"Against the Atlanta Braves on Monday night, Erik Bedard pitched well enough to win, which is something you can say almost every night about almost every Mariners starter.

But how bad is this offense?

The Sounders have scored as many goals (11) in their past six league games as the Mariners had scored runs in their past six, leading up to Tuesday night's meeting with Atlanta.

Bedard made two mistakes in Monday's 3-1 loss, and the Braves punished both of them. Still, watching him pitch has been one of the great treats of this season. He has allowed 14 earned runs in his past 11 starts.

After pitching only 11 painful innings in the minor leagues last season, after shoulder surgery and after finally finding his rhythm and his way in April, he has been one of the most dominant lefties in the American League, in the same airspace as CC Sabathia and David Price.

"He pitched me unbelievable," Atlanta's Chipper Jones said, after striking out twice in three at-bats against Bedard. "Busted me in. Threw me some curveballs earlier in the game. The book on him was that he likes to throw the fastball inside, but I saw a good two-seamer away a couple of times.

"I found him really tough out of the stretch because he varies his delivery and messes with the timing of the hitters. He made two mistakes, that's all. And normally that doesn't cost you. Tonight it did."

Now, as June closes and the trade deadline looms a month away, Bedard just might be the most valuable property in the game.

He's a 32-year-old left-hander who knows how to pitch. He's a master craftsman with as good a curveball as there is and a fastball with movement that still climbs above 90 miles per hour.

He has been brilliant this season and, after several injury-plagued years, he could be entering the prime of his career. He could have five years left that could be as good as these past two months have been."