ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The journey began on Wednesday evening as the Mariners boarded a plane and headed for Tampa with a 61-61 record and 1½ games back of the second American League wild-card spot.
The next time they play a game in Seattle will be on Sept. 1.
Until then, they will be on the road for 13 days, playing 12 games against four different teams, starting with a three-game set against the Rays.
A four-city road trip isn’t typical. But in past years, when they would play the National League East for interleague games, the Mariners requested a schedule that limited their cross-country trips by bunching up the series on the East Coast.