Heading into the All-Star break, the Seattle Mariners lead the American League West by 1.0 game but have lost seven of their last eight series.
The Mariners’ first series after the All-Star break will be a three-game home series against the same Astros. Houston has trailed Seattle by one or two games for the better part of three weeks. In that time, both teams have tended to lose and win on the same day, and they haven’t been far apart.
The series with Houston presents Seattle with an immediate opportunity to push the Astros back to the bottom of the American League West and regain some breathing room.
Unfortunately for the Mariners, Houston is one of the best-performing teams in the league.
According to StatMuse, the Astros have the best record in the American League with a 25-13 record since June 1. The Mariners are 17th in the league with a 20-19 record. Seattle is batting .215 in that span, while Houston is .269.
The Mariners have some positive trends coming out of the All-Star break, starting with a potential return to form for franchise star Julio Rodriguez, who is batting .447 with three homers, six RBIs and seven runs scored in 12 games in July.
In case you were wondering, Julio Rodriguez is actually back 👀 pic.twitter.com/KUcloHehfC
— EastCoastM’s🔱 (@EastCoastMs_) July 13, 2024
Victor Robles has also been a bright spot for Seattle, batting .417 with three stolen bases, one home run and two RBIs in July.
And then, of course, there’s the pitching staff: Seattle is the only team to have all three starters with at least 10 quality starts at the All-Star break.
The Mariners are struggling, but there is a silver lining: If they can bounce back, they could start to reclaim the division lead that they held until recently by double digits.
Robles defends his position: Victor Robles has been one of the Seattle Mariners’ most consistent hitters in limited playing time since joining the team in June. click here
Mariners’ first win of the season: The Seattle Mariners stole three bases in one inning for the first time this season in their game against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. click here
Mariners reach disappointing milestone: The Seattle Mariners recorded their 1,000th strikeout of the season in a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. click here
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