ESPN Insider Seems to Think Seattle Mariners Can Catch Astros and Win AL West
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Heading into play on Thursday, the Seattle Mariners trail the Houston Astros by just two games in the American League West race.
The M's are looking to run down the Astros and win their first division title since the 2001 season, but is it possible?
Buster Olney of ESPN seems to think so, based on what he said on the most recent edition of the Refuse to Lose podcast:
But I just think they've had so many injuries to their core, I actually think it's remarkable that they're even in first place, given that Yordan Alvarez has not been a factor for them, one of the best hitters in baseball, and Jeremy Pena got hurt, on and on and on, and yet they've hung in there. I just think that, in the end, it's going to be two much to overcome. Hunter Brown and Framber Valdez are two Cy Young Award candidates with how they pitch, but it just feels like now, they're looking in their rear view mirror and that image is bigger than it appears in the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners are 5-1 since the trade deadline and they'll have a huge three-game series with Houston from Sept. 19-21. That series could go a long way toward determining the American League West winner.
The Mariners are 5-5 against the Astros this season, meaning the winner of that series takes the season tiebreaker as well.
Seattle will play the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. PT.
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