MARINERS

When Felix Hernandez went down with his arm injury, the M's needed someone to step up and be the stopper. The guy in the rotation that assures a long losing streak is almost impossible, because he's going to pitch well every time out and give the M's a chance to win.

Jarrod Washburn has been that guy. The veteran left-hander, who didn't have the best of seasons last year, his first with the M's, has been almost unbeatable since Felix's injury, running his record since then to 3-1 with a 3-0 victory over the Yankees on Friday night.

Washburn pitched inside. He changed speeds. He hit spots. His slider broke late and broke hard. His fastball had movement. He was tough in tough spots. In other words, he was a stopper.

A game above .500 again, the M's will try to stay on the positive side of the ledger tonight (7:05; KSKN-22; 920-AM) with Miguel Batista (3-2, 5.70 ERA) facing Yankee rookie Matt DeSalvo (0-0, 1.29).

Today's hot list …

• Washburn's effort dominated the game stories as much as he did the Yankees, including the Herald, Times, the News Tribune, and the P-I. Out of New York, where the game ended after deadline, here are stories from the Times, the Daily News and the Post.

• Jeff Weaver was put on the disabled list Friday, and everyone had that as well, with stories from the Herald, Times, the News Tribune, and the P-I.

• Why do M's fans still get on Alex Rodriguez (see question below)? The P-I had this piece on the booing.

• If you have time today, don't miss this New York Times' story on Bud Selig, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron's record (remember, like Selig, Aaron was a Milwaukee guy) and steriods. It's worth the few minutes it will take.

• This is a few days old, but if you have an interest in the Rogers Clemen's deal, read this Mike Vaccaro column in the New York Post.

• And our question of the day …

• Is the booing of Alex Rodriguez meant to make him play worse or to just show the Seattle fans' frustration with him leaving? If it's the latter, isn't it time it stopped?

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