(Phoenix) The Seattle Mariners were sellers at the trade deadline three weeks ago, trading No. 1 reliever Paul Sewald to the Arizona Diamondbacks, suggesting this season may not end in the playoffs.
Julio Rodriguez saw things differently.
The young Mariners star capped a four-day streak worthy of baseball history, setting an MLB mark with 17 hits in four games to help the team find themselves in the thick of playoff contention.
Rodriguez had 17 hits on just 22 at bats in those four Mariners victories from Wednesday to Saturday, which took his average from .256 to .278. The Mariners completed the sweep of the Houston Astros on Sunday, their sixth straight win.
The Seattle roster has won 14 of its last 17 outings and is currently the last drafted team in the American, half a game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. There are still six weeks left in the season, but the Mariners – with good reason – are confident in their chances of playing late in October.
“Our players’ desire to fight big battles is palpable,” said manager Scott Servais. Finding a way to sweep a team like the Astros at this point in the season takes that desire. We will continue in the same vein. The guys feel we can do it and we play great baseball. »
A three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox at the expense of the New York Yankees also kept them in that race.
The New England team, which has won seven of its last 10 games, is only 3 games behind the Mariners and the last place giving access to the playoffs in the American.
Those who like the end of the chaotic season are well served by the race for teams drafted in the National.
Heading into Monday’s games, the Philadelphia Phillies (67-56), San Francisco Giants (65-59), Chicago Cubs (64-59), Cincinnati Reds (64-61), Miami (64-61) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (64-61) are the six clubs vying for the three available spots.
“Every game is crucial,” D’backs manager Torey Lovullo said Saturday following the sweep at the expense of the Padres. I keep repeating this message. Victories are essential right now. The guys are fantastic at accomplishing the details that make the difference. »
On the other end of the spectrum, the Kansas City Royals are having a miserable year and are on track to lose more than 100 games this season. The only reason to appreciate this season for their fans is to see how Bobby Witt seems to have found his bearings.
The improvement from the young shortstop is real. While he had a good time in his first two seasons, the second overall pick in 2019 had a stellar final month, hitting .400 with eight home runs, 28 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Meanwhile in Texas, Rangers right-hander Max Scherzer has taken another step on his seemingly inevitable road to Cooperstown.
Scherzer recently moved ahead of Phil Niekro for 11th all-time in strikeouts, who now has 3,344.
If he remains healthy, the 39-year-old Gunner should earn a top-10 finish by the end of the season. Greg Maddux, with 3371’K’, occupies this 10th place. Next on the list is Walter Johnson, at 3509.
No active pitcher has more outs than Scherzer. Justin Verlander is the closest at 13th at 3,292.
