Despite an outsized 8-1 loss on Saturday night, the Mariners still took a series from the surprisingly cromulent 2024 Oakland A’s, a squad full of young players looking to prove themselves at the big-league level and playing a fun, freestyle brand of baseball without the weight of postseason expectations. The Mariners will face a similar test this week with another young squad further along in their developmental curve with the Royals, who have accented their young core, led by franchise cornerstone Bobby Witt Jr., with a pitching staff that is much better than years past.