OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Seattle Mariners will try to give their wild-card playoff hopes another bst Friday night when they send veteran Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound to face the Oakland As and rkie Daniel Mengden in the opener of a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.Iwakuma (14-11, 4.01 ERA) has a career-high-tying four-game losing streak, but he posted quality starts in three of those defeats. In his most recent start, a 4-2 loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Angels at Safeco Field, Iwakuma gave up three runs on eight hits over seven innings, struck out five and walked one.I hate to think where wed be without him this year, Mariners manager Scott Servais said after Iwakumas last start. Hes been very valuable.Before his four-game skid, Iwakuma was 14-4 with a 3.63 ERA in his previous 19 starts, a stretch that ended with a 4-3 victory against the As in Oakland on Aug. 13. Iwakuma allowed three runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and no walks that day, raising his career record against the Athletics to 8-5. He is 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the As this season.The Mariners (72-6 are 5-11 over their past 16 games, but they ended their seven-game homestand with a 6-3 victory against the Texas Rangers on Thursday night. Seattle won three of four games from the Rangers, who lead the AL West by 8 1/2 games over the Houston Astros and 10 1/2 over the Mariners.The Mariners trail Baltimore by 4 1/2 games for the American Leagues second wild-card spot. They also trail the Detroit Tigers, Houston, the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals in the wild-card race.We are not done, Servais said after Thursday nights victory. I know people want to write us off, but we still have a bunch of games to play. Its going to be interesting.Seattle is 7-5 this year against the As (60-79), and two teams will meet seven more times, including a season-ending, four-game series at Safeco Field.Mengden was called up Saturday from Triple-A Nashville for his second stint with the As this season. He gave up seven runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings that night in an 11-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox as his record fell to 1-6 and ERA rose to 6.66.This will be Mengdens first career appearance against the Mariners, but he has watched them enough to know what type of challenge he is in for.Its going to be a tough lineup, but I know if I stick to what I can do and I get ahead, Ill be able to use my stuff and hopefully get some early outs, force weak contact and try to go from there, Mengden said.Mengden started the season at Double-A Midland, jumped to Nashville and earned his first trip to the major leagues in early June. He was sent back to Nashville on July 26 after making nine starts for the As and developing a tired pitching arm. He had his work load reduced at Triple-A, and his arm strength returned.Toward the end of my (first) stint in the big leagues, I was getting a little tired, Mengden said. I feel like my arm wasnt recovering as fast, my (velocity) was down. I wasnt able to make pitches and I got a little wild. I think I was trying to do t much with what I had in the tank.I went down there and had six, seven starts, five innings max, no matter what the pitch count was. It felt really gd, not throwing as much and getting a little rest every outing going into it. I feel really gd right now.Mengden is 0-5 with a 7.53 ERA at the Coliseum. His career-opening, five-game losing streak at home is tied for the longest in Oakland history with Dallas Braden (2007) and Steve Ontiveros (1985-86). kiesshop.com/Chauncey-Billups-City-Edition-Jersey/" target="_blank">Chauncey Billups Jersey . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. kiesshop.com/Luke-Kennard-City-Edition-Jersey/" target="_blank">Luke Kennard Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. kiesshop.com/Sekou-Doumbouya-City-Edition-Jersey/" target="_blank">https://www.pistonsrkiesshop.com/Sekou-Doumbouya-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. kiesshop.com/Joe-Dumars-City-Edition-Jersey/" target="_blank">Joe Dumars Jersey . -- Chicago Bears cornerback Tim Jennings was selected Monday to his second straight Pro Bowl, while guard Kyle Long made it after a solid rkie season. kiesshop.com/Ben-Wallace-City-Edition-Jersey/" target="_blank">Ben Wallace Jersey . The Cincinnati Reds remain perfect with their speedy rkie outfielder in the starting lineup. MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin could have a better team than it did in 2015. And a worse record.The schedule is that brutal for the Badgers.LSU. Michigan State. Michigan. Ohio State. And thats just within the seasons first six games.The Badgers, who finished 10-3 last season have heard the whispers, and theyre embracing the challenge.A lot of people are counting us out. Theyre saying our schedule is pretty tough, said running back Dare Ogunbowale. We lk on it as an opportunity to do some special things.The talent is certainly there at Camp Randall Stadium in Paul Chyrsts second year as head coach.The backfield is loaded with the senior duo of Ogunbowale and Corey Clement leading the way. The offensive line figures to take a step up after injuries plagued the unit last season, forcing Wisconsin to rely heavily on younger players.Wisconsin is lking for a new starting quarterback with Joel Stave gone, but either Bart Houston or Alex Hornibrk should benefit from having a year to study the system run by the offensive-minded Chryst.On defense, the linebacking corps could be one of the Big Tens best, led by outside `backer Vince Biegel.Hes got great pass rush, hes got great strike. He is instinctive, defensive crdinator Justin Wilcox said. Hes got a lot of ability as a ftball player.Biegel and his teammates will have to withstand the rigors of Wisconsins toughest schedule in years.The final six games begin with a trip to Iowa and a night home game against Nebraska. November starts with a trip to Northwestern, which is always a tough place for the Badgers.Six wins in the opening nine-game gauntlet of 2016 could be considered a smashing success for Wisconsin.Were not lking at it like, `Damn, this is going to be a hard year, offensive lineman Dan Voltz said. Were lking at it as we have a lot of opportunities to beat a lot of gd teams and set ourselves up to have a fantastic season.Some other nuggets and notes on the Badgers:GETTING DEFENSIVEWilcox, the former Southern California defensive crdinator, has promised not to make major changes to the 3-4 scheme, though the Badgers do have to replace three starters in the secondary, including both safeties.ddddddddddddCLEMENT TIMEClement is lking to rebound from a tough 2015 season, when he was limited by a sports hernia and the aftereffects of surgery, as well as an off-field issue in November. The spotlight isnt as bright on Clement this preseason, and he wont be needed to handle a big workload with Ogunbowale and Taiwan Deal also likely to get snaps. But Clement, by far, is Wisconsins most explosive runner. A healthy, productive Clement will help an offense that will get a new starting quarterback.QB COMPETITIONHouston and the left-handed Hornibrk were competing to take over as the next signal-caller for the steady Stave, a four-year starter. Houston, a senior, as more experience than Hornibrk, a redshirt freshman.But the bottom line is that we have to get both Bart and Alex ready to play because one will be the starter and one will be one play away from being that guy, Chryst said.KEY GAMESThe season starts with LSU at Lambeau Field in Green Bay. The Badgers also get the Buckeyes at night on Oct. 15 at what should be an especially raucous Camp Randall Stadium.SEASON OPENERSept. 3 at Lambeau against the Tigers is a marquee showdown on the first weekend of the season. Former Badgers defensive crdinator Dave Aranda makes his debut in the same job with LSU after leaving for Baton Rouge in the offseason.PREDICTION: 8-4.---AP freelance writer Dennis Semrau contributed to this story.---Online:AP College Ftball site: tball.ap.org/---Follow" target="_blank">http://collegeftball.ap.org/---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP ' ' '