Here's Why the Mariners Loss on Wednesday Was So Meaningful

The Seattle Mariners lost to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park but the game had more meaning than just in the loss column.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Fenway Park on July 30.
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Fenway Park on July 30. / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
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The Seattle Mariners lost to the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday afternoon 3-2 at Fenway Park. The M's were walked off in the bottom of the 10th inning by a Rafael Devers double which capped a frustrating game in which the M's suffered multiple injuries and squandered multiple scoring chances.

With the loss, the Mariners are now 57-53 and in a tie again for first place in the American League West. That's certainly significant, as a win would have kept them 1.0 game ahead of the Houston Astros. However, the loss was significant in terms of the wild card race as well.

Though no Mariners fans want to think about the wild card when the division is there for the taking, it is still a path to the playoffs. The M's are now 3.5 games back of the Kansas City Royals in that race AND they just lost the season series to the Red Sox, meaning they don't hold the tiebreaker with Boston in the the chance that they finished tied at the end of the season.

The Mariners began the season with a four-game series against the Red Sox and split it, going 2-2. Now, having lost this series in Boston, the M's are 3-4 against the Red Sox this year and would be on the outside looking in of the playoff picture should Kansas City fall back and those teams end up tied. For what it's worth, the Mariners and Royals finished 3-3 against each other this year.

The Mariners will take on the Phillies on Friday after an off-day on Thursday.

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