The Mariners continue to defy logic and the critics, as they beat the Royals on Friday night and grab a share of the lead in the AL West.
There were a couple of legends at T-Mobile Park on Friday night, when Richard Sherman met Ken Griffey Jr. prior to throwing out the first pitch. It seemed somewhat appropriate, as what the Mariners are doing right now can be considered legendary in its own right.
Back on July 19, the Mariners were sitting 10 games behind the Rangers in the AL West at 47-48. Following Friday night’s 7-5 win over the Royals, the deficit has now been officially erased.
During that stretch, the Mariners have gone a barely conceivable 25-8 and are the hottest team in the Majors. They’ve gone from a team just trying to get into the playoffs, to one which can realistically take the second seed in the AL.
To add more context to how special this run has been, consider that this is the latest date in a season the Mariners have had a share of the lead in their division since 2003. That’s right – 20 years ago.
Of course, because this is the Mariners, they had to do things the hard way on Friday night to reach the top of the AL West. At times, there was a real possibility they were going to lose versus the Royals.
The game started out well enough, as J.P. Crawford hit a solo blast on the first pitch he saw. Soon after, Cal Raleigh brought Julio Rodriguez home on a RBI single and it was 2-0 after one.
A challenging start for Miller
However, any hopes of a stroll through the (ball)park were quickly erased during the following inning. Bryce Miller allowed three straight hits to begin the second, including a RBI single to make it 2-1.
Miller struggled to get through the inning, as evidenced by having to throw 34 pitches. He finally managed to escape the top of the second, but only after the Royals had taken a 3-2 lead.
As a result, the decision was subsequently made to take the 25-year-old out after just four innings. However, with him sitting on 83 pitches, there was an argument to be made that he could have gone one more inning.
Regardless, Miller finished the day having allowed six hits and one walk. In the process he also produced six strikeouts, with him once more relying on his fastball.
Before the righty was officially replaced, the Mariners gave him a parting gift by retaking the lead in the bottom of the fourth. They loaded the bases, before Eugenio Suárez hit a two-out, two RBI single and a 4-3 advantage.
Suárez leads the charge
Suárez has had his struggles this season, as evidenced by leading the Majors in strikeouts. However, he’s heated up of late — like most of the Mariners lineup — and had a trio of hits on the night to go along with three RBI, to give him a team-leading 83.
The Mariners gave themselves a little bit of breathing space, by tagging on another two runs in the bottom of the fifth. They scored via a wild pitch and a Josh Rojas RBI single, for the 6-3 lead.
However, the Royals fought back to close the gap in the top of the seventh, as Matt Brash allowed three hits and two runs. No one denies Brash has some of the best stuff on the pitching staff, but he often makes you feel nervous and couldn’t finish the inning.
With the game delicately balanced at 6-5, Suárez stepped up again in the eight. His third RBI made it 7-5, but the game still wasn’t over as we entered the top of the ninth.
Tense ninth for the Mariners
Similar to Brash, Andrés Muñoz has good stuff but puts you on edge at times. He proceeded to load the bases and have fans thinking he was going to blow the lead.
At one point Suárez was part of a meeting on the mound, looking to boost the erratic reliever. Asked postgame about the conversation, he said:
“Just letting him know that, ‘You are the best here and you’ve got the baseball in your hand’. And letting him know, ‘You got it.'”
Muñoz managed to recover and seal the deal, to give the Mariners a nerve-racking 7-5 win. Suárez said:
“It’s really big for us. We’ve been grinding all year long and now we are on top on the leaders. That means a lot for us. We’ve been grinding. We never quit.”
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Offense playing up to talent level
On the night the Mariners lineup totaled an impressive 16 hits, including three from Crawford and Raleigh, as well as two from Rodriguez and Dominic Canzone. After so many offensive issues this year, they are now tied-12th in scoring.
As far as manager Scott Servais is concerned, the lineup is now playing more to its potential. He said:
“I think we’re a little underrated. That’s okay. That’s fine. Our guys keep grinding, and having good at-bats. The biggest thing, too, is the bottom of our lineup has really started to give us production. So every inning is a grind for that pitcher out there on the other team, and it’s paying off for us.”
Servais was full of praise in how the team responded after spending so much of the season hovering around the .500 mark. He said:
“It’s a credit to our players, the staff and the organization. We got off to a rough start this year, with really high expectations. … What this team has been able to do is we just persevere, we just keep going, keep going and don’t get caught up in it. We don’t get too high or too low.”
In terms of high, the Mariners now find themselves with the second seed in the AL as of Saturday morning. Once an outrageous ambition, it’s now become a reality.
Now, it’s just a case of continuing to roll and take advantage of the soft part of their schedule, before it gets tougher. If they do, playing the Rangers seven out of the final 10 games of the regular season could take on extra special significance.
How confident are you the Mariners will now go on to win the AL West? How much concern do you have about the final 10-game stretch, which also includes three versus the Astros? Let us know in the comments section below.
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