Reds during the second inning of the spring training game at Peoria Stadium on March 4, 2011 in Peoria, Arizona.

Matt Wieters hit a three-run homer to boost the Orioles to a 6-3 win over the Yankees, highlighting Wednesday night's play for Lowcountry players in pro baseball.

After four losses, three on walk-offs by the Indians in four days, the Seattle Mariners couldn't pack their bags and get to the airport fast enough.

It wasn't a typo. On Friday night, Franklin Gutierrez was originally penciled in to be starting in right field for the Tacoma Rainiers in the second game of his rehab stint.

Maybe that's why Mike Trout was so excited hitting for the cycle in leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 12-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners Tuesday night at Angel Stadium.

While his prospect peers are struggling, Justin Smoak looks like he's finally seeing some improvement.

Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since August 2005.

"Best game I've ever been a part of," Perez said. "It was the craziest, most fun ... obviously, it stunk to give up a home run, but it was still fun." Yan Gomes hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning as the Indians, revived by Seattle fielding errors in the final two innings, beat the Mariners 10-8 on Monday to complete a four-game sweep and ... (more)

The U.S.S. Mariner is in no way affiliated with, condoned or given any notice by the Seattle Mariners baseball team, who have their own website .

The Mariners were a popular pick to be a "surprise" team this season, which, frankly, kind of ruins the surprise in the event that the surprise even occurs.

The Angels are 17-27 on the year and sit in fourth place in the American League West, a long way away from the rivals they were supposed to battle atop the division.

So much of baseball writing, it seems to me, ends up being the act of finding new ways to say the same thing as before.

Seattle closer Tom Wilhelmsen can't handle a throw from first baseman Justin Smoak with two outs in the ninth Monday on a ball hit by Carlos Santana, allowing the tying run to score.

Yan Gomes' game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the Tribe to a four-game sweep of the Seattle Mariners.