Seattle bullpen receives boost

BALTIMORE – When they open a critical series with the Oakland Athletics at home today, the Seattle Mariners bullpen will once again be at full strength – Rafael Soriano will be back.

“That will give us two power arms at the end of the game to help us get to J.J. (Putz),” manager Mike Hargrove said. “Mark Lowe has pitched well enough to earn late-inning spots, but he hasn’t moved ahead of Soriano.

“We’ll do what we did when the season started, and we had J.J. and Soriano in the same role to get the game to Eddie Guardado. It would be ideal to keep one of them fresh, but there will be times we need them both in the game.”

Soriano hasn’t pitched since July 21, and was placed on the disabled list last week retroactive to the 22nd with what the team called a “fatigued” right shoulder. He has been throwing regularly and the Mariners don’t think a rehabilitation assignment will be necessary.

Ibanez cleans up

Raul Ibanez moved to the cleanup spot in Seattle’s lineup on May 30, and the team is 27-22 since.

Ibanez has hit .283 with 11 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs while batting cleanup.

Short hops

Seattle’s 12 shutout losses lead the majors but aren’t nearly a franchise record. Three times in M’s history – 1978, 1983 and 1990 – the team was shut out 15 times. … Seattle is 9-1 in games in which Kenji Johjima homers.