The Mariners over the next three weeks have a 19-game span in which 16 games will be played at Safeco Field.
If there was ever a stretch that had the Mariners licking their lips and rubbing their palms together, this is it. It began with a 6-2 win Monday night, will end July 9, and could very well shape the rest of the season.
We are talking about a 19-game span in which 16 games will be played at Safeco Field and just three against an opponent with a winning record. Oh, and by the time it’s over, Seattle (35-37) could have most of its key players back.
The fact that the Mariners came into Monday night’s game vs. the Tigers just 2½ games out of the final wild-card spot was a testament to their grit. It was only a few weeks ago they sat seven games below .500 after losing 10 out of 13 and much of their roster.
Asked about the injury count, M’s pitcher Felix Hernandez said he had never seen anything like it in his 13-year career. And yet here they are, primed to move up the leaderboard as though it were Saturday at the Masters.
Consider this: The Mariners’ 21-13 home record is the best in the American League West. This is true despite the M’s being in fourth place and trailing the Astros by 12½ games.
If they play near that .617 winning percentage over the next three weeks, there’s a good chance they leapfrog the seven AL teams between them and that last wild-card spot. And barring any setbacks — which, granted, has become the new normal — they’ll be more equipped to make that run than they have been all year.
After sitting out nearly two months with shoulder inflammation, Hernandez will return to the starting rotation vs. the Astros on Friday. Fellow right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma is tentatively scheduled to start the next day after missing more than a month with shoulder and knee issues.
Jean Segura, the shortstop hitting .341 before spraining his ankle June 1? He played in a rehab game in Tacoma on Monday and hopes to be back before the end of the week. And in the meantime, the Mariners’ offense — which entered Monday with the third-most runs per game in the AL — has seen huge surges from Mike Zunino and Ben Gamel while recently welcoming back Mitch Haniger.
So this is the time, right? This is where all the pieces come together and shine over what might be the most important few weeks of the year, correct?
Well, Mariners manager Scott Servais might tell you to slow down.
“I don’t really look at it that way. It’s a day at a time,” Servais said. “I don’t want to put any more pressure on it where you have to do it now.”
Sure, it would be silly to imply the season is over if the Mariners fail to make up ground during this 19-game span. Seattle was six games out of the wild-card race on Aug. 1 last year and wasn’t eliminated until the second-to-last game of the season.
Baseball is unpredictable like that … but Seattle’s schedule following this 19-game stretch?
Yikes.
After July 9, 27 of the Mariners’ 44 games will be on the road. And seven of the 17 home games will come against the Yankees and Red Sox, each of whom entered Monday nine games above .500. The M’s are 14-24 away from Safeco this season, which, percentage-wise, is the third worst in the AL. So now seems like the time to make a move.
Asked about the sense of urgency, players seemed to reflect the attitude of their manager. They weren’t thinking we must win now so much as they were thinking we’re finally going to have something resembling a healthy roster.
“We’re champing at the bit,” said shortstop Taylor Motter. “I think we’re all looking to see what we can do.”
You can bet their fans are, too. And probably sooner than later.