Mariners magic number as elimination looms: Seattle holding on (Updated Sept. 23)

The days remaining in the Mariners season before being eliminated seem to be numbered, and there are close to officially being out of the playoff race. However, there is still hope, albeit a slim one, for the Mariners to make a final push and make it to the playoffs.

They have three series left, and will be facing the Rangers, the Astros, and finishing up with the Athletics. What stinks about this is that we are talking about the wrong type of magic number for the Mariners. This isn't the one that everyone wants to see that shows the gap for clinching a playoff spot getting smaller and smaller by the day.

Instead, this is about the magic number that the Mariners are facing before they are finally eliminated from the playoffs. It's not solely based on record, as we need to remember that the Mariners don't hold the tiebreaker with either the Tigers or the Twins. So, whatever number you see in the standings between the two teams needs to have one more game added to it. The Mariners do hold the tiebreaker with the Astros... they just need to catch them.

Here is the magic number that the Mariners face before being eliminated from the playoff chase

As of September 23rd, the Mariners sit 5- games (tiebreaker for the Mariners) behind the Houston Astros and 2+ games (tiebreaker for Twins and Tigers) behind the Royals and Tigers. This means that the Mariners' magic number in the WC race is sitting at 5. It's a bit confusing and convoluted right now, with the Tigers and Royals tied for the 2nd/3rd spot, the Twins a game back, and the Mariners two games back.

It's worth noting that the Royals seem to be falling apart as well. A few weeks ago, they were 75-58. Since then, they've gone 7-16, having lost their last seven games while watching their apparent stranglehold on a playoff berth disappear.

Meanwhile, the magic number in the AL West sits at just 2. If there is a combination of 2 Astros wins and Mariners losses, then they are out. It sure would be nice if the Mariners had the tiebreaker with either of those AL Central teams, but that just isn't the case. Things are getting tighter and tighter for the Mariners, and the days are running out before they are officially eliminated from the playoffs.