(Photo credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images)

The Seattle Mariners got a rare day off on the road Thursday. And they needed it.

The Mariners (73-67) have lost three in a row and five of six on their nine-game trip that concludes with a three-game series at the Atlanta Braves, beginning Friday.

The skid dropped the Mariners four games behind Houston in the American League West race entering Thursday and slimmed their lead over Texas for the AL's third and final wild-card berth to 1 1/2 games. They also dropped 4 1/2 games behind the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, who are tied for the top wild-card spot.

'I think we all know what they have in them, and they know it too and it's going to turn,' Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. 'We have a chance (Thursday) to regroup a little bit, and then go from there. We all know it's going to turn and it's going to turn quick. We've just got to keep grinding away at it.'

Despite a visit from former manager Lou Piniella, the Mariners were swept in a three-game series at Tampa Bay. George Kirby allowed a season-high eight runs over two innings in a 9-4 loss in Wednesday's finale, the shortest start of his career.

If they don't turn things around, the Mariners could finish fourth in the wild-card race for the third consecutive season.

'You don't want to be in that situation again,' said catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the major leagues with 51 home runs and ranks third with 109 RBIs. 'That would be a terrible, terrible way to go out. But it's our job to do everything we can to push through and make it a reality of being in the playoffs.

'Nobody is going to give it to us. We've got to go take it. We can't sit around and just expect teams to hand it to us and that it's going to be easy, because it's not. ... If you're expecting it to be easy, expecting it to be handed to you, it's going to be a harsh reality.'

The Braves (63-77) avoided a sweep in Chicago on Wednesday, beating the Cubs 5-1 as Bryce Elder allowed one unearned run on four hits over seven innings and newly signed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim hit a three-run homer.

Kim, claimed off waivers Monday from Tampa Bay, is expected to be the Braves' starting shortstop for the remainder of the season.

'He's ready to go,' Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said of Kim, who had two hits in his Braves debut Tuesday. 'He wants to play every day. We told him, 'If something happens and you need a day, we'll give you a day.' If not, then the plan is to have him out there pretty much every day.'

The Braves won't make it easy on the Mariners, as they're scheduled to send reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (5-4, 2.45 ERA) to the mound Friday against Seattle right-hander Logan Gilbert (4-6, 3.73).

Sale will be making his second start since returning from a fractured left rib cage that kept him out for 2 1/ 2 months. He showed no ill effects Saturday at Philadelphia, allowing one run on three hits over six innings with nine strikeouts in a game the Braves lost 3-2 in 10 innings. Sale is 7-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 13 career appearances (11 starts) against Seattle.

Gilbert is coming off a 4-3 loss at Cleveland on Saturday despite a quality start, in which he allowed three runs on three hits in six innings. He's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in one previous start against Atlanta.

--Field Level Media