Mariners Notebook: Ichiro's parallel path

Now, the catalyst is hitless in his past 10 at-bats, to match his worst slump of the season, during the club's early June homestand against Toronto and Tampa Bay.

He was asked if the two slumps were similar.

"I guess so," he said through interpreter Kirsten Henning. "It doesn't matter how long I'm not hitting well, it's always frustrating. Whether it's one game, or one at-bat, it doesn't make any difference."

Ichiro said he adjusts his mechanics for each pitcher he faces. He did not recall hitting against Oakland starter Kirk Saarloos before, though he had two previous at-bats. He went 0-for-4 yesterday.

"We weren't playing well," Ichiro said. "Bottom line."

INTERLEAGUE FINALE: This weekend's trip to San Diego marks the Mariners' last interleague series of the season. Manager Mike Hargrove could not be more pleased to see that segment of the schedule end.

"I'm tired of it, tired of it," Hargrove said. "It happens every year. You get tired of it at the end. You want to get back into your league."

As expected, the Mariners enjoyed a home-field advantage against the Padres, Phillies, and Mets, compiling a 7-2 record in nine games while using the designated hitter. Similarly, Seattle struggled at Florida and Washington (2-4) and will play without the DH for three games this weekend.

Hargrove said after yesterday's game that he plans to use the same lineup from the series against the Marlins and Nationals. That would indicate Jeremy Reed, who started only one game on the previous trip, is likely to be the odd man out again.

So goes the eight-man squeeze in National League parks. Hargrove has little choice but to sit one from among Reed, Randy Winn and Raul Ibanez. Winn will likely slide over to center, while Ibanez plays left.

"I understand," Reed said. "It's not anything I can control. I'm here to play, to win, and if that's the way that's best suited for us to win, then that's the way I want it.

"That's a tough decision. Those guys are hot, two of our hottest hitters. How can you take guys like Raul and Randy out of the lineup? I think that's the way to go."

Reed was perhaps Seattle's most consistent hitter in the Oakland series (.400, 6-for-15). He faced Saarloos in college -- Reed played at Long Beach State, Saarloos at Cal State Fullerton -- and remembered that his success came when hitting to the opposite field. Likewise, both his hits yesterday were to left field.

He also provided exceptional defense in center field. His dive onto the warning track Monday night left him with a strawberry on his arm and forced him to wear a protective sleeve.

But he showed no timidity yesterday, taking out more turf divots with a slide on the grass to deny Mark Ellis in the fourth.

"I really shouldn't have had to dive," Reed said. "I didn't see it the majority of the time. Ich and me were looking at each other a little bit, then it came out of the sun for me. That's the reason I had to do that."

PLAYER SIGNED: With independent league products Bobby Madritsch and George Sherrill injured but otherwise on the Mariners' 40-man roster, the club yesterday signed Derrick Ellison from the Frontier League's Rockford Riverhawks.

Ellison, 26, is in his fifth year of pro baseball and will likely be assigned to the Mariners' Class A affiliate in Wisconsin, according to the Riverhawks Web site. He was 2-2 with two saves and a 5.40 ERA in 13 relief outings this season.

LOPEZ UPDATE: With Bret Boone now two games into his return at second base, it seems Jose Lopez will return to part-time duty as long as he is in the majors. He prefers to play every day, which he could do at Triple-A Tacoma, but also wants to remain in the big leagues.

"I want to stay here," he said. "I'll wait for my time."

He is, after all, only 21 years old.

Lopez said the recent time off was good for his hands, which, while healed now, were once so sore (due in part to hamate surgery) that they landed him on the disabled list. Still, Lopez had his batting gloves on and was ready to hit Wednesday.

NOTES: Rafael Soriano will begin his rehabilitation assignment tonight in Everett. He expects to pitch at Class A Inland Empire and Double-A San Antonio after that. "I'm feeling fine right now, looking forward to the real games," he said. ... The Mariners have only one home series over the next three weeks, a three-game set with the Rangers on July 1-3. That weekend will include two promotions of interest, with a 1995 retro cap night on Friday and 10th anniversary celebration Saturday that will include a visit from players on the '95 team. ... Rather than Snohomish product Adam Eaton, the Mariners will face Darrell May in San Diego tonight. Eaton was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday with a strained middle finger.

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