Up and down with the Seattle Mariners

I hesitate to write anything on this year’s Seattle Mariner’s.

Especially right now. The M’s have had a propensity lately to put together a few winning streaks of promise, only to have those erased like Vesuvius wiping out Pompeii.

A good example of this was Monday night’s series opener with the American League West Division leaders Houston Astros. The M’s have had a difficult time this season against the AL team with the best record, especially at Minute Maid Park.

Monday’s game was a roller coaster and typical of the season. Riding a four-game winning streak into Houston, Seattle went up 1-0 in the first, fell behind 2-1 in the third, took the lead with three runs in the fourth, added to it in the fifth and watched it all fall apart in the sixth as the Astros scored five runs with two outs against starter Ariel Miranda.

Up, down, up, down.

Mike Zunino homered in the seventh to pull Seattle even. Nelson Cruz gave us the lead with a homer in the eighth, only to have Houston tie it in the bottom of the inning.

Yovani “One Bad Inning” Gallardo worked out of two jams in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to the glove work of Jean Segura. In the 10th, Kyle Seager and Danny Valencia both went yard, back-to-back, and Eddie Diaz earned the save and 9-7 win.

Up, up, down, up and up!

Maybe the last couple of “ups” are where the M’s are headed? Yes, it was nice to have a five-game winning streak, abut by the time you read this, it might be winners of six or seven or a two-game setback.

It’s this up and down, signs of “wait until next year, again” mixed with indicators of hopes for the playoffs that has fans wondering what management will do as the non-waiver trade deadline nears. Seattle hasn’t been in the post season since 2001, and it has fans restless.

You see, diehards got a taste of the good life in the 1990s. The miraculous last to first rally in 1995, coupled with other appearances and that 116-win season in 2001 gave us a feeling of what could be, especially after enduring those expansion growing pains of the late 1970s to early 1990s.

If you’ve never been to a post season Major League game, I hope you get the chance. I went to all of the home games in 1995, along with those in 1997, and a couple in 2001, and it’s something special.

So what will it take to get Seattle back to the promised land is the question facing management. At 47-47, as of July 18, the M’s are just 1.5 games out of the second wildcard slot.

Catching Houston, 15.5 games ahead of second-place Seattle, is unlikely as the Astro’s have a good team. A collapse would be epic, and a subsequent M’s rally would border on canonization.

A wild card is within reach though. Problem is, just about every other AL team is thinking the same thing. The Chicago White Sox, with the worst record at 38-52, are 8.5 games out of the post season with 72 games to play.

Things will likely start to shake out a bit more over the next two weeks leading up to the July 31 deadline. Seattle hosts the second-wildcard Yankees for four games after Houston, and then the AL East leaders Boston Red Sox.

If Seattle can win those series, coupled with a three-game affair July 28-31, it will pose an interesting dilemma for manager Scott Servais and general manager Jerry Dipoto. The M’s need at least one more starting pitcher, thanks to injuries, and are solid offensively and defensively.

Success over the next two weeks will beg the question, who do you trade to get that pitching and who’s available? Failure, and it’s likely we’re playing the “Next year” tune again, Sam.

Up, down, up, down.

John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.