Vitamin SEA: Judgement Day
The Mariners face their toughest challenge yet in their quest for the AL West
When the Mariners ended the drought and made the postseason in 2022, a lot of people pointed fingers at the 14-game win streak that put them in prime position to succeed. This season, they seem to be doing the exact same thing. In the middle of September, during the most important stretch of baseball in the entire regular season, the Seattle Mariners have broken off ten wins in a row against the Braves, Cardinals, Angels, and now the Royals.
In my last post I talked about how important it was to start the month strong and prove that the team can win on the road, as well as handle divisional opponents when it matters most. The Mariners are doing exactly that between winning in Atlanta and sweeping the Angels in four games. As of right now, the Seattle Mariners are playing like a playoff team. So it only seems fair that they now have to play a playoff series.
These next three games against the Houston Astros are the closest thing to playoff baseball you can get in September. The division is on the line as the winner of this series not only goes into the final six games with a lead, but clinches the season series tiebreaker. It cannot be overstated how important this series is for both teams, but for the Mariners who haven’t won the AL West since 2001, it just means more. For Seattle, these are three of the most important regular season games of the past 20 years. For Houston, it’s just a normal Friday.
The Houston Astros are in a weakened state right now with 13 players on the IL, most recently Yordan Alvarez who will miss the rest of the regular season with an ankle sprain, a merciful relief for Mariners fans haunted by the 2022 ALDS (me). Their rotation is being carried by Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez, and their bullpen is missing Josh Hader. There truly could not be more factors helping out the Mariners unless Jose Altuve has a change of heart and decides to retire tonight. But it is a very bad idea to underestimate the Astros, who despite the injuries are in the position they are, and are coming off of sweeping the surging Texas Rangers, potentially killing their season. The Astros are the most successful team of the past ten years, and it is easy to say that they have been here before. But with everything seemingly against them right now, can they hold off the surging Mariners?
Players to watch:
For Seattle, Cal Raleigh (obviously) is a huge factor here. If the MVP hopeful can swat a few into the Crawford boxes this series could be a long one for Houston. The Mariners will need to find a way to get to the two aces in Houston’s rotation, and it starts with the Big Dumper. Jorge Polanco is having one of the best months in his Mariners career, hitting more doubles in September than Seattle has rainy days. He has been incredibly clutch, and a bit of an unsung hero these past few weeks. And if you need another guy who has been clutch, Josh Naylor has been an incredible breath of fresh air for this Mariners offense, and a guy you want on your side if tensions rise in this series. There’s a good chance of a little pushing and shoving this weekend, and I want Naylor on the front lines.
For Houston, Framber Valdez is a tricky one. He has been great this year but has a habit of blowing up and not getting himself back together, and the Mariners have hurt him in the past. He’s a lockdown pitcher when he is on, but the pressure could get to him. Carlos Correa has predictability turned his year around the minute he put the orange jersey back on, and has been vital to the Astros down the stretch. A consistent playoff performer, Correa always steps up when the lights are bright. The wild card is Issac Parades, activated tonight right before the series starts. He is expected to start and could prove an issue if he picks up where he left off before his hamstring injury.
Every Mariners fan I know is pacing back and forth waiting for first pitch. I keep having to stop writing this article to stare at my Cal Raleigh poster in my office and center myself. All of Seattle is behind this team, hoping for a little piece of history this weekend. Good luck out there boys.
Go M’s,
Henry “I’m Freaking Out, Man” Neiman