Gil Meche didn't need an exhaustive video session to identify what went wrong in the first two innings of his start on Monday against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
A short clip on the late television news confirmed what Meche already knew.

"I just flipped through the television and could see what I was doing wrong after just two pitches," Meche said. "I wasn't keeping my front shoulder still. ... I was jerking it out of the way. The next thing you know everything is flat."

That brought about the first of two visits to the mound by pitching coach Rafael Chaves, who set Meche straight.

The result? After throwing 52 pitches in the first two innings, Meche sailed through the next five innings, needing just 60 pitches.

Meche's mechanical adjustment helped him win for the first time since April 6, although the right-hander has pitched well in his last four starts. During that stretch, Meche hasn't yielded more than three runs in any of those starts.

"There were a couple of times where he was flying open so fast and so quick and was falling across the mound," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "Chavy [Chaves] made two trips and he was golden after that."

As much as Meche (2-2, 4.58 ERA) tries to keep a clear head, he knows that, mechanically, he has to be sound. There are several checkpoints to make sure his delivery is smooth and his pitches are effective.

Really, it's a lot to think about.

"You work on mechanics, but you try not to overload it and think too much about it," Meche said. "That's why we have pitching coaches or Jo [catcher Kenji Johjima] to come out there and tell me what they see. It's a matter of trying to be consistent."

Snelling sighting: Oft-injured Australian outfielder Chris Snelling was working a crossword puzzle in the Mariners clubhouse three hours before the game on Tuesday.

Snelling, who has been at the Mariners' Spring Training facility in Arizona working his way back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, was in Seattle to meet with team doctors to see what his next course of action is.

"He's here to get evaluated by the doctor and figure out where he's going next on his rehab [assignment]," Hargrove said of Snelling, who took batting practice before the game.

Snelling will start a Minor League rehabilitation assignment on Wednesday at Triple-A Tacoma.

Snelling torn the ACL in his left knee for the second time in his career in August while playing for the Mariners. He missed the 2004 season after he broke the hamate bone in his right hand.

Snelling has a career .214 batting average in 56 Major League at-bats in 2002 and last season, a year in which he hit .276 in 15 games.

Guardado not content: Deposed closer Eddie Guardado tossed a scoreless inning in Seattle's victory over Tampa Bay on Monday, his second scoreless frame since he was removed as the team's closer on May 4.

And while Guardado is happy with the way he's pitched -- he struck out two of the three hitters he faced on Monday -- the left-hander said being a setup man is different than closing.

"It's not the same," Guardado said. "It's a sick feeling to me because I do care. It's my job to close. But I've got to do my job to help this team win. These guys depend on me."

Hargrove thinks Guardado's two scoreless innings will go a long way in repairing the left-hander's confidence after he blew three save opportunities and lost two games.

"I think it's a matter of Eddie getting his confidence back," Hargrove said. "It's a matter of him settling in. We all want for him to be the closer. I firmly believe that we'll move back in that direction. But for right now we aren't."

J.J. Putz has picked up two saves in the last three days since taking over for Guardado.

Mariners log: Jeremy Reed started Monday's game, marking the first time since April 30 that he's started. ... Seattle pitcher Jarrod Washburn is fifth in the American League in home ERA (2.15). ... The Mariners starting pitchers rank fourth in the American League in ERA (4.10). ... Jose Lopez, who leads the team with 24 RBIs, has driven in 22 of those runs with men in scoring position. His 22 RBIs with MISP are tied for first in the American League with Troy Glaus of the Blue Jays. ... Heading into Tuesday's game, the Mariners owned a 46-30 record over the Devil Rays.

On deck: Seattle sends left-hander Jamie Moyer (1-2, 3.68 ERA) to the mound to face Tampa Bay's Scott Kazmir (4-2, 3.43 ERA) at 1:35 p.m. PT on Wednesday at Safeco Field in the final game of the three-game series.