News

SEATTLE – Colt Emerson’s helmet flew off as he rounded first base, bouncing and spinning and eventually coming to a rest in the middle of the infield dirt.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The second time, Julio Rodríguez began to celebrate even before Victor Robles started his dive.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Coming into a rival’s short-term home, the Mariners finally found something of a comfort zone of their own this week.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Emerson Hancock’s breakthrough season carried on Tuesday night, and he’s carried the Mariners to the brink of a first-place standing for the first time this season.

On paper, the piggyback checks boxes. But here’s the problem. Paper doesn’t account for established roles, egos or personal pride. 

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Pacing back and forth in the visitors’ dugout, Luis Castillo wore the expression and demeanor of a man preparing to enter the ring for a heavyweight title bout.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Eleven days after landing on the injured list for the first time in his career, Cal Raleigh took his first small step in his return from a strained right oblique.

KANSAS CITY – Failure and defeat are embedded into a baseball season. It’s the nature of a 162-game schedule and the avalanche of opportunities afforded players over the accumulation of all those games.

KANSAS CITY – With their well-documented and much-debated struggles against left-handed pitching, featuring a passel of right-handed swinging platoon hitters that have severely underperformed in their role, the Mariners are almost always happy when an opponent starts a right-hander against them.

KANSAS CITY – When Nick Mears came jogging in from the Royals bullpen to start the seventh inning, you could almost hear a collective sigh coming from the Mariners dugout.

The most amazing thing about the Mariners is that they’re two games back.