The Seattle Mariners don’t know what losing feels like in their last 14 games.
Considering how the team was performing in May and a part of June, a 14-game winning streak (still ongoing, as of Friday afternoon) seemed far-fetched, to say the least.
But here we are, and the Mariners are 51-42, firmly in possession of a postseason spot should the season end today.
It doesn’t, however, and they will have to keep grinding and showing they belong in October.
This weekend presents a unique opportunity for Seattle, but also a huge challenge at the same time.
They will face the Houston Astros, who lead the AL West by 10 games, in a tough weekend series.
In fact, Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish already has the pitching matchups.
“Pitching probables for the weekend series,” he tweeted, with a picture showing the hurlers who will take the mound over the weekend.
Pitching probables for the weekend series pic.twitter.com/d3Bj304Oui
— Ryan Divish (@RyanDivish) July 22, 2022
Seattle Needs To Prove They Can Beat Elite Teams Like Houston
If the Mariners can sweep the Astros, something that seems very hard considering Houston is an elite team in MLB, they will close the current gap to seven games.
If Houston sweeps, they will put some ground between them and the Mariners with a 13-game advantage.
It will be a pivotal series: it won’t decide the fate of the season, but it’s a very good way to see what Seattle is made of.
Beating the Astros consistently will be needed in order to secure a playoffs spot, and even if they make it, there is a chance they face them again in the postseason.
In other words, Houston isn’t going anywhere: Seattle will have to beat them eventually to reach its objectives.
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