SEAside Thoughts: Mariners Achieve Perfect Score in Week 14

Mariners SEAside Thoughts Week 14

“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” 

– Vince Lombardi

• If the season ended today, your Seattle Mariners would be in the MLB postseason. They’d be the sixth seed and would be traveling to Minnesota to take on the third-seeded Twins in a best-of-three Wild Card Series. Let that sink in…
• That’s what happens when you choose violence apparently. Since the “Brawl” the Mariners have gone 11-2, including 8 straight victories.
• The week started off with an impressive two-game sweep over the Padres during the 4th of July holiday. My father-in-law is a big Padres fan, so I won’t bash the Friars, as they’re going through the most challenging part of their season. We’ll get that Mariners-Padres World Series someday Kirk!
• Coming home for the annual Blue Jays invasion, we were treated to four awesome games and a spectacular four-game sweep that turns the tides to Seattle’s favor in the postseason chase.
  • Cal Raleigh had a huge game one and continues to look the part of a franchise catcher.
  • Eugenio Suarez continued his revival, hitting home runs in back-to-back nights, including the monster walk-off three-run home run in the 11th inning of game two.
  • Suarez got the love, but former Blue Jay Ryan Borucki was the hero. Pitching in both the 10th and 11th, Borucki was able to strand the ghost runner both times. Great revenge moment for a guy that’s helping Seattle to have a top-tier bullpen yet again.
  • Carlos Santana has been unbelievable since returning to Seattle. The on-base machine continues to produce, and his three home runs during the weekend almost singlehandedly got Seattle the sweep. No matter who comes back in the following weeks, as long as he’s playing like this, he stays on the field.

  

  • Congratulations to Julio Rodriguez on making the all-star team. That is a rare accomplishment for his age, but it speaks volumes to the kind of player and star he already is.
  • So far we’ve heard mostly NL representatives for the home run derby. I expect we’ll hear the AL side today. It may be a stretch, but I really hope we get to see Julio in the derby. It’s almost a guarantee he’ll be in it next year in Seattle, but the foursome of him, Ohtani, Buxton, and Judge would be great for the event and for baseball.
  • The fact there’s even a possibility that Ty France could miss the all-star game is an absolute joke. I get he was injured and hasn’t looked the same since returning from his injury, but he’s still clearly the best 1st baseman in the AL this year statistically. I’m happy that Pujols is getting a final goodbye, it makes sense. Why is Miguel Cabrera getting the special treatment? He’s still got a year left on his massive deal. I’ve always been a fan, but he essentially cost France an all-star spot for now. You have to wonder if he told the league he was retiring at the end of the season, or why not give him the send-off in Seattle in 2023’s all-star game.

  

  • I’ll be honest, I haven’t always been the biggest all-star game fan, but with the fact that at least Julio will be there, and the unveiling of the 2023 all-star game logo for Seattle, I’m feeling the juice a little more this year. It probably helps the ball club is on a roll too.
  • What a special week. Packed ballparks against playoff-caliber teams and the Mariners looked like the better team. This team is on a roll, and they’re united. It’ll be fascinating to see how the dynamic changes when players like Kyle Lewis and Mitch Haniger arrive. It should only make things better for a club that is playing the hottest baseball we’ve seen in the Pacific Northwest in nearly twenty years. It really feels like the time is now.
  • As great as this last week was, it was perfect, this week again feels like must win games. There can’t be a letdown, especially when you’re playing the Nationals and future Mariner Juan Soto. He’s a top 5 player in baseball, but the roster around him is one of the worst teams put together in the past few years. Even with Julio missing a game, the Mariners must take care of business. After that, the M’s have a great opportunity to end the Rangers season before the all-star break. Want to be in the hunt to acquire stud pitchers like Martin Perez and Matt Moore? Take three out of four and bury them.
  • This week’s SEAside Player of the Week is none other than Carlos Santana. We talked about his play earlier, but it’s also the leadership and vibes he’s bringing into this locker room right now. Between Julio, JP, Winker, Suarez, Sewald, and Santana, this team has so much character. It may be the most fun team to root for in years.
  • This week’s “Mariners Music Mojo” is WIN by Jay Rock.

  As Always… Go Mariners!