Eleven games into something Mariners fans haven’t experienced since early this decade, there’s a tendency to wish it were already September. Can you imagine what that would be like if the Mariners have then what they’ve got now — first place in the AL West and the best record in the American League?
Just sit back and enjoy this ride.
The Mariners are 8-3 for their best 11-game start since the 2001 and 2002 seasons, they’re doing it with pitching, defense and an opportunistic offense, and they’re showing the qualities of a team that just might have the moxie to make it last.
Here’s what I mean.
The Mariners are coming from behind. Tonight’s 6-3 triumph was already their fourth come-from-behind victory this season, and this may have been the most telling of what this team is made of.
Justin Verlander was absolutely dealing through three perfect innings and, after the Tigers scored three times in the second off Felix Hernandez, you could have wondered if this has only been a 10-day mirage. ““It was an easy day to go out there and say, ‘This guy is just unhittable,’” manager Don Wakamatsu said.
Last year’s Mariners, playing under the pressure of high expectations and not as much talent as we’d thought, folded at times like that. This year’s Mariners made an adjustment. What a concept.
They thumped Verlander with five hits and a couple of harassing bunts in the fifth inning, scoring five runs and turning Safeco Field into a huge party among the 35,824.
Hernandez didn’t have a clean inning all night, but he gutted his way through four more scoreless innings and handed a two-run lead to a bullpen that’s settling into roles with some high-velocity relief. Shawn Kelley pitched the seventh, David Aardsma the eight and Brandon Morrow a jaw-dropping ninth. Morrow threw 11 strikes among his 12 pitches and hit 99 mph. The Tigers couldn’t touch that.
The Mariners also have continued to win despite injuries. Ichiro Suzuki missed the first eight games, pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith went on the disabled list early this week and catcher Kenji Johjima has been on the DL the past two games. Tonight, Russell Branyan came out with a stiff back, but Wakamatsu played the last four innings with Ronny Cedeno at second base and Jose Lopez to first.
These are good times at the ballpark, and Mariners fans have reason to be hopeful for the first time in several years. It does make you wish it were already September.
But if we flipped the calender ahead like that, we’d probably miss out on a whole lot of fun this summer.
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