Allow us to state the obvious: The Mariners need a get-right series. Their 14-game win streak and Julio’s coming out party at the Home Run Derby pumped helium into the ballooning hopes of Seattle baseball fans, but the Astros’ arrival and Julio’s absence punctured those Good Vibes like a vindictive squirrel popping a balloon animal in the center of a panther den. Thanks to a gruesome Blue Jays-Red Sox series, the Mariners find themselves still in sole ownership of the third wild card slot but 14-game win streaks can only offer so much of a cushion.
Series Preview: Mariners (51-45) vs. Rangers (43-51)
