Mariners continue to roll with season-high sixth straight win

The Mariners come away with a walk-off win on Friday night versus the Blue Jays, to finally return above .500 and close to within two games of a wild card spot.

We won’t go as far as to say something special is happening in Seattle … at least not yet. However, the Mariners are finally showing what they are capable of, giving their long suffering fans genuine hope in the process.

The Mariners’ dramatic 5-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night was significant for a number of reasons. This included winning a season-high sixth consecutive game, and going above .500 for the first time since May 2.

Most significant of all though, the Mariners moved to within two games of the final wild card spot in the American League, currently held by the Blue Jays. Suffice it to say, the final two games of this series between the two sides will be interesting, potentially having a say in how their respective seasons play out.

Back on June 19, the Mariners found themselves at 29-39 following a 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Since this low point, they have regrouped and now won 14 of their last 17 games.

There was a lot to like about the Mariners’ win on Friday night, before 32,398 people at T-Mobile Park. The number one highlight though, came courtesy of Eugenio Suarez‘s three-run homer in the bottom of the 11th, to bring to a close an intense game.

The towering blast represented the first walk-off home run of Suarez’s nine-year Major League career. He has proved to be an excellent off-season acquisition for the Mariners, tied for the team lead in home runs, as well as second for RBI and walks.*

Suarez was still feeling the emotions of the moment and the night in general, when speaking to the media afterwards. He said:

“That was exciting, when you’ve got a lot of people cheering for both teams. Of course someone has to do something and for me, I got my (moment) and that was special for me, because it was the first time I got a walk-off home run. It was in front of everybody, (including) my family.”

Suarez made a point of complimenting the bullpen. They had an increased workload on the night, due to a combination of George Kirby only lasting 4.1 innings and the game going an extra two innings.

Ryan Borucki deserves being singled out, as he pitched those two extra innings and did not allow a hit or run. That it came against his former ball club, made it that much more special.

Borucki only arrived from Toronto on June 4 this year, courtesy of a trade. He has impressed so far in Seattle with a 2.53 ERA in 10.2 innings, spread over 11 appearances.

What made the 28-year-old’s performance on Friday night even better, was that he managed to have success against right-handed hitters. He was brought to Seattle originally, to effectively just face lefties, with him usually struggling against righties.

Borucki admitted it was a little surreal facing his former teammates, although it gave him an extra edge and more adrenaline when he was on the mound. He said:

“Going out there, I just kind of blacked out a little bit. I was just in a different world I felt, (but) it was just good to step up. I was telling guys I’ve never felt like this in my life, just the joy of being able to do what I did tonight and help this team win against the only team I’ve ever been with.”

In general, manager Scott Servais has been impressed with the mental fortitude of his players, especially of late. He said:

“Certainly, we are very resilient and we used that word a lot last year with our team. This team is a different team. It is wired a little bit differently. We have some players that are maturing. They’re growing up. I think last year, when Kyle Seager was a big part of our clubhouse and from a leadership standpoint, not having him here has allowed other guys to kind of step up. They’re learning along the way.”

Now, it’s just a case of the Mariners keeping the momentum going and continuing to put pressure on the ball clubs ahead of them, including the Blue Jays. While fans will ideally want Seattle to win both remaining games in the series, even a split will leave them in a good position moving forward.

* All rankings correct as of July 8, 2022

What is you opinion of the Mariners at this stage of the season? Are you convinced they are legitimate postseason contender, or do you still need to see more? Let us know in the comments section below.