Mariners have a critical problem to solve in final major road trip of 2025

Seattle Mariners v Baltimore Orioles | Jess Rapfogel/GettyImagesThe Seattle Mariners are about to begin a nine-game, three-city road trip through Cleveland, Tampa Bay, and Atlanta. It's a relatively forgiving gauntlet, but fans in the Pacific Northwest have every right to be thinking "Oh, crud" all the same.

Memories of what happened the last time the Mariners went on a nine-game road trip are still fresh, and they're the kind fans would just as soon forget. The M's went 2-7 on stops in Baltimore, New York, Williamsport, and Philadelphia between August 12 and 20, which briefly put their playoff aspirations in jeopardy.

Mercifully, this is no longer the case after a six-game homestand in which…