M’s update

Opponent: New York Yankees

When: 7:05 p.m.

Where: Safeco Field

TV: FSN (cable)

Radio: KOMO (1000 AM)

Probable starting pitchers: Seattle right-hander Felix Hernandez (10-11, 4.50 earned run average) vs. right-hander Chien-Ming Wang (14-5, 3.86).

Searching for solutions

Desperate to break an 11-game losing streak, the Mariners returned Tuesday to Safeco Field, where, as expected, they were a different team from the last time they played at home.

Ichiro Suzuki played center field, where he started Sunday on the last day of the road trip that took the M’s out of the AL West Division race.

Chris Snelling played right field and batted second.

Rene Rivera started behind the plate instead of regular catcher Kenji Johjima; the reason given was that Rivera is familiar with starting pitcher Cha Seung Baek from their days together in the minor leagues. Baek, a right-hander who went 12-4 at Tacoma, also was called up and started against the Yankees.

Adam Jones, the 21-year-old center fielder who struggled in his 25 games, was optioned back to Class AAA Tacoma in order to get consistent playing time. He was replaced on the roster by Rainiers outfielder T.J. Bohn.

In the clubhouse, Felix Hernandez moved into Jamie Moyer’s old locker, vacated after the Mariners traded the veteran left-hander to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday.

And in the stands during batting practice, two women took their seats behind the Mariners’ dugout wearing paper bags over their heads, the first visible sign of the fans’ disenchantment with how the season has turned.

In the dugout, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove could say only that the quest continued for the Mariners’ first victory since Aug. 9.

“We’re searching and searching for a way out of this,” Hargrove said. “The way to get out of this is to play your way out of it and be committed to what you do. Any time you go through something like this, you question everything. Physically, our effort is good. Mentally, we’ve had some lapses, and sometimes that’s a function of trying too hard.

“It’s miserable, absolutely miserable. But you have to approach every day as the day it’s going to end. Everybody is doing everything they can to get this thing stopped. It will stop.”

Meche ailing: Right-hander Gil Meche, who was in line to start Tuesday, has been pushed back to Saturday because of tendinitis in his forearm.

Meche didn’t believe it was serious, but he hasn’t played catch since Thursday, the day after his last start in Oakland.

“I’ve been dealing with it ever since that game in Oakland,” he said. “I played catch the next day and I could feel it. It’s weird because it’s in the forearm but it extends all the way down to my thumb.”

Felix Hernandez starts tonight, Jarrod Washburn goes Thursday against the Yankees, and Jake Woods pitches Friday in the series opener against the Red Sox.

New-look outfield: Hargrove wouldn’t say if Ichiro Suzuki would remain in center field for the long-term, but he was back there Tuesday for the second game in a row. Snelling made his third start in right field.

“We’ll see,” Hargrove said of Suzuki’s future in center. “We’ve had numerous conversations about center field since (Jeremy) Reed got hurt.”

Of note: Jones’ move back to Tacoma and Bohn’s call to the major leagues was done primarily to give Jones consistent playing time, which he wasn’t getting with the Mariners. “We think Adam’s going to be a special player in the big leagues,” Hargrove said. “He needs at-bats. He’s learned a lot up here, but nothing replaces at-bats.” … The Mariners’ losing streak hasn’t stunted the crowds expected on this homestand, thanks mostly to the Yankees and Red Sox. Less than 7,000 tickets were available for the next five games. About 20,000 were available for Monday’s game when the Angels begin a three-game series. … Yuniesky Betancourt’s .313 home batting average entering Tuesday was the fourth highest among American League shortstops. … Former M’s pitcher Shigetoshi Hasegawa threw out the ceremonial first pitch Tuesday.

Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer