Mariners

After interviewing 12 managerial candidates, the Seattle Mariners trimmed to the final four yesterday, and Orioles bench coach Sam Perlozzo made the cut. Mariners general manager Pat Gillick said Perlozzo, Jim Riggleman, Bob Melvin and Buddy Bell will all be invited back for second interviews next week. He didn't close the door on San Francisco Giants manager Dusty Baker as a possibility. "I wouldn't say [the four finalists] are etched in stone," Gillick said. "But one of these four might be our manager."

Seattle went an impressive 5-4 on its just-completed road trip, on which it played three of baseball's best teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. The Orioles and Mariners played six games in June with Seattle winning four. However, the Mariners will have a different look as starting infielders Adrian Beltre and Yuniesky Betancourt are on the disabled list and outfielder Endy Chavez is out for the season with a knee injury. Erik Bedard, the Orioles' former ace, will make his return to the Mariners' rotation Tuesday after not having pitched since June 7 because of left shoulder inflammation.

The Seattle Mariners have Dave Johnson's number. And they've got a pretty good line on Memorial Stadium, too, if you must know the truth.Count the Mariners among those who'll miss the old ballpark on 33rd Street next season. If the Orioles don't watch out, Baltimore is going to become a tropical resort for these guys from the great Northwest."We always hit good here," Harold Reynolds said last night after the Mariners trashed the Orioles for 15 hits and a 10-1 victory. "We've played good baseball here . . . but I don't want to slight any team."

Outdoors 2,847 turkeys bagged in spring season, down 2% in Maryland Maryland hunters killed 2,847 wild turkeys during this year's spring season, a decrease of 2 percent from last year's total of 2,910 birds. About 10,000 hunters took to the field from April 19 to May 24; 44 percent of the total was taken in the first six days, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Hunters had expressed concern that the harsh winter would harm the turkey population, especially in Western Maryland.

J.R. Cipra broke a tie with a 40-yard field goal with 4:09 remaining and added one point by splitting the uprights on the ensuing kickoff and the Mariners used a last-minute goal-line stand to defeat the visiting Richmond Raiders, 49-45, and improve their American Indoor Football Association record to 4-0. Mariners defenders Adam Goloboski (Hereford) and Fearon Wright stopped a sneak by Robbie Jenkins with 54 seconds to go on fourth down and inches away from the end zone.

When the Mariners walked off the field and into the locker room last year after their season ended with a loss to the Reading Express, a team they had twice beaten during the regular season, they decided that the 2010 season would be different. "We made a pact after losing last year to Reading in the playoffs," quarterback E.J. Nemeth said. "We said all of us are coming back, so nothing less than a league championship would be good enough. Now there's only one thing left to do, which is win [today]

SEATTLE - The Orioles had a pretty good sense as to what they were going to see against former teammate Joe Saunders on Monday night. They had no idea what they could expect from their own starting pitcher. Lefty Zach Britton, making his first start of the season for the Orioles after a solid beginning in the minors, was hoping that his rediscovered sinker would translate to the big leagues. It was there at times, but on a cold night at Safeco Field, Britton averaged two baserunners per inning in the Orioles' 6-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

At Safeco Field, Seattle Day ..................... Time ....... TV .............................. Starters Tonight ............... 10:05 ..... 54, 50 .................. Jose Mercedes (7-16, 5.90) .......................................................................... vs. Paul Abbott (14-3, 4.30) Tomorrow ...........10:05 ..... 54, 50 .................. Rick Bauer (0-1, 1.42) .......................................................................... vs. Joel Piniero (4-1, 2.08) Sunday .....