Texas (65-79) at Seattle (82-62)

With his Seattle slowly slipping in the playoff standings, Joel Pineiro will try to end his own struggles as the Mariners resume a three-game series with the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field.

Pineiro, still looking for his career high-tying 14th victory, has lost five straight decisions, compiling a 7.88 ERA in six starts. The right-hander, who hasn’t won since July 13 against Detroit, had won a career-best eight straight before the slide.

“Nothing’s going my way right now like it did in July when I got those eight wins in a row,” Pineiro said.

Pineiro has limited current Texas batters to a combined .159 (10-for-63) average. He is 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA in seven career games, including two starts, against the Rangers. He pitched a career-best three-hitter against them in a 4-0 victory on July 26.

Rafael Palmeiro hit a three-run homer to lead the Rangers in Tuesday’s 5-4, 10-inning victory over Seattle.

It was career home run No. 523 for Palmeiro, who has six this season against Seattle with 19 RBIs. Palmeiro has victimized the Mariners for 46 of his career home runs, tying them with Anaheim for his most against an opponent.

The Mariners, who have lost five of six and 13 of 19, fell 2 1/2 games behind Oakland in the AL West, and 2 1/2 games back of Boston for the AL wild card.

The Rangers had lost four straight overall, and six in a row on the road.

STANDINGS: Rangers - 4th place, 19 1/2 GB, AL West. Mariners - 2nd place, 2 1/2 GB, AL West.

RANGERS PROBABLE STARTER: John Thomson (12-12, 4.99 ERA). After winning a career-high five straight decisions, Thomson has dropped his last two starts. The right-hander has allowed a combined nine runs and 12 hits over 14 2-3 innings during the slide. In a 3-1 home loss to Kansas City last Wednesday, he gave up three runs and four hits over seven innings. He also struck out eight. Thomson is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in three starts against Seattle this year.

MARINERS PROBABLE STARTER: Pineiro (13-10, 3.87 ERA). Pineiro allowed four runs and nine hits over six innings in the Mariners’ 10-8, 11-inning win on Sept. 2.

OFFENSIVE LEADERS: Rangers - Hank Blalock, .312 avg.; Alex Rodriguez, 42 HRs, 103 RBIs, 114 runs and 16 SBs. Mariners - Ichiro Suzuki, .315 avg., 102 runs and 30 SBs; Bret Boone, 32 HRs and 105 RBIs.

SEASON SERIES: Mariners, 7-6.

STREAKS AND NOTES: Rangers - SS Rodriguez is 1-for-12 (.083) career against RHP Pineiro with three strikeouts. … 3B Blalock is batting .192 (5-for-26) over his last six games without an RBI. … 1B Palmeiro has 101 RBIs, his ninth straight season with at least 100. Mariners - 2B Boone is 75-for-258 (.290) in his career against Texas with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs. Boone’s 17 career homers against the Rangers are his most against any team—five of them have been hit this season. … Seattle has scored a combined 10 runs over its last six games. … Mariners starters have a 2.69 ERA over the last six games.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Rangers - 27-46 on the road; Mariners - 43-30 at home.

INJURIES: Rangers - OF Juan Gonzalez (calf), 15-day DL; OF Kevin Mench (wrist), 60-day DL; OF Rusty Greer (neck), 60-day DL; RHP Chan Ho Park (back), 60-day DL; RHP Ricardo Rodriguez (hip), 60-day DL; RHP Jeff Zimmerman (elbow), 60-day DL; INF Herbert Perry (shoulder), 60-day DL. Mariners - INF Greg Colbrunn (wrist), 15-day DL; RHP Rett Johnson (shoulder), 15-day DL; LHP Matt Thornton (elbow), 60-day DL.