That's the way the Mariners were selling this one, injury-depleted opponents or not. Seattle began this trip 0-3 and finished 3-3 after sweeping the Oakland A's in this two-game series. The final score today was 4-2, with J.J. Putz notching the final five outs for the win.

Manager Mike Hargrove said he went to Chris Reitsma in the sixth because he knew his arm would be strong enough to work in multiple innings. Brandon Morrow had gone 3 1/3 innings the other night, and could only be used in one frame -- which turned out to be the eighth.

Hargrove said that, despite Morrow's struggles in that eighth, he'd keep using Morrow there from time to time.

"I'd like to use him more in that (role),'' he said. "Reitsma and Morrow for me right now are really interchangeable in that role.''

Putz said it isn't ideal to work consecutive multi-inning save opportunities, but the team needed him.

"It's something you don't want to have to do on a consistent basis,'' Putz said. "But I've said this before, when I talked to Mariano (Rivera) last year he said 'Sometimes the biggest outs are in the eighth inning and that's when you may need to come in and save a game.'
"And today was a perfect example of that.''

Back to Seattle. My flight leaves in 90 minutes, so I'm outta here.