Weekly Grades: Mariners Over .500

Seattle Mariners: The Ms wrapped up a great week yesterday, defeating Arizona 3-2. Over the last two series against Arizona and their rival, San Diego, Seattle went 5-1. The Ms are now only two and a half games out of first place. The ups and downs of the past season have often left me confused. But you need to remember that the Ms 5-1 record last week came against two sub-.500 teams.
Sure, the Ms played well, and once again proved their grit in winning several close games. (They were also handed a game last night when Arizona’s first baseman Tony Clark dropped the third out and allowed the winning run to score.) Seattle is certainly poised to make a run at the playoffs: they are close in a weak division, have great pitching, and their bats are finally starting to heat up. But the next stretch of games will be the ones to determine if the Mariners are ready for a playoff run.
After a series at home against San Diego again, Seattle faces a tough road stretch. They have to travel to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers, New York to face the Yankees, and Boston to play the Red Sox. All these teams are above .500 and either first or second in their division. This road stretch should determine the fate of the team as buyers or sellers come the trade deadline. If the Mariners can keep their record at .500 throughout this road trip, I will be ready to say that their playoff chances are pretty strong. Grade: A

Jose Lopez: Lopez was placed on the bereavement list to be with his sister, who was dying of cancer, on Friday. His sister has been struggling with cancer for a long time, and it has worsened lately. He is not expected to return for at least several more games.
Yet, despite the emotional turbulence, Lopez’s bat had been heating up of late. He is first among Ms in RBIs, with 42. He also had hit 4 home runs in the 8 games before leaving. Though the Ms could use his bat back, Lopez should take all the time he needs. It is good to see this young man has his head in the right place. Grade: A

Seattle Sounders FC: The Sounders tied once again, this time tying the 2-10-4 Red Bulls 1-1. I was expecting nothing but a win out of the Sounders, against one of the worst teams in the MLS. However, it seems not to matter if the Sounders play one of the league’s best (Chivas or DC United) or worst (New York). The result will be the same: a tie.
The Sounders seem to be unable to put a game away, missing opportunities in both games last week against DC and New York. However, Freddy “Dinero” Montero seems to be getting back on track, with two goals in the last two games. Also, the Sounders were without their other Freddy, Ljungburg, who was out with a tight hamstring. Nevertheless, it would be nice to see the Sounders actually win some games… Grade: C+



Photo Source: Seattle Times