The Seattle Mariners badly needed to leave Kansas City with a series win, and they got it. They clinched it by taking the rubber game on Thursday, courtesy of dominant pitching and one of the craftiest challenges of the season.
And all it got them was back to square one in the American League West, which will come to a head when the Mariners meet the Astros in Houston this weekend.
Blame it on Texas, both generally and specifically. This week's three-game set between the Astros and Rangers at Daikin Park could have bought the Mariners some breathing room after they claimed first place over the weekend, but it was not to be.