Another Lesson On Losing Athletics Send Seattle, Cloude Further Into A.L. West Cellar

If it were April, the Seattle Mariners could get away with comments like those that followed their 6-2 loss to Oakland at the Kingdome on Saturday.

The “learning process” and “getting things straightened out” aren’t phrases often spoken in the clubhouses of teams that retain playoff hopes nearly halfway through the season.

Instead, those phrases are coming from the last-place team in the American League West.

Mariners pitcher Ken Cloude made another educational start in front of 44,597 fans, but didn’t take away from the lesson what he put into it. The effort was there, but the result was a loss that dropped his record to 3-6.

Cloude, who started the season 3-1, hasn’t been credited with a victory since April 24.

“I’m taking it on the chin right now,” said Cloude, who has never before struggled for such an extended time. “It’s a learning process right now. I haven’t been able to put two (good outings) back-to-back. I’m just trying to stay positive.”

After retiring the A’s in order in the first inning, starting with a first pitch that made Rickey Henderson’s nose itch because of the ball’s proximity to his face, Cloude began to make mistakes.

Four consecutive hits in the second inning - the big blow a two-run double by rookie No. 8 hitter Ryan Christenson - gave Oakland a 3-0 lead.

Since May 12, the opponent scoring first has been a bad sign for the Mariners. It’s been 38 days since they last had a come-from-behind victory.

The deficit stretched to 5-0 on a two-run homer by No. 9 hitter A.J. Hinch in the fourth and 6-0 on a two-strike home run well into the upper deck in right field by Jason Giambi in the fifth.

The damage pushed Cloude’s earned-run average to 6.13.

Since the middle of May, Cloude has alternated moderately successful starts with poor ones, all of which have become losses for the Mariners.

“We need for him to get going,” Mariners manager Lou Piniella said. “He hasn’t won in quite a while. But in fairness he should have a couple more wins.”

It’s performances like his seven shutout innings in a May 23 no-decision against Tampa Bay and his 6 innings of two-hit pitching in his previous start that keep Cloude going to the Seattle mound and not the bullpen or the Class AAA Tacoma mound.

Oakland starting pitcher Jimmy Haynes is in a similar situation. He and Cloude are both in their mid-20s and trying to secure their places in starting rotations.

Haynes looked Saturday as if he is much closer to reaching his goal.

Prior to being drilled on the right wrist by a line drive from Joey Cora in the eighth inning, Haynes, a 6-3 right-hander, had given up just four hits and allowed no one past second.

His record went to 5-3 and his ERA down to 4.00.

Cora’s line drive was cause for concern, though.

“It was scary,” Haynes said, “especially getting it right there on the wrist. I hope it’s just a bruise.”

What’s really bruised is the Mariners’ collective ego.

Their $52 million team has a 2-4 record against the A’s (payroll $17 million) this season.

“Far and away they have more talent than we do,” said Athletics third baseman and former Mariner Mike Blowers, who had an RBI single in the second.

The Mariners’ lone bright spot Saturday was a three-inning stint on the mound by Bobby Ayala, who yielded no runs or walks.

“Bobby did a nice job,” Piniella said. “Today was a step in the right direction.”

After a second consecutive day of no batting practice, the Mariners failed to muster any direction against Haynes and two relievers.

The Mariners’ runs came in the eighth courtesy of an unmade play that turned what should have been a Jay Buhner pop out into a run-scoring triple.

Athletics 6, Mariners 2

Oakland AB R H BI BB SO Avg. Henderson lf 5 0 0 0 0 1 .240 Bournigal 2b 5 0 1 0 0 1 .221 Grieve rf 4 0 0 0 1 3 .312 Stairs dh 4 0 0 0 0 1 .310 Giambi 1b 3 2 3 1 1 0 .261 Voigt 1b 0 0 0 0 0 0 .143 Blowers 3b 4 1 1 1 0 0 .255 Tejada ss 4 1 1 0 0 0 .276 Christenson cf 4 1 2 2 0 1 .248 Hinch c 3 1 2 2 1 0 .243 Totals 36 6 10 6 3 7 Seattle AB R H BI BB SO Avg. JCora 2b 5 0 2 0 0 0 .265 ARodriguez ss 4 0 1 0 0 1 .297 Griffey Jr cf 3 1 1 0 1 0 .291 Buhner rf 4 1 1 1 0 1 .265 Segui 1b 4 0 1 1 0 1 .342 EMartinez dh 3 0 0 0 1 0 .292 Ducey lf 4 0 1 0 0 0 .241 DWilson c 4 0 1 0 0 0 .242 Gipson 3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .190 a-RDavis ph-3b 2 0 0 0 0 2 .252 Totals 35 2 8 2 2 7 Oakland 030 210 000 - 6 Seattle 000 000 020 - 2 a-struck out for Gipson in the 7th.

LOB-Oakland 6, Seattle 8. 2B-Giambi 2 (13), Christenson (5), Ducey (12). 3B-Buhner (1). HR-Giambi (8) off Cloude; Hinch (5) off Cloude. RBIs-Giambi (39), Blowers (41), Christenson 2 (8), Hinch 2 (15), Buhner (10), Segui (54). SB-ARodriguez (17).

Runners left in scoring position-Oakland 2 (Henderson, Blowers); Seattle 5 (JCora, ARodriguez, Buhner, EMartinez, RDavis).

Oakland IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Haynes W,5-3 7-1/3 4 0 0 2 6 113 4.00 TJMathews 2/3 4 2 2 0 0 15 5.65 Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 1 14 2.39 Seattle IP H R ER BB SO NP ERA Cloude L,3-6 5 8 6 6 2 4 114 6.13 Ayala 3 2 0 0 0 2 32 7.22 McCarthy 1 0 0 0 1 1 10 2.08 TJMathews pitched to 1 batter in the 9th.

Inherited runners-scored-Taylor 1-0.

WP-Haynes 2.

T-2:50. A-44,597 (59,084). Athletics 6 Mariners 2 Today: Oakland at Seattle, 1:30 p.m. TV: UPN 22.