(Sports Network) - A team with a payroll over $100 million that was expected to contend for a division title can only underachieve for so long. John McLaren found that out the hard way.

The Mariners kick off a nine-game road trip with a new skipper on the bench tonight, as Jim Riggleman makes his debut as Seattle's manager in the opener of a three-game interleague set with the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Riggleman replaced the fired McLaren on Thursday, with McLaren's tenure as Seattle manager ending after less than a year. The move can hardly be considered a surprise, as Seattle holds the worst record in the majors at 25-47 and is 17 1/2 games back of the first-place Angels in the American League West.

Riggleman had been serving as Seattle's bench coach before the promotion. Interim general manager Lee Pelekoudas, who replaced a fired Bill Bavasi on Monday, cited the team's underperformance as a reason for McLaren's dismissal.

McLaren took over for Mike Hargrove on July 2, 2007 after Hargrove stepped down. Riggleman, meanwhile, hasn't managed at the big-league level since 1999 with the Cubs.

Riggleman and Pelekoudas will send one of Seattle's big offseason pickups to the hill tonight. Erik Bedard was expected to be one of the reasons that Seattle would challenge for a division title, but things haven't gone as planned. The left-hander is just 4-4 through 12 starts on the season with a 4.14 earned run average.

However, he has pitched well over his last two starts, allowing a total of three runs and 11 hits over 11 innings while striking out 13. He did not factor into the decision of either outing, including Saturday against Washington after yielding two runs on nine hits over six innings.

Bedard, who is 1-2 with a 7.40 ERA in five road starts, has never faced Atlanta.

The Mariners went 1-5 in what turned out to be McLaren's final homestand with the club. That residency ended with Wednesday's 8-3 setback to Florida. Jeremy Reed and Raul Ibanez each had two hits and drove in a run for Seattle, while Willie Bloomquist added an RBI single. However, Ichiro Suzuki now has a 29- game hitting streak in interleague play after a 1-for-5 performance in the loss.

Riggleman's first task is to improve Seattle's road play, as the club is 10-23 as the visiting club and has the fewest road wins in the majors.

Atlanta, meanwhile, brings an outstanding 25-11 home mark into tonight's test. Unfortunately, the club finds itself six games back of first-place Philadelphia in the National League East due to a horrid 11-27 road record. The Braves completed a four-city, 10-game road swing on Thursday with a 4-6 mark.

The Braves lost two of three to the Rangers, including yesterday's 5-4 setback. Jeff Francoeur and Omar Infante each drove home a run in the top of the ninth to even the game at four, but Texas scored in the home-half of the frame to claim the victory.

Chipper Jones went 0-for-4 to drop his average from .400 to .394.

The Braves send Jorge Campillo to the hill tonight, and he is coming off the first loss of his big-league career in 28 games, including seven starts. The righty pitched with the Mariners from 2005-07, making one start and seven relief appearances without a decision.

He then moved on to the Braves and went 2-0 in five starts and 14 relief outings. However, he took a tough-luck loss on Sunday against the Angels, as he gave up just two runs on seven hits over a career-high right innings while also fanning seven in a 2-0 loss.

The 29-year-old right-hander has a 2.17 ERA this year and faces his former club for the first time.

Atlanta will host Seattle in the regular season for the first time in club history. These clubs have met just once prior, with the Mariners taking two of three over the Braves at Safeco Field from June 13-15, 2003.