Back in July, I saw the Mariners take on another wayward middling team, the Pirates, in Pittsburgh. This was actually pretty evenly matched- two uneven teams with momentum waning and elements taking them back. That night the Pirates embarrassed them, taking their pitching yard several times throughout the night.
However...since the deadline, the Mariners have been fiercely fighting back, with Felix Hernandez back in full form, the lineup of Cano, Seager, Cruz and friends catching fire, and the Astros absolutely buckling against them. A team that started out the season with high hopes and high numbers could be getting back there sooner than we thought.
Felix Hernandez, in any hair color, is one of the best pitchers of the last ten years, and one of the most infuriating strikeout artists in baseball; what he's done by his age is pretty amazing, and the fact that he's still pretty sharp is a wonder for the M's, who are recovering from some pitching problems (and the loss of Wade Miley). Nate Karns and Hisashi Iwakuma are improving and the depth of the lineup is allowing for some clutch home runs.
I'll argue that it will be tough with the Astros fighting for it too, as the M's still have a lot of problems to attend to, but it should be fun to see them fighting for the rest of the season.
Coming Tomorrow- A hard-hitting infielder that's one of the few consistent sources of power in Phoenix.
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