(My Sportsbook) - The Seattle Mariners try to avoid their ninth consecutive loss this evening, when they play the first of three games against the Oakland Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.

Seattle suffered its 11th shutout loss of the season on Thursday, as it was throttled 12-0 by the Kansas City Royals, who completed the four-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium.

Ryan Feierabend (1-4) was pounded for eight runs on six hits and three walks in 3 1/3 innings of work to take the loss for the Mariners, who have dropped the first eight games of their 11-game road trip and are in the midst of their worst skid since a nine-game slide from August 25-September 2, 2007.

The Mariners, who are closing in on their first 100-loss season since 1983, have also dropped 10 in a row on the road.

Hoping to reverse their fortunes tonight will be 22-year-old righty Felix Hernandez, who is 9-10 with a 3.42 earned run average. Hernandez did not get a decision on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, as he allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings of his team's 4-3 loss.

Hernandez defeated the A's the last time he faced them and is 7-3 with a 2.59 ERA lifetime against them.

Oakland, meanwhile, will counter with lefty Dana Eveland, who is 8-8 with a 4.27 ERA. On Sunday against the Texas Rangers, Eveland surrendered three runs and four hits in five innings but did not factor in the decision of his team's 7-4 win.

Eveland has beaten the Mariners three times this season, while pitching to a 3.57 ERA in those contests.

Oakland had a four-game winning streak stopped on Thursday, when it dropped a 6-4 decision to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Kurt Suzuki had an RBI single in a four-run ninth inning for the Athletics, who lost for only the third time in their last nine tries.

Josh Outman (1-1), making his second career start, gave up three runs on six hits in 4 1/3 innings for his first career loss.

Oakland holds a slim 7-6 advantage in this year's season series between the teams, with Seattle winning 14 of its 19 encounters with the A's a year ago. The teams have split the six games played at McAfee Coliseum this season.