Seattle @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 5, 2011 ) Seattle 4, Oakland 2

THE STORY: The Seattle Mariners are starting to make some noise in the American League West. For their part, the only sound the Oakland Athletics are making is a loud thud as they've plummeted to the basement of the division. Winners of three in a row and four of their last five, the Mariners will vie for a three-game sweep of the Athletics on Wednesday afternoon. Inconsistent lefthander Jason Vargas will take the mound for Seattle, while righthander Guillermo Moscoso will try to wrap up Oakland's nine-game homestand on a positive note. All told, the Athletics are 3-5 during that stretch while losing nine of their last 13 overall.

TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, ROOT

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners LH Jason Vargas (6-5, 3.57 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Guillermo Moscoso (2-4, 2.51 ERA)

Vargas has been alternating spectacular wins and brutal losses since mid-May. Considering that the 28-year-old Californian was downright masterful in his last outing, perhaps he should be worried heading into Wednesday's start. Vargas scattered six hits in a complete-game gem on Friday as the Mariners posted a 6-0 triumph over the San Diego Padres. He struggled in his last outing against the Athletics, permitting six earned runs on as many hits in five innings of a 9-1 loss on April 23.

One can't blame Moscoso if he was happy to see June come to an end. After winning both starts in May, the 27-year-old Venezuelan dropped all four decisions last month. Moscoso pitched well in his last outing - allowing three runs on four hits and striking out eight - but he was saddled with the loss in a 3-0 setback to the Florida Marlins on June 29. On Wednesday, Moscoso will make his first career start against the Mariners.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (38-49): Jemile Weeks, who was named co-winner of American League rookie of the month honors, had two hits on Tuesday and has reached base safely in six of his last seven games. Kurt Suzuki also had two hits on Tuesday - including a solo homer in the eighth off reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Felix Hernandez. Suzuki has struggled against Vargas, collecting just three singles in 11 career at-bats.

ABOUT THE MARINERS (43-43): After going 0-for-4 on Monday to end his modest six-game hitting streak, rookie Dustin Ackley belted a homer and scored twice as the Mariners recorded a 4-2 victory in 10 innings on Tuesday. The home run was Ackley's second in four days. Franklin Gutierrez scored the winning run on shortstop Cliff Pennington's throwing error in frame. Ichiro Suzuki had a pair of hits for the third straight contests. Miguel Olivo, who had missed five straight games with a hamstring injury, struggled in his return. He went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts.

FINAL PITCH: Lefthander Gio Gonzalez, who is the Athletics' lone All-Star this season, shared American League co-player of the week honors with Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista. Gonzalez went 2-0 with a rail-thin 0.60 ERA last week