The Sinking Mariners

The Mariners enter tonight’s play 63-46, a half game out of the second wild card spot currently held by their AL West rival the Oakland Athletics. They have no won a series since two weekends ago series with the lowly Chicago White Sox. Granted this team was not going to win a series versus the World Champion Astros but being outscored last weekend against the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim 20 to 16 does not give the fan base a warm and fuzzy feeling about a wild card game in October. The past three games (two vs Houston and one vs Toronto) the M’s have been outscored 20 to 8 (ouch!). And last night in a game which “King” Felix Hernandez gave up 2 runs in 5 innings (ERA of 3.60), one of his better starts on the year (entered the game with a 5.58 ERA), the bullpen gets rocked and the offense goes flat, a constant during his time with the Mariners. I believe the Mariners will need around 91 wins to make the playoffs and it will be difficult if the pitching staff does pick it up, James Paxton, Marcos Gonzales and for a majority of the season Wade LeBlanc have given this team a chance to win games. Inconsistent Mike Leake and Hernandez have been a bit of a hinder but no matter how well the pitching staff pitches; the Mariners will not smell September baseball unless they start scoring more than three runs per game. Alas the SS Mariners are sinking at the moment and there is no lifeboat in the form of Robinson Cano for two more weeks. The Mariners have three 2018 All-Stars in DH Nelson Cruz ,slick hitting shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger and closer Edwin Diaz, and former All-Stars in second baseman Dee Gordon, third baseman Kyle Seager. These guys have got to figure it out and they better fast or it will be a long, dreary winter for baseball fans in Seattle.