A Grip on Sports: The M’s season seems to hang in the balance after they return home from a forgettable – or another unforgettable – road trip
A GRIP ON SPORTS • There were six hours Wednesday that might just determine the Mariners’ postseason fate in 2025. The 360 minutes or so the team spent on the plane from Philadelphia to Seattle.
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• I’m sure the jet carried the M’s players directly between the two cities. What none of us can know is which route the team will take now.
After a deflating 2-7 East Coast road trip, which ended with five consecutive losses, the Mariners have 34 games remaining. They sit 1.5 games behind the Astros in the American League West and are 2.5 games up on Kansas City for the league’s third – and last – wild-card spot.
What will the final six weeks of the season hold?
Much of that may depend on that six-hour flight home. A stretch of forced togetherness, the outcome of which those of us on the outside won’t know until … well, maybe never.
Longtime Mariner fans will remember closer Kaz Sasaki’s mysterious back injury in 2003. The story at the time was simple. Stupid. Silly. The M’s announced Sasaki injured himself tripping over his luggage returning home from New York after a 12-game road swing. A May/June trip in which the M’s went 11-1.
That’s the official version. Other explanations trickled out over the years. All of them scoffing at the official explanation.
The late Dave Henderson told one that made complete sense. Then again, he told it in late-night bull session at Mariner Fantasy Camp a couple years later. But, according to Henderson, Sasaki was imbibing too much on the flight, said something he shouldn’t have about his save chances and Mike Cameron took exception. Sasaki’s injuries resulted in the ensuing altercation.
True or not, the flight home was a turning point for Bob Melvin’s team. Sasaki went on the disabled list. Did not pitch for two months. Returned in August. Never was the same. After recording 10 saves before the injury, never earned another as a Mariner.
Sasaki asked the M’s to void the final year of his contract after the season, they did, and he returned to Japan.
The M’s in 2003? They led the West by eight games at the time of Sasaki’s injury. But they faded down the stretch, ended up being passed by the A’s in late August and were eliminated from the postseason in late September. No matter how Sasaki was injured – Henderson swore his version was the truth – that flight changed everything.
Wednesday’s holds the potential to do the same for this year’s team.
Did the M’s, still eight games over .500 and in the thick of whatever postseason race you want to cite, stagger down the jetway at SeaTac flushed from too many arguments over what went wrong? Or did they saunter off having flushed the road trip from their memory, ready to paste the visiting Athletics on Friday night?
If Earl Weaver was right – the Hall of Fame manager once said “momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher” – then the M’s will be fine. Bryan Woo is throwing and there is no one better on the staff right now, especially at home.
But the rest of their tomorrows have to be straightened out. The “best” rotation in baseball is not at its best right now. Being back at T-Mobile should help – the staff’s earned run average is a run better at home – as should Bryce Miller’s return to the rotation.
But the rest of the season may just hinge on how the club’s psyche was shaped on that six-hour flight. And maybe, just maybe, we will learn some day that somewhere over the Dakotas the M’s found the answers they needed to find.
• Well, that was embarrassing. I spent way too much time today running down Saturday’s college football schedule. Examining the matchups. Focusing on the first day of the new season. After all, it was Friday morning and I always look forward to the weekend on Friday morning.
Except, as you well know, it was not Friday. It was Thursday.
For those of you who already receive a Social Security deposit in your bank account, you surely understand. The rest of you? It’s something to look forward to with joy. Or trepidation. Whatever. The days have a tendency to flow together in an Apollina sort of way.
“I know English. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Thursday, Sunday, Saturday …”
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WSU: It is still more than a week until Washington State takes the turf at Gesa Field to face its neighbors, the University of Idaho, in both teams’ season-opening game. But Jimmy Rogers has decided to name one Cougar starter. No, not the quarterback. The middle linebacker. Greg Woods has this story relaying the news Rogers’ defense will be anchored by a redshirt freshman, Anthony Palano. … Cornerback Kenny Worthy III was a freshman last season with the Cougs. And learned that “College is just different,” as Woods quotes him in this story. No truer words have ever been spoken. … Elsewhere in the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, the conference will add Dallas Baptist to its roster in 2027. For one sport. Baseball. The Patriots have become one of the nation’s best programs while playing in Conference USA. … Jon Wilner has his predictions for the Big Ten in today’s Mercury News. … We can also pass along another set of predictions. These are for the Big 12. … Oregon State has changed course in the NIL world with the hiring of a general manager. … A Beaver linebacker has retired from the game due to injury even before the season begins. … Oregon has a bunch of players on both sides of the ball with high goals for this season. … Marshall Faulk’s knowledge should help Colorado on many levels. … It is so funny UCLA and Tennessee basically traded starting quarterbacks in the offseason. … The Bruins have a new group of receivers. … USC has been practicing at the Coliseum. … An Arizona State freshman receiver is turning heads. Literally. … Arizona had some practice plays worth highlighting. … There was a lot of sacrifices needed to get one Boise State freshman where he is today. … Fresno State opens the season Saturday at Kansas. … San Diego State went through a mock game Wednesday. … Colorado State has three transfers who should help immediately. … Finally, Lee Corso was a national treasure for years. And will go out as one. … Who do you think are the most impactful broadcasters working these days?
EWU and Idaho: Around the (current and future) Big Sky, how will Montana State’s defensive backs do this season? … Will Montana’s special teams be special enough? … Southern Utah will rely on its linebackers heavily this season. … In basketball news, yes, the postseason tournament will stay in Boise.
Indians: Giving up 12 walks is not a way to win a baseball game. At any level. But especially not in the minor leagues. The Indians’ pitchers did that and the hitters couldn’t overcome it in an 11-2 loss at Everett on Wednesday night. Dave Nichols has the coverage.
Mariners: The road trip from heck finished up Wednesday with another loss. This one finished up 11-2 as the Seattle hitters struck out more than a dozen times. Still, the game was 3-2 entering the bottom of the seventh and the bullpen, mainly Tayler Saucedo, imploded. … Some idiot – that’s the only word that seems to fit – threatened Saucedo online after. … Victor Robles’ suspension is deserved. And bad for the M’s. But there is more to the story.
Sounders: Seattle struggled Wednesday night at Lumen Field, but still got past Puebla in a shootout in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. The Sounders will travel to Los Angeles next week for a semifinal against the L.A. Galaxy.
Seahawks: Cooper Kupp has always been meticulous. Even when he was at Eastern Washington. He still is. … Marquez Valdes-Scantling seems to have bounced back from a slow start at camp. … The Hawks will scrimmage and practice with the Packers in Green Bay prior to Saturday’s final exhibition game. … The team’s rookies need to make impressions. … Why are the national pundits so down on the Seahawks? What am I missing?
Auto racing: Doug Pace has his weekly notebook covering the racing happenings in the area.
Boxing: Spokane Boxing hosts its annual youth fight card and fundraiser next month. That news leads off the S-R’s latest local briefs column.
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• While settling in for a night of streaming – no, not ESPN’s new package but old standbys Netflix and Paramount+ – Kim and I caught the tail end of the Little League World Series elimination game between South Dakota and South Carolina. It was 1-0 going into the sixth (and final) inning. We didn’t watch the end. Our bad. South Carolina won 7-6 in seven innings. We missed a special ending. Until later …