Seconds to Spare

 

Sometimes the MLB schedule lines up crucial series in consequential points on the map. For instance, right now the Mariners, who are 3 games removed from a wild card spot, have to play the Padres, who have a wild card spot and are trying to hang onto it as the Mets grow nearer. Winning and losing this series could dictate the direction of the remainder of the season for both teams. 

They didn't know that when they made the schedule. Yet here we are.

The Mariners, after looking hopeless for a good month or so, are actually in a decent position. They're 4.5 games behind the Astros for the division, which isn't ideal, yet they're 3 games behind the Twins for the last wild card spot, which initially seemed too out of reach for them. Around August 22, the Mariners turned a corner and actually started hitting, and have been 9-7 ever since, with only an Angels series looking like a mar on the record. Very helpful have been the additions of Randy Arozarena and Justin Turner, who've both had several hero moments already after coming over at the deadline. 

Equally helpful, though, has been the progressions of many hitters who've been on the team the whole time and are only now starting to hit. Luke Raley was very much a background presence in the first half, maybe he'd have some power moments, they wouldn't come often. Now he has the highest OPS on the team with .764, which only newer members Robles and Arozarena have topped. He's got 18 homers and 49 RBIs, and he's been especially on target this month, where he's hit .308 in 7 September games with 6 RBIs and 2 homers. Having Raley, Jorge Polanco and Julio Rodriguez hitting now, despite earlier weak spots, is a good thing, and having a fuller, more reliable lineup gives this team everything it needs to compete.

But one of the things standing in their way is this Padres series, as the Padres are a very good team with arguably more momentum than they have now. The hitting was never a problem for the Padres this year, as what was already good in May with Jurickson Profar, Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis is now even better with Machado, Bogaerts and Higgy all hitting. Jake Cronenworth, I think, may still disappoint people who want him to be the versatile utility contact guy he was when he came up, and seeing as he's already 30 despite debuting in 2020, he only has a handful of peak years left as it stands. But the slow pivot to power bat isn't the worth thing for Cronenworth, as his 16 homers and 78 RBIs are a very good show of offense, even if he's really not the best defender anymore. Arraez, Cronenworth and Donovan Solano are all having weak defensive seasons, but they are, in fact, all hitting well, which helps.

The Padres also have the important factor of having hydra-like regenerative abilities. Ha-Seong Kim got hurt last month, so the team went to rookie Mason McCoy, who's held his own as an infield replacement. Right when the rotation was getting hairy, Yu Darvish came back and continued his extremely strong 30s work. Jason Adam, Bryan Hoeing and Tanner Scott have made the bullpen possibly the best in the league. Hell, this team didn't even lose much ground when Tatis got hurt. They've got excellent depth, so many reinforcements, and have retained momentum excellently.

The Padres have a level of consistency this year that the Mariners wish they have, but the Mariners have the better pitching staff and are dangerous in the clutch. No matter how this series goals, it'll definitely have ramifications on just how both seasons end.

Coming Tomorrow- Red Sox fans were sad when Dominic Smith was released, but the man who replaced him made this sadness pretty short-lived.