Brady's Spin: Yes, the Mariners Have a 6.0 Game Lead and Yes, You Can Still Panic
As is usually the case, two things can be true at the same time.
On one hand, the Seattle Mariners enter play on Monday at 45-35 and 6.0 games up in the American League West. It's absolutely true that being 10 games over .500 and in first place as we near the nominal halfway point of the season is a great position to be in.
However, it's also fair to acknowledge that the last week of baseball was a very bad one for the Mariners. And if you're panicking about it, that's fair too. See, the M's just lost four of six to the Cleveland Guardians (good) and the Miami Marlins (bad). Even despite getting a break on Sunday with Braxton Garrett being scratched, the M's lost to the Marlins. The M's also gave away Friday's game against the Fish, losing inexplicably in extra-innings to a team with one of the three-worst records in the league.
Furthermore, Seattle continues to struggle pitching on the road, as they now have an ERA that's nearly two runs worse away from T-Mobile Park. And in all of this, the Houston Astros have won five straight and just swept the Baltimore Orioles.
The M's lead, which was 10 just a week ago, is now down to 6.0 over Houston and 6.5 over the Texas Rangers. Now, just because the M's had a bad a week doesn't mean that the rug is out from under their season, but the walls are caving in again - and fast. And for a fanbase that knows that feeling all too well, you're well within your right to panic.
The Mariners play the Rays on Monday night with first pitch at 3:50 p.m. PT. as they try to halt the stretch of poor play. Unfortunately, Tampa Bay has now won five of their last seven.
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