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Mariners Turn The Calendar To Tough September
By Dan Hughes
The Seattle Mariners just finished up a 17-10 August by avoiding the sweep against the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.
Now as we turn the calendar to September, the Mariners are 9.5 games back of the AL West-leading Los Angeles Angels, 4.5 games back of the Oakland Athletics (Who also own the No. 1 wild-card spot) and just a half game behind the Detroit Tigers for the 2nd wild-card spot.
The Mariners have a tough schedule ahead of them, with only nine game at home and 18 games on the road. Another 17-10 month would put the Mariners at 90 wins, but still possibly on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
The fate is in their hands though. Thirteen of the final 27 games are against the A’s and Angels, including the final series, a three-game homestand against LA.
Seattle is actually nine games over .500 on the road this year and .500 at home. If you use that to try to predict the month, the Mariners stand to go 5-4 in their final home games and 11-7 on the road. That would be 16-11 and may not get it done.
The Angels are on the road for 16 games in September (10 home), The A’s are home for 15 games (11 road) and the Tigers are home for 16 and on the road for 10. If we use their splits so far this season to estimate the month, this is how it would all shake out.
Los Angeles Angels (7-3 home, 9-7 road) Final record: 99-63
Oakland Athletics (10-5 home, 5-6 road) Final record: 93-69
Seattle Mariners (5-4 home, 11-7 road) Final record: 89-73
Detroit Tigers (9-7 home, 6-4 road) Final record: 89-73
See that? If the splits continue to play out as they have for the first 130+ games of the season, the M’s and Tigers will play a one-game playoff to determine the 2nd wild-card spot and a date with the Oakland Athletics.
If the Mariners can just eek out one extra win (or the Tigers drop one extra) the M’s can clinch the 2nd wild-card and go straight to the one-game playoff with Oakland, with a spot in the ALDS on the line.
So hold on to your hats Mariners fans…..things are about to get tense.