Seattle Mariners Have One Last Chance To Get Back Into Playoff Race
The Seattle Mariners will return home for a six-game homestead at 7:10 p.m. PT on Friday against the San Francisco Giants.
A lot of things have changed for the Mariners since the last time they were home in the Pacific Northwest.
Last time Seattle was at T-Mobile Park — it won 12-1 on Sunday Night Baseball against the New York Mets and was one game behind the Houston Astros for the top spot in the American League West.
Nine games later — the Mariners are five games behind the Astros after going 1-8 on a road trip (including getting swept by the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers) and the organization fired nine-year manager Scott Servais on Thursday.
Firing your manager with 34 games left is usually the sign of waving the white flag on the season.
But Seattle still has a chance.
Former catcher and team Hall of Famer Dan Wilson will be the interim manager for the Mariners for the last month of the season. Wilson, the Mariners' return home and Houston's tough schedule could be the boost the Seattle needs to find their way back in the postseason.
The Astros will play a 10-game stretch beginning Thursday against the Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City Royals. Houston will play the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks in the two series after that. Arizona has also been incredibly hot post All-Star break.
As of Thursday (Aug. 22) playoff standings — that would mean the Astros' next five series will include four playoff teams.
The Mariners will have a much easier schedule. Their next three series are against the Giants, Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Angels. Their two series after that will be against the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals. None of those teams are in the playoffs as of Thursday's standings, though the Rays and Giants do have winning records.
Seattle has struggled against sub-.500 teams for the last two months. But the Mariners are running out of calendar. There's not going to be a better time than now for them to make their final push to the playoffs.
If there's a stretch where it could be possible — it's now.
Related Stories on Seattle Mariners
MARINERS TAB WILSON TO REPLACE SERVAIS: Former Seattle Mariners catcher, color commentator and minor league catching coordinator Dan Wilson will take on a new challenge with the organization as the interim manager. CLICK HERE
MARINERS FIRE SERVAIS: According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of 'The Athletic,' the Seattle Mariners are expected to fire manager Scott Servais today. CLICK HERE
MARINERS EXPECTED TO MAKE MORE CHANGES ON HEELS OF SERVAIS FIRING: The Seattle Mariners are firing manager Scott Servais, and reports indicate that there is more to come. CLICK HERE
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