Seattle Mariners Hunt for October: Down to the Wire

The Seattle Mariners are in the so-called “Hunt for October.” This is going to be close.

Nine games left. Two more against the Houston Astros. Four against the Toronto Blue Jays. Finish with three against the division-winning Los Angeles Angels.

Not an easy road.

This is where the fan starts rooting for other teams besides their favorite squad. Usually there are rules against cheering for other teams, but this time of year you can make a reasonable exception.

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Granted, you aren’t really rooting for a particular franchise. It is more appropriate to suggest that you are rooting against a couple of other teams.

Today, fans of the Mariners are rooting for the Detroit Tigers since they are playing the Kansas City Royals. A Mariners win and Royals loss would mean that the M’s would be back in a playoff spot.

Meanwhile, today is also a day to cheer for the Philadelphia Phillies since they are playing against the Oakland A’s. If the A’s lose and the Mariners win today, they will be tied.

Is everyone keeping up with the possibilities? Good, because tomorrow the teams that you are rooting for could have switched.

The bottom line is that these three teams are about as neck-in-neck as you can get. Seattle will need strong performances from the likes of Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager, Fernando Rodney and yes, Logan Morrison.

Who will lead this team to glory? Will it be Mike Zunino and his power bat? Will it be Taijuan Walker, who is finally making a contribution? This is where the real fun begins, and the stress of being a loyal fan.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow this could all be different.