The Final 9

Saturday, June 14th (All times eastern)

Washington Nationals (27-42) at Seattle Mariners (24-43), 10:10 p.m.

Probable Starting Pitchers: Washington - Tyler Clippard (0-1, 6.23) Seattle - Erik Bedard (4-4, 4.26)

(Sports Network) - A couple of last place teams go at it once again tonight as the Washington Nationals square off against the Seattle Mariners in the second of a three-game interleague set at Safeco Field.

On Friday night the Nationals posted their fourth straight win over Seattle as Dmitri Young, Jesus Flores and Ronnie Belliard each drove in two runs in a 7-6 road victory.

Lastings Milledge finished up 2-for-5 and scored a run for the Nats, who snapped a two-game slide and won for just the second time in their last eight outings. Elijah Dukes contributed an RBI single and scored once as well.

Shawn Hill was credited with his first win since September 10, 2007, despite being touched for five runs and tying a career high by giving 12 hits in just five innings of work.

Despite the victory, Washington is still 15 games under .500 and 14 games out of first in the National League East.

Ichiro Suzuki collected three hits, while Kenji Johjima knocked in a pair of runs for the Mariners, losers of two of their last three contests. Raul Ibanez, Jose Lopez, Jose Vidro and Adrian Beltre each plated a run as the Mariners registered 15 hits and still came up short at home.

The combination of Ryan Rowland-Smith, Sean Green and Mark Lowe held the Nationals to a mere two hits over a span of 7 1/3 innings, but by that point the damage had already been done. Starter R.A. Dickey was charged with seven runs on eight hits in a mere 1 2/3 innings of action.

Now 16 1/2 games out of contention in the AL West, Seattle is 14-20 at home in 2008 while sporting the worst record in all of baseball.

CONTINUE....