Seattle Mariners sweep the A’s, here’s what to root for on the M’s off day
The Seattle Mariners are off today. Here’s what M’s fans should root for in the games involving other American League Wild Card contenders on Thursday.
Another sweep of Oakland puts the Seattle Mariners only 0.5 games behind Boston for the final American League Wild card spot. The M’s have an off day Thursday, but there are two other games to watch, Boston at Baltimore and New Your and Toronto. Who should M’s fans root for, and why?
The Mariners are So Close
Four days, three games. The Mariners have an off-day today, and the timing is perfect. If manager Scott Servais didn’t have Thursday’s off-day in his pocket, the M’s would’ve used different relievers in a very high leverage situation in Wednesday’s 4-2 win over Oakland.
Starter Logan Gilbert threw very well, but Paul Sewald and Drew Steckenrider finished off the Athletics, officially eliminating them from playoff contention. The entire bullpen should have all hands on deck for the regular season-ending three-game set with the Los Angeles Angels this weekend.
Four teams remain for the two American League Wild Card spots. The Seattle Mariners send out two of their most consistent starters, with Marco Gonzalez slated to go Friday and Chris Flexen projected to go Saturday. Tyler Anderson is on the bump Sunday (based on projected rotation status). But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see newly promoted fireballer Matt Brash throw several innings if Anderson struggles early.
One of the Winningest Seasons in Seattle History
89 wins ties the 2018 Mariners’ team for most wins since 2003 when Seattle finished 93-69 in back-to-back seasons. One more “W,” and they reach 90 wins for the sixth time since their inception. They are also two home runs away from 200 for the eighth time in franchise history. It looks like the M’s are three wins away from making the playoffs for the fifth in their turbulent past.