1st place in AL West will be calling the Mariners' name in Baltimore

The Seattle Mariners have spent 49 days in first place in the American League West this season, but none since June 2. There have been some dark times, particularly around when their deficit to the Houston Astros swelled to 7.0 games at various points in July.

Even a month later, however, that all feels like ancient history. The Astros' lead in the AL West is down to just 1.0 game, and the Mariners aren't so much knocking on the door as whaling at it, Jack Nicholson-like, with a newly sharpened axe.

The Mariners have won nine out of 10 since their pre-deadline trade for Eugenio Suárez quite literally sent morale skyward. And while the Astros have to tussle with the similarly warm Boston Red Sox in Houston over the next two days, the M's will be in Baltimore to take on an Orioles team that has become...well, is "decrepit" putting it too strongly?

The Mariners are *this close* to reclaiming first place in the AL West

In fairness to the Orioles, they were the ones who originally knocked first place from the Mariners' grasp back in June. They had a 0.5-game lead on Houston when they began a three-game set against Baltimore at T-Mobile Park on June 3. Three straight losses later, it was a 1.5-game deficit.

This was around when the Orioles, who made the playoffs in 2023 and 2024, were still trying to salvage their 2025 season after it had gotten off to a rough start under Brandon Hyde. And with a 37-31 record since May 24, they have at least salvaged some dignity, if nothing else.

Nevertheless, these are not the Orioles of 2023 or 2024. Heck, they aren't even the Orioles of this July. General manager Mike Elias was merciless in stripping his roster for parts at the deadline, with various deals sending Cedric Mullins, Charlie Morton, Ryan O'Hearn and more scattered across the MLB landscape.

As was the case with their back-to-back series sweeps of the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, the Mariners effectively have an invitation to score three easy wins against an opponent that pretty much can't fight back. This is usually where the "but..." goes, yet not this time.

The Mariners are doing all sorts of things to make believers out of all sorts of people. They have truly dominated since the Suárez trade, outscoring the opposition by 2.1 runs per game. Most of that is courtesy of an offense that is more dynamic than any Seattle has had in recent history, which is most apparent in how it leads the league in both home runs (19) and stolen bases (21) since July 31.

Everyone has gotten in on the fun, with nine different players — led by Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez with four apiece — going yard at least once and 10 stealing at least one base. It has been especially fun to watch Josh Naylor become a proper speed demon with 11 steals in 11 tries since his Seattle debut on July 25.

Ironically, the only Mariner who's not having much fun right now is Suárez. His vibes are still good, but his 4-for-38 showing in 10 games (with 15 strikeouts, no less) is not exactly inspiring. Small sample size and all, but it makes it that much more of a relief that Jerry Dipoto somehow got him for apparently less than what the Arizona Diamondbacks were asking.

It could be that a visit to Oriole Park at Camden Yards is just what "Geno" needs to get his stick warm again. Though he came to Seattle with 36 home runs on his record already, T-Mobile Park is nobody's idea of a hospitable place for right-handed sluggers. Now that the left field wall is closer to home plate, Camden Yards very much is.

The goal for the Mariners either way is no less than three wins over the next three days. If they get them, they'll have their first 10-game win streak since 2022. If they also get at least one Astros loss against Boston, they'll head to New York with at least a share of first place.

As always, we're not trying to jinx anything. But even more so than the '22 club that finally smashed the 21-year playoff drought, these Mariners make it easy to think about what is possible.

Game Times and Probable Pitchers for Mariners vs. Orioles, August 12-14

• Tuesday, August 12 at 3:35 p.m. PT: George Kirby vs. Dean Kremer
• Wednesday, August 13 at 3:35 p.m. PT: Logan Gilbert vs. Trevor Rogers
• Thursday, August 14 at 10:05 a.m. PT: Luis Castillo vs. Tomoyuki Sugano