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2012 ASG: Harrison appears in the fourth for the AL

In Sunday's series finale against Texas, the Mariners will be looking to give their home ballpark a proper birthday present.

Safeco Field, which debuted on July 15, 1999, when the Mariners hosted the Padres, turns 13 on Sunday. The Mariners have posted a 569-493 record there heading into Sunday's rubber match with the American League West leaders.

All-Star left-hander Matt Harrison (11-4, 3.10 ERA) gets the ball for Texas, looking to extend his winning streak against Seattle to eight games. He is 8-1 with a 2.51 ERA against the Mariners, and he earned victories in back-to-back starts in May, posting a 1.80 ERA and 12 strikeouts.

"They are a team I've had success with in the past," said Harrison, who would become the first pitcher in the AL to 12 wins with a victory on Sunday. "There is a lot of familarity. I know what I want to do so it's a matter of executing my pitches."

Harrison pitched an inning in Tuesday's All-Star Game and allowed three runs. But despite the poor performance, his first half certainly merited an appearance in the game. He's hoping to continue the hot start deep into the year.

"First start in the second half, I want to carry over what I was doing from the first half," Harrison said. "Keep doing what I was doing and stay on a roll. I just want to stay with the same mental focus I've had in the last eight or nine starts and continue to get better."

Harrison will be opposed by Mariners righty Hisashi Iwakuma, who moves into the rotation with Hector Noesi at Triple-A. Iwakuma tossed five innings on July 2, allowing three runs and three hits against Baltimore in a spot start.

Iwakuma pitched three innings in relief against Seattle on May 30, when the Mariners pounded the Rangers, 21-8. He allowed three runs and picked up the save because he tossed three innings to complete the game.

Rangers manager Ron Washington plans to use Josh Hamilton as designated hitter in Sunday's series finale, as he rotates his everyday outfielders through the DH spot. Hamilton is just 1-for-18 in four games at DH this season.

Rangers: Napoli out; Martinez called up
Catcher Mike Napoli didn't play Saturday because of pain and swelling around his right knee, and it's almost certain he won't play until next week.

"It's pretty sore," said Napoli, who injured the knee on a play at the plate Friday. "I'll continue to ice it down and do what I can to get the swelling down."

To give the Rangers a backup catcher while Napoli is injured, Texas activated Luis Martinez from Triple-A Round Rock and optioned pitcher Yoshinori Tateyama on Saturday.

Martinez was hitting .262 at Round Rock with a pair of homers and 17 RBIs in 50 games.

Mariners: Jaso may start against left-hander
Although Seattle manager Eric Wedge has tried to avoid using catcher John Jaso against left-handed pitchers, he'll be hard-pressed to do so in the next four games.

Seattle faces four-straight left-handed starters beginning Sunday, and Jaso is leading the club with a .281 average, though he is hitting just just 1-for-21 against lefties this season.

"He's a good hitter," Wedge said. "He hasn't had much of an opportunity against lefties. But when you talk about the way he approaches the ball, I think it's safe to say he won't be sitting for all those games. You will see him play."

Worth noting
• Texas' Adrian Beltre and Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki are tied for fifth all-time with 53 home runs at Safeco Field. Raul Ibanez's 66 homers are the most in the ballpark's 13 seasons.

• The Mariners and Rangers have split their 12 meetings this season.

• No Mariners hitter with more than six at-bats against Harrison is hitting above .300 against him. In total, current Seattle hitters are batting just .193 against the Rangers left-hander.

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