The Mariners are Cold at the…Right Time?

Things could be going better for our boys in blue and teal. Not too long ago, the Mariners sat comfortably atop the division. More importantly, they sat ahead of the defending world champions. For an even longer time, we sat comfortably atop the second American League wild-card spot.

The hot topic was not IF the Mariners would make the playoffs, but what position they would claim. Every club behind them appeared dead and buried while prepping for 2019. We were double-digit games ahead and clearly separated from the pack.

But in this 162-game pastime, a lot can happen. For the first time in a long time, we find ourselves on the outside looking in. The rotation is doing fine but other aspects? Not so much. With the exception of Edwin Diaz, the bullpen has come down to earth. A big problem is that the offense has stunk from early July to this point.

In May and June, the Mariners found their groove and played like a team determined to see October again. Since July 6th, it’s been a different story with just 72 total runs scored. We’re also the only American League team with a winning record and a negative run differential, at -13. Something is in the water right now and it’s infecting an offense that on paper is pretty good.

Not to worry, fellow fans. There are two full-ish months of baseball left. Every team has cold streaks. Would it be nice if this cold streak wasn’t more than a month long? Yes, but that’s the game. And the Mariners had such a sizzling start that they can afford this rough patch more than the teams behind them.

The Mariners picked the right time to be cold, at the season’s two-thirds point. We have time to get our stuff together. And this offense is good overall, with three All-Stars leading the pack in Segura, Haniger, and Cruz.

And when Edwin was the bullpen’s only bright spot for a while, it’s been boosted. Zach Duke, Adam Warren, and Sam Tuivailala will be good reinforcements. The earlier pick-up of Alex Colome has looked better out there of late as well.

Of every team aspect, the offense is most on the hot seat. Forget pennant race, you won’t be in any race averaging three runs per game. Hey, better to lose your mojo in July and early August instead of September with barely any regular season left. At times, it looks like the hitting can’t get worse. The bats are due to break out soon, guys. We’ve hit a rough patch, but every team does.