SEATTLE -- While the Texas Rangers continue rolling toward the postseason and the possibility of finishing with the best record in the American League, the Seattle Mariners are on the verge of playing for the future.Sitting 11 1/2 games behind the Rangers in the AL West and four behind Baltimore in the wild-card race, Seattle (71-68) has one eye on evaluation as the Mariners close out a once-promising season. One of the questions at the top of the list involves young starters Taijuan Walker and James Paxton, neither of whom have done a lot to impress the first-year regime of general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais.The 24-year-old Walker, once considered the top prospect in Seattles organization, will get another shot in Thursdays series finale against the Rangers (83-57).Walker began this season as the No. 2 starter behind Felix Hernandez but fell so far out of favor that he did an August stint at Triple-A Tacoma. He turned in a couple of decent outings after getting recalled, but Walkers three-homer debacle in less than an inning his last time out might have the organization rethinking his future as a front-line starter.Another Seattle starter who has a lot to prove is 27-year-old rookie Ariel Miranda, who turned in the best start of his career in beating the Rangers on Wednesday. Miranda He held the mighty Texas lineup to three runs (all unearned) and three hits in six innings.Obviously, the team helped me out a lot with some runs early, Miranda, who took an 8-0 lead into the fifth inning, said through an interpreter, and that made it easy for me to be aggressive.Walkers start is one of the few lingering storylines for the Mariners, who made up a game in the wild-card race Wednesday night but still has a lot of teams to pass on the way to the finish line.Texas, on the other hand, is still trying to win the top seed in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Rangers still hold a two-game lead over Cleveland but cant afford to lose too many more games against inferior teams from the division down the stretch.Wednesdays game saw Texas turn in another rough outing from its starting pitcher, only this time the offense couldnt pick him up. A.J. Griffin gave up five runs in the first inning, and by the time the Rangers finally got on the board with Carlos Beltrans three-run homer in the sixth, Texas was trailing 8-3.Afterward, manager Jeff Banister was already eager to turn the page toward Thursdays series finale.Obviously, we need to come out and play good baseball, put another win on the board and move on to (the weekend series in) Anaheim, he said.Thursdays series finale also marks the final times these two teams will meet this season. Texas has already won the season series, as the Rangers take a 12-6 advantage into Thursday. 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Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Yeezy Scarpe Scontate . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. WASHINGTON -- The scoreboard wasnt working at the outset, when there were thousands of empty seats and the fans that did show up were quiet as can be, so the arena announcer pierced the silence Thursday night, telling the small gathering by just how much the mediocre Washington Wizards were trailing the Denver Nuggets, basket after basket.It was kind of, like, a gloomy feel, Denvers Wilson Chandler said.Eventually, the overhead electronic display began functioning, and when Wizards guard Bradley Beals airball led to a shot-clock violation with the hosts already down 12 and proud owners of seven turnovers and two made baskets, the till-then mum spectators mustered the energy to boo the home team.It was that kind of night for the Wizards until the second half, when it became that sort of night for the Nuggets. Washington erased a double-digit deficit and, thanks to Beals 26 points and Denvers season-high 29 turnovers, beat the Nuggets 92-85.Washington is 8-13. The Nuggets lost for the fifth time in six games, dropping to 8-15.This was not a marquee matchup, by any definition, and the atmosphere was apt. The announced attendance was 12,645 -- about 7,000 shy of a sellout. At tipoff, fewer were there. The scoreboard was stuck at 0-0 for several minutes, which kind of bugged us, Beal said.The place had all the verve of a library.You always want that sixth man, that disadvantage to the other squad, Beal said. But at the same time, were all grown men, were all NBA players, this is our job, and at the end of the day, we have to go out there and play the game ... if theres one fan or 30,000.John Wall scored only 15 points one game after a career-best 52, but nine came in the fourth quarter.With starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay inactive because of a sprained right ankle, and leading rebouunder Kenneth Faried on the bench throughout, the Nuggets went 5 1/2 minutes without a point in the fourth quarter.dddddddddddd. In that period, they had 10 turnovers and shot 1 for 14 on 3-pointers.Washington coach Scott Brooks keeps lamenting no-effort defense from his team, which allowed 124 points in a loss to Orlando on Tuesday.We were disappointed in ourselves last game. All of us, Brooks said. Its only one game, but we did play better defense.Nuggets coach Michael Malone attributed his teams 12-point fourth quarter mainly to fatigue on the second game of a back-to-back.Not taking anything away from their team, I thought a lot of our turnovers were self-inflicted, Malone said, and when you get tired, you start to make mistakes, mental mistakes.TIP-INSNuggets: Nikola Jokic scored 17 points. ... Denver led 22-8 in the first quarter and 52-47 at halftime. ... Previous season-high was 25 turnovers.Wizards: Wall drew a technical foul for hitting Jusuf Nurkic with a forearm in the third quarter. ... Washington is 6-6 at home, 2-7 on the road.DENVERS CHANGESMudiay missed a game for the first time all season. Hes fourth on Denver in scoring (13.1), second in assists (3.8). He went out and tried to warm up before the game, Malone said. Just wasnt feeling right. Farieds minutes, declining recently, went to zero Thursday. By no means is Kenneth Faried out of our rotation or not going to play for us, Malone said.LEADERSHIPAsked who takes care of holding teammates accountable when things dont go well, Wizards F Markieff Morris replied: Wall is the voice and Im like the muscle.UP NEXTNuggets: At Orlando on Saturday night.Wizards: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night. ' ' '