Series Preview: Athletics at Mariners

The Mariners have clinched last place in the AL West. They’re assured to have no worse than the fifth pick in the draft but could raise that to third if they’re swept.

What could they possibly have to play for? I’ll tell you what:

1. 69 wins! Huh huh, huh huh!
2. More evaluation time of Anthony Vasquez
3. Catching those hated Padres in the standings

And, well, that’s it. What more do you need?

The preview for this crucial series is after the jump!

• Graphical Explorations

The Athletics offense is in the toilet, you see. The Mariners? Well, theirs is, too. Just a much bigger potty.

• Pitching Matchups

Well, this doesn’t fare well for the boys in blue, folks. Brandon McCarthy is really good. Jason Vargas is not. Trevor Cahill has been decent. Blake Beaven has not. The dreaded To Ba Announced is not Anthony Vasquez. Anthony Vasquez is.

It’s a little hard to believe that this is the final series of the season. Even though the team has been awful, there was a time that they were watchable. Then they got bad and we just went into that old routine of watching them flounder as we expected.

But, you know. Dustin Ackley. Mike Carp. Michael Pineda. Brandon League. Tom Wilhelmsen and Josh Lueke the second time around. There have been some nice surprises even though there have been some not-so-nice surprises like Ichiro.

Here we go for one more set. Then, our words in this space will no longer have to be about 2011. Please, come soon 2012.