A return to form for M’s

ARLINGTON, Texas — Finally, the Seattle Mariners have a timeline – a firm date by which they expect to know who they are, and where they’re going.

After beating teams they should beat, Montreal and Pittsburgh, the Mariners returned to their own division Tuesday, and the Texas Rangers pounded them, 10-2.

It snapped a four-game winning streak and, more significantly, was the first game of a 10-game stretch after which a decision will be made.

Three games against the Rangers here, three games against the Padres at Safeco Field, then four games with the Rangers in Seattle.

When the last of those games is played, it will be July 1.

“These are important games, all of them,” Bill Bavasi said. “Was tonight a reality check? No, it was just the first of a run of important games.”

If on July 1, the Mariners believe themselves to be in the division race, they will move in one direction. If they do not consider themselves contenders, it may well kick off the retooling of a franchise.

“Was this a reality check after last week? I don’t think so,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We lost a game. If we kick their butts (today), that’s all it was.”

The butts kicked Tuesday were all clothed in Seattle gray, and the biggest beating was laid on rookie Clint Nageotte – who joined most of the Mariners rotation’s success against Texas.

Seattle’s first visit to Arlington was a three-game series in April, when the Rangers scored 27 runs and beat Joel Piñeiro, Freddy Garcia and Ryan Franklin.

“We owe these guys something from the last time in,” Melvin said before the game.

The debt has grown.

The first inning was the only barometer anyone needed to see where this game was going. Randy Winn led off with a walk and, against right-hander Ryan Drese, Scott Spiezio crushed a ball toward the right field corner.

Texas first baseman Mark Teixeira leaped, caught the ball and stepped on the bag for a double play.

“That ball gets down in the corner, who knows?” Melvin said.

It didn’t, and Nageotte didn’t have nearly the good fortune Drese had.

With Michael Young at first base and one out, Nageotte put a 90 mph sinker at the ankles – inside corner – and Alfonso Soriano grounded it sharply into left field for a single. Brad Fullmer walked, and Nageotte went after a double play from Teixeira.

“He made some bad pitches and they got hit,” catcher Pat Borders said, “but Clint made some good pitches, too, and a few of them got hit. Look at the video here … “

Cued up was that first-inning Teixeira at-bat. Looking for the double play, Nageotte hit the outside corner with a 91 mph fastball – and Teixeira, with a nice piece of hitting, lined it up the middle.

Texas 2, Seattle 0.

It never got closer.

“I left some pitches up, and when I had to make a good pitch, I didn’t,” Nageotte said. “Against a good-hitting team, you can’t fall behind in the count, and I did. They hit mistakes, and I made a few. I’m not real happy with way the night went.”

The problem wasn’t Nageotte’s first inning, or the second-inning home run he gave up to catcher Rod Barajas. It was a combination of the Mariners’ offense disappearing – and the Rangers having a big night.

“They hit well in this park, we don’t pitch well in this park, and that’s a bad combination,” Melvin said.

Now 9 1/2 games back in the American League West, the Mariners are once again 10 games under .500 – and no matter what the standings indicate, that’s a long way from contention.

Against the Rangers, the Mariners are 2-5.

Counting Tuesday’s loss, Seattle plays Texas in seven games over a 10-game span that ends on July 1. The Rangers are playing for a division title, and while they can’t win one this month they can eliminate one team in the West.

Seattle.

Bret Boone had one of the Mariners’ five hits and called it “a miracle.”

“I’ve never been this frustrated, ever,” he said. “If we can win the next two games, we take the series and keep it going.”

Asked about his lineup, Melvin said he’d tried every combination he could find without finding a consistent offense.

“We’ve got guys we absolutely have to get going, and Boone is one of them,” he said. “You look at his numbers the last three seasons, we have to get him back to where he should be. I’m not going to take him out of the lineup – he’s one of the meat-of-the-order guys here.”

Boone shook his head.

“Bob’s right. I’ve got to do more,” he said.

And do it by July 1.